In a break with precedent, the new spokesman for the country's Catholic bishops will be Father Martin Clarke (50), former director of the Catholic Youth Council. Since 1975, when the first such spokesman was appointed, the post has been held by a bishop.
Father Clarke is expected to be named communications officer of the Bishops Conference when his appointment is formally announced next month.
A native of Mount Merrion in Dublin, Father Clarke attended Blackrock College. He spent a year on a Rotary scholarship in California before attending University College Dublin. He qualified as a solicitor in 1970.
In 1976 he entered Clonliffe College in Dublin and was ordained in 1980. After three years as a curate in Celbridge, Co Kildare, he was appointed director of the Catholic Youth Council, a post he held for 13 years until last September. Since then, he has been on sabbatical leave and spent some time studying in San Francisco.
It is understood that Father Clarke will attend all meetings of the bishops' conference. His appointment follows lengthy consultation involving the Catholic Primate, Archbishop Sean Brady, and members of the bishops' communications commission, Dr Thomas Flynn, Dr Eamon Walsh, Dr Joseph Duffy, and Dr Brendan Comiskey.
Up to now, the spokesman's role has been a part-time one.
Dr Edward Daly, former Bishop of Derry, was spokesman from 1975 to 1980. He had a stroke and retired early. Dr Joseph Cassidy, the former Archbishop of Tuam, who was spokesman from 1980 to 1987, suffered coronary illness and also retired early.
Dr Joseph Duffy, Bishop of Clogher, held the post from 1987 to 1993, after which it was decided that spokesmen's appointments would be limited to three years.
Dr Thomas Flynn, Bishop of Achonry, ended his term as spokesman last year. He too has suffered coronary illness.
Some years ago, the director of the Catholic Communications Centre, Mr Jim Cantwell, was quoted as saying that "the job of spokesman for the episcopal conference, for a bishop, should come with a health warning, given the demands of a bishop's role today".
For such reasons it was decided to appoint a full-time spokesman.
