BISHOP BRENDAN COMISKEY, Bishop of Ferns, 1984-2002
The death has occurred of former Bishop of Ferns, Brendan Comiskey. He was aged 89.
He was appointed Bishop of Ferns on April 4th, 1984, consecrated in St. Aidan’s Cathedral, Enniscorthy, on May 20th and served in the position for 18 years.
Born on August 13th, 1935 in Clontibret, Co Monaghan, he was ordained a priest for the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary on June 25th, 1961.
He became head of his order in Ireland and the UK and was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Dublin in 1979 when he was 45 and was appointed to the Diocese of Ferns in 1984.
He resigned in 2002 after the broadcast of the BBC documentary Suing the Pope, which uncovered over 100 allegations of abuse against 21 priests stretching back as far as 1962.
Bishop Comiskey failed to protect children from paedophile priests and did not report allegations against Fr Sean Fortune for abusing several children.
Following the publication of the Ferns Report, which documented a series of child sex abuse cases in the diocese over forty years, he withdrew from public life.
Bishop Comiskey received care from the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Ranelagh, Dublin in recent years.
Requiem Mass for Bishop Comiskey was held in the Church of the Sacred Heart, Clondalkin, Dublin. The celebrant was Rev. Jim Fegan from the Diocese of Ferns. Afterwards the bishop’s remains were taken to Annyalla in Co. Monaghan for burial.
Rob James exhibited outstanding performance at the Fairyhouse point-to-point event today (Sunday), achieving four victories. The weekend was successful with numerous races and fixtures, and stables and riders from Wexford performed exceptionally well.
ROB JAMESwon four races today. (Pic; WexfordLocal.com)
Rob James rode and handled two winners in the Matchmaker Syndicate colours winning both divisions of the maiden race for four-year-olds with Princess Day by three lengths and Royale Navy by four lengths.
James added two more with Donnchadh Doyle charges-King Du Brivet by eight lengths in division one of the five-year-old geldings race by eight lengths and added a fourth success with Sioux Falls in the concluding race for maidens.
Also at Fairyhouse Barry Stone and Jonathan Fogarty scored a one and a half lengths victory with Smoke Trail in the maiden race for four-year-olds geldings and Luke Murphy from Gorey was the successful rider and handler of Ballyfad who came home four lengths to the good in division two of the four-year-old geldings maiden race.
Jonathan Fogarty had an across the cards double when Wyoming Line was a four lengths winner on his debut under Finian Maguire in the maiden race for four-year-olds at Dromahane.
Matt Gahan and Michael Goff triumphed in the five-year-old geldings maiden with El Bugsy. Thirteen and a half lengths the verdict and there was a victory Somersby Roost in the colours of Phyllis O’Rourke, handled by her husband Pat and ridden by James O’Rourke, Belmont Stud, Wexford, in the mares’ maiden race.
Shane O’Rourke, Foulksmills, rode a double in Kilkenny today (Sunday). He was aboard Double The Dance for Kilmacow handler Ian Power in the maiden race for four-year-old geldings and also scored for Vincent Devereux on Deliverinstyle in the ‘older’ geldings’ race.
John Martin Walsh from Duncormick saddled the first and second in the Winner of One race with Lynsey Larue (Troy Walsh up) holding off Where’s Cato (Jack Hendrick) by two lengths.
Eamonn Doyle, Ballindaggin, saddled Stay Hopeful in the maiden race for five-year-old geldings and it resulted in a victory under Jamie Scallan, who earlier won on Sean Doyle’s newcomer Cheers To You in the maiden race for four-year-old mares.
Saturday races took place at Ballysteen where the four-year-old maiden was divided due to a large entry and both divisions were won by Wexford stables. Division one was won by newcomer Midtown Manhattan by six and a half lengths for Colin Bowe and Barry O’Neill and the second division went to Cog Noir by a neck for Cormac Doyle and Jack Hendrick.
Jack Hendrick went on to ride a double on the day when he took the mount on newcomer Some Song for Pierce Michael Power from The Hook and they crossed the line four lengths ahead of the field in the maiden race for five-year-old geldings.
Easter Monday point-to-point action took place at Loughanmore, Co. Antrim, where Kiltealy handler Matthew Flynn O’Connor saddled his 35th career winner in eight seasons as a licence holder.
