Tony Cummins (6 September 1906 – 20 January 2010) was an Irish

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

and

centenarian A centenarian is a person who has reached the age of 100. Because life expectancies at birth worldwide are well below 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. The United Nations estimated that there were 316,600 living centenarian ...

. Cummins was born in Sonnagh townland in the parish of Killeenadeema,

Loughrea Loughrea ( ; ), is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It lies to the north of a range of wooded hills, the Slieve Aughty Mountains and Lough Rea, the lake from which it takes its name. The town's cathedral, St Brendan's, dominates the urban sk ...

, one of three sisters and three sons of Patrick Cummins of

Duniry Duniry () is a townland, with a small village centre, between Tynagh and Abbey, in County Galway, Ireland. Nearby is the townland of Limehill, the south of which has a bog. Duniry is in a civil parish of the same name. Duniry's most noted lan ...

and Elizabeth Egan of Clonlee, a primary school teacher. He was educated at Garbally and

Maynooth Maynooth (; ) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick's College, Maynoo ...

, been ordained by Bishop Duignan at

in 1932. He served in the parishes of Clostoken,

, Killimor, Killeenadeema, and Cappataggle. He retired from there in 1987. In 2006 he planted a tree with John Kirby,

Bishop of Clonfert The Bishop of Clonfert () is an episcopal title which takes its name after the village of Clonfert in County Galway, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains as a separate title; but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with oth ...

, to mark his hundredth birthday, at Ballinderry Nursing Home. He died in 2010 aged 103.

References

* ''Killeenadeema Aille: History and Heritage/Stair agus Oidhreacht'', ed. Pat O'Looney, killeenadeema Historical and Heritage Society, 2009.
Tony Cummins' obituary
1906 births 2010 deaths Irish men centenarians People from Loughrea Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Christian clergy from County Galway {{Ireland-reli-bio-stub