Fr Paddy
Fr Paddy is the parish priest of Abbeyleix. From Carlow town, he was educated in Carlow CBS and studied Business and Politics in Trinity College Dublin before training to be a priest in Carlow College.
He writes for a number of media outlets. He has almost 31,000 followers on Twitter.
Fr Paddy pens words of appreciation after serving in Portlaoise for seven years
Last week we broke the news that popular Portlaoise priest Fr Paddy Byrne is set to leave for a new role as parish priest...
Fr Paddy: Turning Green is being Christian
Recent European and local elections highlighted that our environment and climate change is a fundamental concern among most citizens.
Young people lead this awareness in...
Fr Paddy: Increasing our Faith
You don’t just wake up one morning, light streaming in from the window, birds fluttering about, and jump from your bed with exuberance declaring,...
Fr Paddy: A prayer for students
As we move through the month of May thousands of students prepare for exams.
Exam-time brings with it many mixed emotions and feelings. Soon it...
Fr Paddy reflects on 18 years of being a priest
Vocation is a way of life. Vocation is how we live our lives as followers of Christ.
Vocation is much more than a job or...
Fr Paddy: May – the month of Mary
Mary Queen of the May.
May is marked with 'Alleluias' as we celebrate the Resurrection and live into the Easter joy we proclaim.
May is also...
Fr Paddy: Divine Mercy – A sacred gift
How can anyone argue against Divine Mercy Sunday?
Divine Mercy is hope wrapped up in a loving God, ever ready to embrace us and forgive...
Fr Paddy: Easter – A time to hope
“He is not here, he is risen”, is the signal message which the women receive as they make their way to anoint this dead...
Fr Paddy: 13 steps to ensure you have brighter days
Take just a few minutes and apply one of the tips below and see how it brightens your day.
1. One minute of appreciation
Take a...
Fr Paddy: Parable of the Prodigal Son challenges us all
The story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 1–3, 11–32) has an extraordinary amount of wisdom and good advice packed into it.
Indeed, the more...
Fr Paddy: A mother’s love – A blessing
Sure I love the dear silver that shines in your hair. Does anyone recognise that song? An old, old Irish favourite, Mother Machree.
I remember...
Fr Paddy: Spring – a blessed season of Hope
According to the English Catholic priest-cardinal John Henry Newman, “Growth is the only evidence of life.”
Life is then most apparent in the springtime with...
Fr Paddy: St Patrick’s Day – a celebration of our Irishness and our faith
On St Patrick’s Day we celebrate our Irishness and our faith.
For so long in our history they have been intertwined, perhaps at times identified....
Fr Paddy: Lent – a time to embrace positivity
Lent is an old English word meaning 'lengthen'. Lent is observed in spring, when the days begin to get longer.
Lent is a good time...
Fr Paddy: Being merciful and responsive in time of Lent
The Trócaire Lenten Campaign for 2019 focuses on land-rights. The four-sided “Trócaire Box” has stories to tell.
One about families forced from their homes, another...
Fr Paddy: Where is my brother?
“Where is your brother?” This is the question that God asks each one of us in our hearts regarding our brother who is sick,...
Fr Paddy: The Weight of the Glass
The Art of Letting Go is about deciding to stop making the same mistakes and choosing to take a different path.
It has been...
Fr Paddy: Fr John… A lovely man
The recent tragic death of Fr. John Cummins, following a freak car accident has left me numbed and deeply saddened.
It resonates with ancient...
Fr Paddy: From beyond hope to Amazing Grace
John Newton was a cruel and vile man who seemed beyond hope, but he became an example of God’s amazing grace.
His true story...
Fr Paddy: It’s nearly Spring… A Time of Hope
On Friday, February 1 we celebrate St. Brigid's Day, a day which brings great hope.
St Brigid brings with her a story of compassion, generosity,...
Fr Paddy: Helpful tips to overcome Blue Monday
After the buzz and good cheer of the festive season, January can feel like one long and exhausting slog.
Researchers have dubbed January 21st as...
Fr Paddy: 10 New Year’s resolutions from the Pope
Pope Francis's 10 New Year Resolutions
In a very frank interview published in the Argentine weekly “Viva”, Pope Francis gave out 10 very sensible pieces...
Fr Paddy: Remembering the enigmatic TV art critic and nun Sr Wendy Beckett
Sister Wendy Beckett, recently died aged 88, could be dismissive of the high-profile television work that made this hermit nun with owl-like glasses into...
Fr Paddy: Christmas … A Time to Ponder
Some years ago, a few weeks before Christmas, I observed a flustered young mother who had been dragged into the toy section of a...
Fr Paddy: The story of Silent Night as this year marks 200th anniversary of...
Christmas carols remind us that Jesus is very much the reason for the Season.
In a secular culture, these wonderful traditional hymns seems to be...
Fr Paddy: Christmas – A Time to Hope
The Advent Season is a time to get ready for the approaching feast of Christmas. Liturgically this is a time when we prepare for...
Fr Paddy: Direct provision centres have no place God’s Kingdom
On this, the last Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year, the Feast of Christ the King, The Gospel reading was about the Last Judgement.
It...
Fr Paddy: Dealing with stress in our lives
A motivational speaker walked confidently around the room holding a glass of water while leading a seminar on stress management.
Everyone guessed she was going...
Fr Paddy: How to handle adversity
How do you handle adversity? What are you thinking when the sun goes down on those cold, windy nights, when you're trying to get...
Fr Paddy: Generosity is contagious and beneficial
Generosity is a wonderful gift. To have a big heart is a blessing, that is to be open and compassionate in love to the...