Kilcormac Curates

Curates resident at Kilcormac

1800-?

Rev. Francis Kelly
In 1800, Francis Kelly, of Clondonnel was ordained Priest for the Diocese of Meath and the Bishop appointed him a curate in his native parish, as assistant to the Parish Priest in Kilcormac. On August 26th, 1803, the Tyrone Militia, marching from Omagh, Co. Tyrone, to Limerick city, halted for refreshments in Kilcormac, where James Todd, a sergeant in the militia, entered a public house kept by Margaret Scully. According to a sworn statement made by Todd afterwards, Fr. Francis Kelly was in the shop at the time, and on Todd asking if there was a magistrate in the town, Fr. Kelly replied that there was no magistrate within three or four miles. Then a drum sounded an Fr. Kelly said he wished there was no drum in the Kingdom, to which Todd answered that he wished there were twenty drums in the Kingdom for every one, that was in it, whereupon Fr. Kelly called him an ‘insulting rascal.’ Then Todd told Fr. Kelly he was now off on his route to Limerick to which Fr. Kelly replied: ‘to hell with you and your route.’ Todd made his statement on oath before the local magistrate, who was none other than Captain Bernard, the man who had been whipped by O'Connor, and he promptly arrested Fr. Kelly for ' disloyal expressions against his Majesty's Government,' and imprisoned him in the local guardhouse, along with other culprits, probably Killoughey men also, who had been captured after firing at the yeomen four miles from Kilcormac. Bernard sent Todd's statement to Dublin Castle, together with a covering letter, in which he stated that this Popish Priest Kelly had been insulting and threatening to him also, and he asked the authorities in the Castle what was to be done with the prisoners. The instructions sent to Bernard are not available, but it would appear that Fr. Kelly's fate had not yet been decided more than a fortnight later when the Bishop came to Kilcormac to preside at a conference of the local clergy, and noted in his diary: ‘l4th September, 1803 - Conference of the district taken up by the discussion of examinations lodged against Rev. Francis Kelly, before a magistrate of the King's County There is no further reference to Fr. Kelly in Bishop Plunkett's notes, nor in Cogan's ‘History of the Diocese of Meath.’

1841 Fr. Corcoran Fr. Corcoran’s name appears in Gamble’s notes (See article on The Famine). Fr. Corcoran was born in Rahan in 1815 and was ordained on the 5th June 1841. He served as curate in the parishes of Kilcormac, Athboy and Clara before his appointment as Parish Priest of Clara in January 1861 He died there in 1882.

1861-75 Rev. Edward Kellaghan. Died parish priest of Clonmellon.

1861-68 Rev. Richard Macken. Died curate in Kilcormac on the 25th December 1868

1868-71 Rev. John Rooney. Died parish priest of Drumconrath.

1871-74 Rev. Nicholas Clarke.

1874-79 Rev. Patrick Gillic. born in Oldcastle parish on the 7th January 1849. Educated at Navan and Maynooth. Ordained 21 June 1874. Died 4 September 1879. Buried in Kilcormac church.

1874-79 Rev. Michael Hughes. Died parish priest of Beauparc.

1878-89 Rev. Thomas Scally. Died administrator of Collinstown.

1878-80 Rev. James Duffy.

1880-89 Rev. Michael Bracken. Died Parish priest of Clara.- see parish priest section above.

1889-91 Rev. Laurence Ryan. Died parish priest of Castletown-Kilpatrick.

1889-91 Rev. Richard McDonnell. Died administrator of Glasson

1896-00 Rev. Christopher Farrell. Died parish priest of Skryne.

1899-99 Rev. Denis Dunne. Died parish priest of Moyvore.

1900-01 Rev. Thomas Gilsenan. Died parish priest of Enfield

1901-02 Rev. Thomas Shaw. Died parish priest of Lobinstown

1902-03 Rev. Patrick Flanagan. Died parish priest of Summerhill.

1903-06 Rev. Thomas Donnellan. Died parish priest of Trim.

1906-07 Rev. James Johnson. Died parish priest of Taghmon.

1907-07 Rev. Edward Kelleghan. Died parish priest of Dunderry.

1907-09 Rev. Denis Dunne. (see 1899)

1909-21 Rev. James Kane. Took up residence at Mountbolus in 1912. Died parish priest of Kilcormac. – see parish priest section for details.

1911-14 Rev. John Martin. Died curate in Ballynacargy.