His impressive winner, who will now go to the sales, was Max’d Out who had six lengths to spare at the finish of the maiden race for four-year-olds. Wicklow rider Brian Lawless was in the saddle.
On the same card Barry O’Neill scored an eight and a half lengths victory on Winged Leader for Fermanagh handler David Christie with the 11-year-old winning for the 32nd time in his career in the Open Race.
Celebrated Requiem Mass in memory of Pope Francis takes place in St. Aidan’s Cathedral, Enniscorthy at 7pm on Friday, April 25th. The chief celebrant will be Most Rev. Ger Nash, DD, Bishop of Ferns. All are welcome to attend.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17th, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2013 until his death on April 21st, 2025.
In June 2021 Bishop Nash was appointed by Pope Francis to be Bishop of Ferns and was ordained as the 81st Bishop of the diocese in St Aidan’s Cathedral on September 5th, 2021.
Pope Francis’s funeral will begin at 10am local time (4am ET) on Saturday, April 26th, and will be televised worldwide.
The future of the vacant former health centre in Camolin was raised at the April meeting of Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council meeting and it has been the subject of a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil TD for Wicklow-Wexford, Deputy Malcolm Byrne.
CAMOLIN HEALTH CENTRE has been vacant for 11 years. Should the HSE sell it?
Deputy Byrne was informed that of the 234 vacant properties in the control of the HSE as of February 28th, 2025, 93 are deemed “surplus to requirement” and in various stages of disposal.
Some 38 of the 234 vacant properties are under review by the HSE, meaning they are being considered for retention, reuse or disposal.
The figures were released by the HSE in response to a parliamentary question from Deputy Byrne, who stated he is frustrated over the level of vacant properties held by the HSE and the “slow pace at which they are dealing with these unused assets”.
Deputy Byrne said; “For over 11 years, for example, there has been a fine building in Camolin left vacant – it used to be a health centre – and every effort to get it back into use has failed because of HSE inaction.”
The health centre, or the dispensary as it was also known, in Camolin has been vacant since closure in 2014. What happens next?
“It also raises the wider question of how many vacant properties owned by State bodies are lying empty around the country,” said Deputy Byrne.
The Right Revd Adrian Wilkinson, Church of Ireland Bishop of Cashel, Ferns and Ossory has expressed his sympathy and has extended the prayers and condolences of the Church of Ireland clergy and people of the Diocese of Cashel, Ferns and Ossory to Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly, Bishop Niall Coll, Bishop Ger Nash, Bishop Denis Nulty and Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, their priests, religious and people, upon the announcement of the death of Pope Francis.
The Right Revd Adrian Wilkinson, Church of Ireland Bishop of Cashel, Ferns and Ossory
“I had the honour of meeting Pope Francis in Rome in January of last year when Bishop Niall Coll and I were the Irish representatives at the International Anglican – Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission,” said Bishop Wilkinson, who continued; “Since his election, Pope Francis has been known for his love, compassion and humility with a life centred on service. He has been a voice for the displaced, the asylum seeker, the migrant, the poor and those who live on the margins and frequently expressed a deep concern for the wellbeing of the earth.
“We pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Roman Catholic Church grieving today. In this season of Easter, we thank God for the life, witness and service of Pope Francis and offer our prayers to them in this time of mourning and transition.
In St. Aidan’s Cathedral, Enniscorthy, the Papal flag is at half-mast to honour Pope Francis in the Diocese of Ferns.
The following statement has been issued by the Bishop of Ferns Ger Nash.
“It was with great sadness that the world heard on Monday morning of the death of Pope Francis. Here in The Diocese of Ferns we share in the sorrow of the church and indeed in the grief of many outside the church at the passing of somebody who carried a message of Hope for the whole human race.
“During his twelve years of ministry as Pope the world experienced many changes. The Covid pandemic highlighted our frailty as human beings in spite of all the developments in modern medicine. It also highlighted our interdependence and the equal vulnerability of rich and poor alike. The challenge of care for the planet, our common home, became more clearly urgent and the certainties of traditional media and stable political systems were eroded faster than we expected. In this time of great change Pope Francis invited us to carry a message of hope to the whole world and he showed us how to do this by his own engagement with people.
“His greatest gift to the church he leaves behind will be the gift of Synodality. He believed that God will speak and direct the church in the future through conversations between people in the power of the Holy Spirit. May Pope Francis’ generous spirit continue to guide the church and may he be rewarded with eternal rest for his long labour in the Vineyard of the Lord.”
