Bishop Mathew Gaffney was a

Roman Catholic Bishop of Meath The Diocese of Meath ( ga, Deoise na Mí) is a diocese of the Catholic Church that is located in the middle part of Ireland. It is one of eight suffragan dioceses of the ecclesiastical province of Armagh. Thomas Deenihan has been bishop of the d ...

. Mathew Gaffney was born in

Mountnugent Mountnugent, historically known as Dalysbridge (), is a village and townland in southern County Cavan, Ireland. The village is on the R154 regional road, at a river crossing near Lough Sheelin. History The village's more recent name of Mountnug ...

, Co. Cavan, on 2 January 1839. He began his studies for the priesthood at St. Finian's Seminary, Navan before going to

Maynooth College St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth ( ga, Coláiste Naoimh Phádraig, Maigh Nuad), is the "National Seminary for Ireland" (a Roman Catholic college), and a pontifical university, located in the town of Maynooth, from Dublin, Ireland ...

and was ordained in 1864. Fr Gaffney worked as a teacher in St. Mary's College, Mullingar and he also served time as a curate in

Tullamore Tullamore (; ) is the county town of County Offaly in Ireland. It is on the Grand Canal, in the middle of the county, and is the fourth most populous town in the midlands region with 14,607 inhabitants at the 2016 census. The town retained ...

, Co. Offaly, before becoming parish priest in Clara, Co. Offaly, Monsignor Gaffney became Vicar General of the Diocese of Meath. In 1899 he was appointed Bishop of Meath, succeeding Bishop Nulty. During his tenure as Bishop, Gaffney oversaw the building of St. Finian's, Mullingar, where the diocesan seminary in Navan moved to, and began the development of the new Cathedral. He retired due to ill health, in 1906, and was succeeded by Dr. Laurence Gaughran. Bishop Gaffney died in 1909, and was buried in the Franciscan Abbey at

Multyfarnham Multyfarnham or Multyfarnam () is a village in County Westmeath, Ireland. History First founded in 1268, the Franciscan monastery at Multyfarnham is still home to a community of friars. During the English conquest of Ireland in the 17th cent ...

, Co. Westmeath. In 2009, one hundred years after his death Bishop Gaffney was reburied in the grounds of the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar.Find a Grave
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaffney, Mathew Roman Catholic bishops of Meath Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth 1839 births 1909 deaths People educated at St Finian's College