Bishop of Cashel and Ossory elected

The new Church of Ireland bishop-elect of Cashel and Ossory is Very Rev Michael Burrows, Dean of Cork.

He was elected yesterday afternoon following a meeting of the Episcopal Electoral College in Dublin's Christ Church Cathedral. A date has yet to be set for his installation to succeed Dr Peter Barrett, who resigned last January.

Dean Burrows (45) was educated at Wesley College, Dublin, and at Trinity College where he studied history and political science. He researched the 15th-century Irish church for his M. Litt.

Ordained in 1988, he served at Douglas Union in Cork before becoming dean of residence at Trinity College in 1991 and a minor canon at St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. From 1994 he served in Bandon, Co Cork, and from 1996 was canon at Cork and Cloyne cathedrals. In 2002 he became Dean of Cork and incumbent at St Fin Barre's Union.

He is married to Claire, a barrister and part-time lecturer in law at University College Cork.

Their children are Henry, Andrew, Gráinne and James.

The electoral college included three bishops (two from the northern province), 12 clerical and 12 lay members from Cashel and Ossory diocese, and 12 clerical and 12 lay members from the other four dioceses in the church's southern province.

Archbishop John Neill of Dublin presided.