MOST REVEREND LAWRENCE (LARRY) DUFFY, BISHOP OF CLOGHER
Bishop Lawrence (Larry) Duffy comes from the parish of Magheracloone in south-Monaghan. He was born on 27 November 1951, the son of the late Thomas and Elizabeth Duffy. He received his early education at Ballynagearn National School and at the Patrician High School, Carrickmacross.
Having completed his studies for the priesthood at St Patrick’s College, Carlow, Bishop Duffy was ordained in St Macartan’s Cathedral, Monaghan in June 1976 by Bishop Patrick Mulligan. Following ordination he ministered in Enniskillen (1976-78); Castleblayney (1978-94); Monaghan & Rackwallace (1994-98); Ederney (PP, 2003-08); Clones (PP, 2008-13) and Carrickmacross (PP, 2013-19). In addition, he also spent over four years working in the Diocese of Kitui in Kenya (1998-2002). During that time, he helped to lead the building of a church in Mwingi.
Bishop Duffy was a Vicar General of the Diocese of Clogher from 2013 until the retirement of Bishop MacDaid in 2016. In addition, he was Dean of the Diocesan Chapter of Canons until his appointment as Bishop of Clogher on 8 Deceember 2018. He was ordained bishop on Sunday, 10 February 2019 in St Macartan’s Cathedral, Monaghan.
A former player with Magheracloone Mitchells GAA, Bishop Duffy is an avid follower of all sports, particularly GAA and golf.
BISHOPS EMERITUS:
Most Rev Liam S. MacDaid
Bishop Liam MacDaid is a native of Bundoran, Co Donegal, on the north-western extreme of the diocese. He was born there on 19 July 1945. Having completed his studies at St Macartan’s College, Monaghan, and at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, he was ordained to the Priesthood by the then Archbishop of Dublin, Dr John Charles McQuaid on 15 June 1969. He joined the teaching staff of St Macartan’s College, Monaghan in 1970 and was President of the college from 1981 until 1989. From 1990 until 1993 he served in the parish of Aghavea & Aghintaine (Fivemiletown and Brookeboro) in Counties Tyrone and Fermanagh before being appointed Diocesan Secretary and Chancellor of the Diocese. He was at the same time Administrator of the parish of Tyholland in County Monaghan. He was appointed Bishop of Clogher in May 2010.
He was Chairperson of the Council for Marriage and the Family of the Irish Episcopal Conference from 2012 until 2016. He also served as Vice-Chairperson of ACCORD, the Catholic Marriage Care Service.
Due to ill-health, Bishop MacDaid retired on 1 October 2016.
Bishop MacDaid is a lifelong member of the GAA and played with the now former St Joseph’s club (Bundoran and Ballyshannon) with which he won several Donegal Senior Football Championship titles and an All-Ireland club title (then an unofficial competition) in 1968 He also won an Ulster Under 21 Championship medal with Donegal in 1966.
Most Rev Joseph Duffy
Bishop Joseph Duffy was born on 3 February 1934 and is a native of Annagoes in the Parish of Killeevan-Currin-Aghabog. He was ordained a priest on 22 June 1958. Appointed Bishop of Clogher by Pope John Paul II in July 1979, he was ordained bishop on Sunday 2 September 1979. He retired as bishop in July 2010.
Bishop Duffy was Chairperson of the Commission for Liturgy of the Irish Episcopal Conference. He chaired the council for ecclesiastical art and architecture during the 1980s and 1990s. He was Press Spokesman for the Irish Episcopal Conference for a number of years. Bishop Duffy was the Irish representative on the Commission for Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) for many years and played a pivotal part in enhancing the voice on the Catholic Church in Ireland on matters concerning Europe. Another area in which Bishop Duffy took a keen interest was that of ecumenism.
Bishop Duffy is an accomplished scholar, historian and linguist, with several publications to his name. An acknowledged expert on the life of St Patrick, his book Patrick in His Own Words is the recognised key text for the study of our national saint. Bishop Duffy has been associated with the Clogher Historical Society almost since its inception. He is a former editor of its journal The Clogher Record and has been Chairman of the society’s executive committee for many years. His latest work on the life of St Tiarnach of Clones draws from his many years of research on the genealogies of Irish saints and his immense knowledge of medieval Irish.
