Fr Declan looks ahead to 'new chapter' as Defence Forces chaplain

Celebrating Mass in Athlone on the morning of Sunday, August 1, Fr Declan Shannon found himself in a strange position.

Reading out the latest clerical appointments in the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois meant having to refer to himself in the third person, as one of the changes was his departure as St Mary's parish administrator to become chaplain to the Defence Forces in Custume Barracks.

"I was making the announcement and it was only then I realised how, emotionally, it was impacting on me," he said. "So much so that when it came to the next Mass, at 12 o'clock, I decided I would leave the announcement until the end."

Fr Declan has been based in St Mary's Parish for the last 16 years, having served as curate for the Coosan area for a decade before becoming parish administrator in 2015.

"You don't leave a place after 16 years without feeling some sense of nostalgia," he commented.

"I have an awful lot of gratitude. I've met really super people - people that I worked with, people that I worked alongside, and parishioners who were incredibly supportive."

The Longford native explained that his appointment as parish administrator had been for a five-year period, which ended up being extended for a further year.

A well-known and very popular figure in Athlone, Fr Declan continued to reside in Coosan during the last six years. He said one of the challenges of the role was keeping up with the administrative duties while also being available to minister to local parishioners and families when needed.

"The balancing act was trying to look after the area of the parish that I was assigned to, which was Coosan, but also to administrate the entire parish.

"When there was a tragedy, or a sudden death, or a death after a long illness, my availability to the people had to be foremost. It was then a matter of finding another time in the day or the week to do the administration.

"Often it would involve me doing that late at night, to try and stay on top of it. But to be pastorally available was my number one priority."

The last two years have been a bit more turbulent than he might have wished for on a personal level. Prior to the onset of the pandemic, he was injured in a serious road accident in 2019 which meant he was unable to work for several months.

"I've been awfully fortunate in that I've made a good recovery, albeit I still undergo physio," he said. "But I went from the accident and recovery into the pandemic. So it's definitely been an eventful two years.

"No more than anybody else, you accept the challenge and work within the parameters, and try to make the best of it.

"You never do this solo. A priest is really only as good as the God he believes in and the people who support him.

"And I was lucky to have good people who really supported me, whether that was following the accident or during the pandemic. So that made it easier. I wasn't doing this on my own."

His new position with the Defence Forces will begin on September 1. It came about after he was approached in relation to the role and was asked if it was something he might consider.

"I felt that after 16 years in the parish I was coming to a natural time of change anyway. I gave it a lot of thought, talked to some of my confidants, and decided to accept the position.

"It will bring a new sense of variety and challenge... I see it very much as a new chapter, a new opportunity," he said.

"There will be lots of people in the Defence Forces that I know already, given that I've been living in Athlone for the last sixteen years, and would have officiated at their weddings and family funerals and baptisms.

"Having said that, there are lots of things about my new role that I'll have to familiarise myself with. To a certain degree, it's an opportunity to embrace a new challenge and to reinvent myself. So I'm looking forward to it in that sense."

Custume Barracks is located in the neighbouring Diocese of Elphin, but Fr Declan explained that there were nine chaplains to the Defence Forces in various parts of the country and these positions were not specific to any particular diocese.

"It's about being chaplain to all members of the Defence Forces attached to Athlone and, indeed, further afield too, because it will involve going on tours of duty as well. That's something I'm excited about, because it's not something I would have done before."

Once he takes up the role at Custume Barracks, Fr Declan will have no further responsibilities with St Mary's Parish. He extended his very best wishes to his successor as parish administrator, Longford native Fr Pat Murphy, who was previously parish priest of Mohill and Fenagh in Leitrim.

"I want to welcome Fr Pat to Athlone. He comes with a vast amount of experience, and I want to wish him the very best of luck in the role," he said.

Fr Declan also spoke warmly about Fr Gerard Dowd, his predecessor as Defence Forces chaplain in Athlone, who is retiring after 16 years in the role.

"Fr Gerard was very supportive to me in my deliberations, and very gracious about my familiarising myself with things. So I want to wish him every blessing in his retirement."

He said he would carry many fond memories with him from his time at St Mary's and was glad that he would be continuing to work in Athlone.

"As priests, the real privilege of our lives is that we get to journey with people through some of the happiest occasions in their lives, such as weddings and baptisms, but also through some of the tragic and sad occasions.

"There's an incredible privilege in that, because when you get to that level you become very close to people.

"It's not a relationship that you can walk away from easily, but I leave with a huge sense of gratitude for what the last 16 years have been, both to the people and to the place," he concluded.