New bishop confirmed for Kilkenny and Diocese of Ossory
Bishop of Ferns Ger Nash is to succeed Niall Coll as Bishop of Ossory, continuing in his Ferns role as well
The Diocese of Ossory will finally have a new bishop with confirmation today that Bishop Ger Nash is to succeed Bishop Niall Coll, whose shock departure was announced at the end of last year.
Bishop Nash has been the Bishop of Ferns since 2021, and it is understood he will continue in this role also. He has had responsiblity for the Diocese of Ossory since January this year, as apostolic administrator.
In a statement, Bishop Nash said he was ‘deeply honoured’ to be asked by Pope Leo to take on the new role, and that it was an opportunity for the two dioceses to do ‘great things together’
“The challenge of being one bishop for two dioceses is a mirror of the experience of many priests in modern Ireland as they take on responsibility for more than one parish,” he said.
As far back as March, it had been speculated that Ossory might lose out on having its own bishop and move to a ‘shared bishop’ model with Ferns. It follows moves in other parts of the country where multiple dioceses have come uunder one bishop. The dioceses of Clonfert and Galway have been united under a single bishop, as have Elphin and Achonry, and Tuam and Killala.
In March, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Ossory told the Kilkenny People: "It is possible that the outcome of this might be the union of the Diocese with another in the person of the Bishop (In persona episcopi). In this manner one Bishop would lead two dioceses. This has happened in several cases in recent years throughout Ireland and even in many other countries.“
Bishop Gerard Nash was born in 1959 in Tulla, Co Clare. He studied business and then worked in manufacturing industry for a number of years, subsequently choosing to study for the priesthood with the Diocese of Killaloe in Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth. He was ordained a priest in 1991. On 11 June 2021, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Ferns.
When Bishop Niall Coll departed for his home county of Donegal, there was frustration locally that Ossory had lost its third bishop in ten years. There was concern among some members of the clergy and laity that the move, coupled with the departure of diocesan administrators, hampered any kind of long-term planning. It prompted local councillor Mary Hilda Cavanagh to declare: “The Diocese of Ossory is not a training ground for bishops. Send us a bishop and leave us our bishop!”
The Diocese of Ossory has a Catholic population of 83,595. The diocese comprises 42 parishes - most of County Kilkenny, six parishes in County Laois, and one parish in County Offaly.