| The Most Reverend Martin Drennan |
|
|---|---|
| Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora |
|
| Diocese | Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora |
| Enthroned | 2005 |
| Predecessor | James McLoughlin |
| Other posts | Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin and Titular Bishop of Aquae Regiae 1997–2005 |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 16 July 1968 (Priest) |
| Consecration | 21 September 1997 (Bishop) |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Martin Drennan |
| Born | 2 January 1944 Piltown, County Kilkenny, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
Martin Drennan (born 2 January 1944) is the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Kilfenora.
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He was born in Piltown,[1] County Kilkenny, Ireland. He was ordained a priest on 16 July 1968 for the Diocese of Ossory.
He studied at Maynooth seminary and the Biblical Institute, Rome. Following this was two years of parish work at St Mary’s Cathedral, Kilkenny and Ballycallan parishes. He taught Scripture in St Kieran's College, Kilkenny (1973-80) and at Maynooth College (1985-97).
He was Spiritual Director at the Pontifical Irish College, Rome (1980-85). On 28 May 1997, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin and Titular Bishop of Aquae Regiae.[2]
He was ordained a bishop on 21 September 1997. The principal consecrator was Cardinal Desmond Connell; his principal co-consecrators were Archbishop Luciano Storero, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, and Laurence Forristal, the Bishop of Ossory.
Since November 2009, many have called for him to resign from his post for his mention and investigation as part of the Murphy Report, surrounding a sexual abuse scandal in the Dublin archdiocese.
Bishop Drennan has said that he does not feel disturbed by being mentioned in the Dublin diocesan report. He said: "The report says nothing negative about me in fact, you know. I don’t think I have any questions to answer, in fact, from my own reflections on the time there .[3]
The report itself says that it believed that the Archdiocese acted correctly in addressing the issue that relates to Dr Drennan especially in the absence of a charge being placed on the priest in question by civil authorities [4]
More recently, clergy of Galway Diocese have stood behind Dr. Drennan and have supported his decision not to resign, as have heads of local religious orders, and a local TD Frank Fahy has said Dr Drennan should not resign. [5]
There were further calls on 27 December for the resignation of Bishop Drennan following his insistence on 27 December that he does not intend doing so. He has also been invited to meet up to 60 survivors of child sex abuse by priests in the Dublin Diocese.