Uisce Éireann is currently addressing an electrical failure at the reservoir in New Ross’s Hewittsland area to restore normal water supply to residential and commercial properties.
Expert water service crews were dispatched and are working with the ESB to minimise disruption and carry out the required repair works, with every effort being made to complete this work as quickly as possible. Works are scheduled to take place until 6pm this evening.
Alternative water supplies are being made available at the Apex car park and the Community hospital car park.
Padraig Lyng, Water Operations Lead for Wexford thanked affected customers for their cooperation while the repair works are being carried out. “Uisce Éireann acknowledges the disruption that can be caused by an unplanned outage such as this operational issue at the Hewittsland Tower. We wish to thank customers in Hewittsland area of New Ross for their patience while these emergency repair works were underway,” stated Mr Lyng.
Following completion of works, it is recommended to allow 3-4 hours after the estimated restoration time for the supply to fully return.
Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communications from us for planned and unplanned outages lasting more than four hours.
Courtown/Arklow Coast Guard completed another day in search of a missing person, but unfortunately nothing to report.
Three search teams, a drone team, and RNLI lifeboats from Courtown and Arklow were involved in two searches at 10am and 3pm from Courtown to Arklow.
Searches have been ongoing for over a week now.
“We would ask that the public be vigilant if they are out and about on our coastline, but most importantly if you are assisting with a search that you remain safe and don’t take any unnecessary risks,” said a statement on social media.
If you see anything that should require further investigation, please dial 112/999 and ask for the Coast Guard.
The traditional Easter Rising 1916 commemoration organised by Enniscorthy Municipal District Council was held this morning. Cathaoirleach Cllr Aidan Browne laid a wreath on the steps of the 1798 memorial in Market Square.
Cllr Browne said it was “an honour and a privilege to welcome all to the wreath laying ceremony, as we gather to commemorate the Easter Rising of 1916 and, in particular, to reflect on the role that Enniscorthy played in that defining moment in our nation’s history.”
Cllr Browne continued; “We are gathered not simply to mark a date on the calendar, but to honour the memory of men and women who, at great personal risk, stood against an empire and declared that the Irish people had the right to govern themselves in their own land.” The attendance included Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne TD, Deputy Johnny Mythen TD, Senator Cathal Byrne and Cllrs Barbara-Anne Murphy, Pat Kehoe, John O’Rourke and Jackser Owens and former TD John Browne.
The ceremony started with the traditional Easter Monday Mass at St. Aidan’s Cathedral celebrated by Very Rev. James Cullen. The Reserve Defence Forces’ Colour Party led the parade through Main Street, Pig Market Hill, Wafer Street, and into Market Square, where Martin Whelan was the master of ceremonies.
The event was attended by Ballindaggin Pipe Band, IUNVA Post No. 3 – Gorey and IUNVA Post No. 31 – Enniscorthy, members of Organisation of National Ex-Service personnel and members of Enniscorthy Historical Re-enactment Society. Dr Howard Keeley and students from Georgia Southern University also participated.
Judy Heffernan read the 1916 Proclamation, Anthony Nolan played The Last Post on the bugle and the event concluded with the Ballindaggin Pipe Band playing Amhrán na bhFiann.
The Gardaí in Gorey are investigating a fire that resulted in the destruction of newly installed picnic seating and tables at Burrow Road in Courtown on Saturday night. The bench had been placed there only last Monday.
Scene of destruction at Burrow Road, Courtown.
The cost of replacement is €870.
The Gardaí reported that a considerable quantity of accelerant was used, suggesting it was an intentional act.
Poet, writer and author of ‘The Boy Who Kicked The Nun’, Mick O’Callaghan told WexfordLocal.com that they were being used by all age groups and by older people in particular who were able to walk from one bench to another, have a rest, a chat and walk back again. “Today one of those lovely new benches lies burned out on the ground thanks to an act of wanton vandalism denying people of its use and costing the taxpayer money,” said Mick, who added; “It is difficult to comprehend how any individual could perpetrate such a heinous act on the lovely Burrow road.” Mick conveys gratitude to all the wonderful Courtown/ Riverchapel Community Council who continue to work in keeping Courtown tidy and in enhancing and developing the area to make Courtown great again.
If you have any information, please contact the Gorey Garda Station on 053 9430690, the Garda Confidential number at 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
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