Relics of St Oliver Plunkett to visit Kilmore Diocese

Relics of St. Oliver Plunkett will visit the Conaty Chapel of the Kilmore Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Cavan on Wednesday 21 May 2025.

St Oliver Plunkett was born at Loughcrew, near Oldcastle in Co. Meath, nearly 400 years ago on 1 November 1625. Having studied at the Irish College in Rome, he was ordained a priest in 1654 and became Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland in 1657. He maintained his duties in Ireland in the face of English persecution, reorganising the ravaged Irish Church, but was eventually arrested and tried for treason in London. Having being found guilty of high treason on perjured evidence, he was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn on 1 July 1681, and became the last Roman Catholic martyr to die in England. Oliver Plunkett was beatified in 1920 and canonised fifty years ago in 1975 by Pope Saint Paul VI, the first new Irish saint for almost seven hundred years. 

The relics will arrive at the Centre for a Liturgical Welcome celebrated by Bishop Martin Hayes at 10:00a.m. and will be available for veneration until 10:00p.m. that evening.

Fr Jason Murphy will be the celebrant of Mass at 1:15p.m.  Monsignor Liam Kelly will celebrate the 5:45p.m. Mass which will be offered for the deceased members of the Knights of Saint Columbanus from the Diocese of Kilmore.

Bishop Martin Hayes will be the principal celebrant and homilist at the 8:00p.m. Mass . The music for this Mass will be provided by the choir of St Michael’s Church, Cootehill.

There will also be opportunities to avail of the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the course of the day from 12 noon to 1:00p.m.; 4:30p.m. to 5:30p.m.; and 6:30p.m. to 7:30p.m.

All are welcome for this very special event which is being organised by the Kilmore Diocesan Pastoral Centre with the assistance of the local Knights of Saint Columbanus.

Petitions/Offerings may be sent to the Kilmore Diocesan Pastoral Centre, The Conaty Centre, Cullies, Cavan H12 E5C7.  All petitions received will be placed beside the relic during its visit.  Please write “St. Oliver” on the top left hand corner of the envelope.

For further information, please ring the Centre on 049 4375004 or email [email protected] .