A former Mullingar priest has been appointed bishop of Kildare and Leighlin this week.
Fr Denis Nulty, who spent 10 years as a priest in Mullingar parish, is a native of Slane, Co Meath, and currently the parish priest in St Mary’s parish, Drogheda.
The appointment makes Fr Nulty, who turns 50 next month, the youngest Catholic bishop in Ireland.
The announcement was made on Tuesday morning. Fr Nulty will be ordained as Bishop of the Kildare and Leighlin diocese in a ceremony in Carlow Cathedral during the summer.
There has been a vacancy in the diocese of Kildare and Leighlin since December 2009 when Bishop James Moriarty offered his resignation following publication of the Murphy report.
Fr Nulty grew up at Bryanstown, Slane, and was ordained a priest for the diocese of Meath in 1988. He was a curate in Mullingar parish from 1988-1998, following which he was appointed parish priest of Slane.
Last week, Athlone native Fr Ray Browne was appointed the new bishop of Kerry.
