Thomas Finnegan

Thomas Anthony Finnegan (26 August 1925 – 25 December 2011){{Catholic-hierarchy|bishop|bfinnegan|Bishop Thomas Anthony Finnegan|21 January 2015}} was the Bishop of Killala, County Mayo, Ireland from 1987 to 2002.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2002/0219/bishop.html?radiobutton=Google|title=New Catholic Bishop of Killala appointed|date=19 February 2002|publisher=RTÉ|accessdate=14 July 2010}}

Life

Thomas Anthony Finnegan was born on 26 August 1925, in Castlerea, County Roscommon. He was educated at Runamoat National School and then Summerhill College. He studied for the priesthood in Maynooth College and was ordained priest for the diocese of Elphin in 1951.{{citation needed|date= August 2023}}

He served first as Chaplain at St Angela's College, Sligo before undertaking postgraduate studies in Education and Canon Law.{{citation needed|date= August 2023}}

In 1960 he became Junior Dean at St Patrick's College, Maynooth, and while ambitious to serve longer at the National Seminary was recalled in 1966 to become President of Summerhill College. He served 13 years as president transforming much within the college and earning a reputation as a committed, pioneering educator.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/world-news/bishop-tom-finnegan/26807011.html|title=Bishop Tom Finnegan|date=1 January 2012|website=Irish Independent}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.catholicbishops.ie/2012/01/01/homily-bishop-john-fleming-requiem-mass-predecessor-bishop-thomas-finnegan/|title=Homily of Bishop John Fleming at the Requiem Mass of his predecessor, Bishop Thomas Finnegan | Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference|website=www.catholicbishops.ie}}

In 1979, he was appointed to be Director of the Marriage Tribunal in Galway which adjudicated on annulments In 1982, he became parish priest of Roscommon town and Vicar General.

Bishop

In July 1987 he succeeded Bishop Thomas McDonnell as Bishop of Killala. He was a founder member of the Council for the West along with the other west of Ireland bishops.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

In 1998 Bishop Finnegan founded the Newman Institute which offers courses in counseling, theology and spirituality.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/1998/0803/98080300038.html|title=Institute to foster Catholic...|date=3 August 1998|work=The Irish Times|accessdate=14 July 2010}} Also in 2002, Finnegan was succeeded by Monsignor John Fleming. Bishop Finnegan celebrated his Diamond Jubilee in 2011.{{cite news|url=http://www.maynoothcollege.ie/news/MaynoothUnion2011.shtml|title=Maynooth Union 2011|date=14 June 2011|work=Maynooth College|accessdate=26 December 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512170940/http://www.maynoothcollege.ie/news/MaynoothUnion2011.shtml|archivedate=12 May 2012}}

Death

He died in Sligo General hospital on Christmas Day 2011, aged 86, and was buried in the grounds of Saint Muredach's Cathedral, Ballina.{{cite web|url=http://clericalwhispers.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/tributes-paid-to-bishop-thomas-finnegan.html|title=Tributes Paid to Bishop Thomas Finnegan|website=clericalwhispers.blogspot.co.uk}}