Bishop to be installed ‘this side of Christmas’

THE priest who has been administering the Diocese of Limerick since the resignation of Bishop Donal Murray said yesterday that he expected a new bishop to be installed “this side of Christmas”.

The Papal Nuncio has been in contact with clergy in the diocese and after consultations, will send a list to Rome of the three names favoured by local priests.

However, the new bishop may not be selected from this short-list, as happened in the diocese of Killaloe when the three favoured names put forward to replace Bishop Willie Walsh were overlooked with the naming of African missionary Fr Kieran O’Reilly as the new bishop-designate.