The Newman Institute is a charitable organisation based in

Ballina, County Mayo Ballina ( ; ) is a town in north County Mayo, Ireland. It lies at the mouth of the River Moy near Killala Bay, in the Moy valley and civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Kilmoremoy, with the Ox Mountains to the east and the Nephin Beg Ra ...

in Ireland. Operating in conjunction with the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Killala The Diocese of Killala () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Connacht; the western province of Ireland. It is in the Metropolitan Province of Tuam and is subject to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tuam. As of 2024, the seat of th ...

, one of its stated aims is to "provide an opportunity for people to learn more about their faith through accredited and non-accredited faith formation courses". The Newman Institute was founded in 1998 by the then

Bishop of Killala The Bishop of Killala () is an episcopal title which takes its name after the village of Killala in County Mayo, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bis ...

Thomas Finnegan. It is based in a building, near St Muredach's Cathedral, Ballina. which was officially opened in October 2010 by then

President of Ireland The president of Ireland () is the head of state of Republic of Ireland, Ireland and the supreme commander of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Irish Defence Forces. The presidency is a predominantly figurehead, ceremonial institution, serving as ...

Mary McAleese Mary Patricia McAleese ( ; ; ; born 27 June 1951) is an Irish activist lawyer, academic, author, and former politician who served as the president of Ireland from November 1997 to November 2011. McAleese was first elected as president in 1997, ...

. In January 2009, the organisation launched a Diploma in Applied Theology in association with

St. Angela's College, Sligo St. Angela's College, Sligo () is a college of the Atlantic Technological University located beside Lough Gill, County Sligo. History St. Angela’s College was founded by the Ursulines, Ursuline Order in 1952 and was a recognised college o ...

which was accredited by the

National University of Ireland, Galway The University of Galway () is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. The university was founded in 1845 as "Queen's College, Galway". It was known as "University College, Galway" (UCG) () from 1908 to 1997 and as ...

(NUIG). A Bachelor in Theology and Community Involvement course, also offered in association with St. Angela's and NUIG, was launched in 2010. The institute's first six degree students graduated in November 2015. The Newman Institute is registered with the

Charities Regulator The Charities Regulator () is the operational name of the Charities Regulatory Authority, the statutory authority responsible for the regulation of charities in Ireland. The organisation is made up of a board, with four sub-committees, and as o ...

as being involved in the "advancement of education" and "advancement of religion". As of 2021, it had one full time employee.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Newman Institute Balina Ballina, County Mayo Catholic charities Charities based in Ireland Catholic educational institutions Catholic organizations established in the 20th century 1998 establishments in Ireland