1914-22 Rev. James O’Reilly. Born in Milltown parish in1879, he was educated at Navan and Maynooth. Ordained at Mullingar by Dr. Gaffney on the 4th January 1903. He was curate in Navan, Dunderry, Clonmellon and Glasson. He died on the 15th April 1922 and is buried in the church grounds at Kilcormac. Fr. James O’Reilly was a nephew of Rev.E.O’Reilly, who was parish priest at the beginning of the century.

1922-23 Rev. Matthew Kearney. Died retired parish priest of Multyfarnham.

1923-27 Rev. Patrick Menton. Died curate in Kildalkey.

1923-29 Rev. John Dunne. Died parish priest of Lobinstown.

1929-31 Rev. Patrick Dunne. Died parish priest of Coole.

1931-32 Rev. Michael Jennings. Died parish priest of Drumconrath.

1932-35 Rev. Michael Flood. Died parish priest of Dunderry.

1935-39 Rev. Thomas O'Connell. Died parish priest of Moyvore.

1939-39 Rev. James Carey. Died parish priest of Delvin.

1939-40 Rev. Thomas Murphy. On loan from Dublin.

1940-40 Rev. Edward Grennan. Died retired in Tullamore.

1940-43 Rev. Donal Crilly. Died parish priest of Clara in 1980.

1943-51 Rev. Hugh Conlon. Died parish priest of Killucan.

1951-55 Rev. Patrick Fallon. Died parish priest of Tullamore.

1955-59 Rev. Patrick Delaney. Died parish priest of Bohermeen.

1959-70 Rev. Kevin Cuffe. Died parish priest of Castletown-Kilpatrick.

1970-80 Rev. Andrew Rispin. Died parish priest of Drumraney.

1980-82 Rev. Martin Burke. At the time of publication Fr. Burke is parish priest of Clara.

1982-84 Rev. Philip O'Connor. At the time of publication Fr. O’Connor is a curate in Tyrrellspass (Parish of Castletown-Geoghegan)

1984-88 Rev. Anthony Farrell, C.S.Sp. At the time of publication Fr. Farrell is curate at Kilbride, Co. Wicklow (Diocese of Dublin)

1992-93 Rev. David Cahill, S.D.B.

There has been no curate resident at Kilcormac since 1993.

