12 Facts About Dermot Farrell

Dermot Farrell was baptised in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar, and attended primary school in Castletown Geoghegan and Streamstown and secondary school at St Finian's College, Mullingar.

Dermot Farrell was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Meath on 7 June 1980.

Dermot Farrell completed a licentiate in theology from St Patrick's College, Maynooth between 1979 and 1981, before completing doctoral studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome between 1985 and 1988, where his doctoral thesis explored the dogmatic foundations of Bernhard Haring's dialogical approach to Catholic moral theology as a sacramental way of life.

Dermot Farrell returned to Ireland in 1989, serving as a curate in Tullamore and lecturing in moral theology at St Patrick's College, Maynooth.

Dermot Farrell was appointed vice-president on 13 October 1993 and president on 9 December 1996, following the sudden death of his predecessor, Matthew O'Donnell.

Dermot Farrell was appointed Prelate of Honour of His Holiness on 6 June 1997, and made a member of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre in 1998 before being promoted to the rank of Grand Officer in 2018.

Dermot Farrell retired as President of St Patrick's College in 2007 and returned to pastoral ministry in the Diocese of Meath, when he was appointed parish priest in Dunboyne.

Dermot Farrell was appointed vicar general of the diocese in 2009.

Dermot Farrell was appointed Bishop of Ossory by Pope Francis on 3 January 2018, and consecrated by the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, on 11 March in St Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny.

Dermot Farrell became a member of the standing committee of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, and subsequently its Financial Secretary in March 2019.

Dermot Farrell was appointed Archbishop of Dublin by Pope Francis on 29 December 2020, continuing to serve as Apostolic Administrator of Ossory until his installation on 2 February 2021 in St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Dublin.

Dermot Farrell called for a more flexible approach towards celibacy, similar to the one adopted by the Eastern Orthodox Churches.