Martin Drennan

The Most Reverend Martin Drennan
Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora
File:Coat of arms of Martin Drennan.svg
Diocese	Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora
Installed	2005
Predecessor	James McLoughlin
Other posts	Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin and Titular Bishop of Aquae Regiae 1997–2005
Orders
Ordination	16 July 1968 (Priest)
Consecration	21 September 1997 (Bishop)
Personal details
Birth name	Martin Drennan
Born	(1944-01-02) 2 January 1944 Piltown, County Kilkenny, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Denomination	Roman Catholic Church

Martin Drennan (born 2 January 1944) is the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Kilfenora.

Early life and ordination

He was born in Piltown, County Kilkenny, Ireland. He was ordained a priest on 16 July 1968 for the Diocese of Ossory.

Professor and pastor

He studied at Maynooth seminary and the Biblical Institute, Rome. Following this was two years of parish work at St Mary’s Cathedral, Kilkenny and Ballycallan parishes. He taught Scripture in St Kieran's College, Kilkenny (1973–80) and at Maynooth College (1985–97).

He was Spiritual Director at the Pontifical Irish College, Rome (1980–85). On 28 May 1997, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin and Titular Bishop of Aquae Regiae.

Bishop

He was consecrated on 21 September 1997. The principal consecrator was Cardinal Desmond Connell; his principal co-consecrators were Archbishop Luciano Storero, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, and Laurence Forristal, the Bishop of Ossory.

Abuse scandal

Main article: Sexual abuse scandal in Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora diocese

In November 2009, there were several calls for Bishop Drennan to resign from his post for his inclusion as part of the Murphy Report, surrounding a sexual abuse scandal in the Dublin archdiocese.

Bishop Drennan has said that he does not feel disturbed by being mentioned in the Dublin diocesan report. He said: "The report says nothing negative about me in fact, you know. I don’t think I have any questions to answer, in fact, from my own reflections on the time there.

The report itself says that it believed that the Archdiocese acted correctly in addressing the issue that relates to Dr Drennan especially in the absence of a charge being placed on the priest in question by civil authorities.