1800-?	Rev. Francis Kelly	In 1800, Francis Kelly, of Clondonnel was ordained Priest for the Diocese of Meath and the Bishop appointed him a curate in his native parish, as assistant to the Parish Priest in Kilcormac. On August 26th, 1803, the Tyrone Militia, marching from Omagh, Co. Tyrone, to Limerick city, halted for refreshments in Kilcormac, where James Todd, a sergeant in the militia, entered a public house kept by Margaret Scully. According to a sworn statement made by Todd afterwards, Fr. Francis Kelly was in the shop at the time, and on Todd asking if there was a magistrate in the town, Fr. Kelly replied that there was no magistrate within three or four miles. Then a drum sounded an Fr. Kelly said he wished there was no drum in the Kingdom, to which Todd answered that he wished there were twenty drums in the Kingdom for every one, that was in it, whereupon Fr. Kelly called him an ‘insulting rascal.’ Then Todd told Fr. Kelly he was now off on his route to Limerick to which Fr. Kelly replied: ‘to hell with you and your route.’ Todd made his statement on oath before the local magistrate, who was none other than Captain Bernard, the man who had been whipped by O'Connor, and he promptly arrested Fr. Kelly for ' disloyal expressions against his Majesty's Government,' and imprisoned him in the local guardhouse, along with other culprits, probably Killoughey men also, who had been captured after firing at the yeomen four miles from Kilcormac. Bernard sent Todd's statement to Dublin Castle, together with a covering letter, in which he stated that this Popish Priest Kelly had been insulting and threatening to him also, and he asked the authorities in the Castle what was to be done with the prisoners. The instructions sent to Bernard are not available, but it would appear that Fr. Kelly's fate had not yet been decided more than a fortnight later when the Bishop came to Kilcormac to preside at a conference of the local clergy, and noted in his diary: ‘l4th September, 1803 - Conference of the district taken up by the discussion of examinations lodged against Rev. Francis Kelly, before a magistrate of the King's County There is no further reference to Fr. Kelly in Bishop Plunkett's notes, nor in Cogan's ‘History of the Diocese of Meath.’
1841	Fr. Corcoran	Fr. Corcoran’s name appears in Gamble’s notes (See article on The Famine). Fr. Corcoran was born in Rahan in 1815 and was ordained on the 5th June 1841. He served as curate in the parishes of Kilcormac, Athboy and Clara before his appointment as Parish Priest of Clara in January 1861 He died there in 1882.
1861-75	Rev. Edward Kellaghan.	Died parish priest of Clonmellon.
1861-68	Rev. Richard Macken.	Died curate in Kilcormac on the 25th December 1868
1868-71	Rev. John Rooney.	Died parish priest of Drumconrath.
1871-74	Rev. Nicholas Clarke.
1874-79	Rev. Patrick Gillic.	born in Oldcastle parish on the 7th January 1849. Educated at Navan and Maynooth. Ordained 21 June 1874. Died 4 September 1879. Buried in Kilcormac church.
1874-79	Rev. Michael Hughes.	Died parish priest of Beauparc.
1878-89	Rev. Thomas Scally.	Died administrator of Collinstown.
1878-80	Rev. James Duffy.
1880-89	Rev. Michael Bracken.	Died Parish priest of Clara.- see parish priest section above.
1889-91	Rev. Laurence Ryan.	Died parish priest of Castletown-Kilpatrick.
1889-91	Rev. Richard McDonnell.	Died administrator of Glasson
1896-00	Rev. Christopher Farrell.	Died parish priest of Skryne.
1899-99	Rev. Denis Dunne.	Died parish priest of Moyvore.
1900-01	Rev. Thomas Gilsenan.	Died parish priest of Enfield
1901-02	Rev. Thomas Shaw.	Died parish priest of Lobinstown
1902-03	Rev. Patrick Flanagan.	Died parish priest of Summerhill.
1903-06	Rev. Thomas Donnellan.	Died parish priest of Trim.
1906-07	Rev. James Johnson.	Died parish priest of Taghmon.
1907-07	Rev. Edward Kelleghan.	Died parish priest of Dunderry.
1907-09	Rev. Denis Dunne.	(see 1899)
1909-21	Rev. James Kane.	Took up residence at Mountbolus in 1912. Died parish priest of Kilcormac. – see parish priest section for details.
1911-14	Rev. John Martin.	Died curate in Ballynacargy.
1914-22	Rev. James O’Reilly.	Born in Milltown parish in1879, he was educated at Navan and Maynooth. Ordained at Mullingar by Dr. Gaffney on the 4th January 1903. He was curate in Navan, Dunderry, Clonmellon and Glasson. He died on the 15th April 1922 and is buried in the church grounds at Kilcormac. Fr. James O’Reilly was a nephew of Rev.E.O’Reilly, who was parish priest at the beginning of the century.
1922-23	Rev. Matthew Kearney.	Died retired parish priest of Multyfarnham.
1923-27	Rev. Patrick Menton.	Died curate in Kildalkey.
1923-29	Rev. John Dunne.	Died parish priest of Lobinstown.
1929-31	Rev. Patrick Dunne.	Died parish priest of Coole.
1931-32	Rev. Michael Jennings.	Died parish priest of Drumconrath.
1932-35	Rev. Michael Flood.	Died parish priest of Dunderry.
1935-39	Rev. Thomas O'Connell.	Died parish priest of Moyvore.
1939-39	Rev. James Carey.	Died parish priest of Delvin.
1939-40	Rev. Thomas Murphy.	On loan from Dublin.
1940-40	Rev. Edward Grennan.	Died retired in Tullamore.
1940-43	Rev. Donal Crilly.	Died parish priest of Clara in 1980.
1943-51	Rev. Hugh Conlon.	Died parish priest of Killucan.
1951-55	Rev. Patrick Fallon.	Died parish priest of Tullamore.
1955-59	Rev. Patrick Delaney.	Died parish priest of Bohermeen.
1959-70	Rev. Kevin Cuffe.	Died parish priest of Castletown-Kilpatrick.
1970-80	Rev. Andrew Rispin.	Died parish priest of Drumraney.
1980-82	Rev. Martin Burke.	At the time of publication Fr. Burke is parish priest of Clara.
1982-84	Rev. Philip O'Connor.	At the time of publication Fr. O’Connor is a curate in Tyrrellspass (Parish of Castletown-Geoghegan)
1984-88	Rev. Anthony Farrell, C.S.Sp.	At the time of publication Fr. Farrell is curate at Kilbride, Co. Wicklow (Diocese of Dublin)
1992-93	Rev. David Cahill, S.D.B.