On Saturday evening (23rd March Fr Des was officially installed as Parish Priest of Tullylish by Archbishop Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh and Apostolic Administrator of Dromore and Primate of All Ireland. After Mass, everyone was invited to the Community Centre for refreshments and Mrs. Helen Mateer, chairperson of the Centre officially welcomed Archbishop Eamon and Fr. Des.

Father Desmond Loughran P.P. V.F.

Fr. Des was born in Birmingham on 27^th July 1963, moving to Newry in the same year.
He is the third child and oldest son in a family of 8 to Desmond and Frances Loughran - three boys and 5 girls.
 After attending the Abbey Primary school and St. Joseph’s High School, Newry, Fr Des attended Thurles seminary, Tipperary and was ordained to the priesthood in St. Peter’s Lurgan in 1990.
His first parish was here in Tullylish where he served until 1994, before moving to Derrytrasna for a further 6 years and then to Drumanness, Ballynahinch where he served for 17 years, two of those as administrator of the parish. It was while he was in Drumanness, he had surgery on both of his feet which, unfortunately, wasn’t a success and therefore depends on the use of crutches for everyday living and sits while celebrating Mass.
It was also while in Drumanness, Fr. Des had to take leave for cancer surgery to remove a chordoma from his brain shelf, and after having the chordoma successfully removed in Newcastle-upon- Tyne, he received successful proton beam treatment in Florida.  As with some cancer treatments, there can be side effects and he deals with these on an ongoing basis. On his return to the diocese, he was appointed Parish Priest of Dromore, but this was short-lived as he was asked to administer Newry parish and this he did for over two years before his move to Mayobridge parish.
To say he was stunned and delighted to be appointed Parish Priest of Tullylish is an understatement and he hopes to be as happy here now as he was a young curate over 30 years ago. Despite his various health issues over the years, Fr. Des has never stopped working and certainly hasn’t lost his sense of humour.
We wish him many happy and healthy years here in Tullylish

Canon Gerald Powell, born in 1948, comes from Newry where he received his early education in St. Joseph’s P.S., the Abbey P.S. and
St. Colman’s College. 

He studied for the Priesthood in the Irish College Rome and was ordained in Newry Cathedral on 9th April 1972.

 Canon Gerry’s first curacy was in Moyraverty (Craigavon) from 1972 to 1977 before being transferred to Lurgan where he remained for 12 years. Warrenpoint then beckoned in 1989 and he was curate there for a further 9 years.

In 1998 he was inducted as Parish Priest of Drumgath and was appointed Chancellor of the Diocese in 1999. In September 2001, Canon Gerry returned to St. Paul’s in Lurgan as Parish Priest and was then appointed Finance Administrator of the Diocese in 2003.
On 30th October 2005 he was inducted as Parish Priest of Tullylish. 

Archbishop Eamon Martin will come and say Mass with Canon Powell here in Laurencetown on Friday 29th April at 6.30pm in celebration of Canon’s Golden Jubilee.

Father Gerald Powell, born in 1948, comes from Newry where he received his early education in St. Joseph’s P.S., the Abbey P.S. and St. Colman’s College.

He studied for the Priesthood in the Irish College Rome and was ordained in Newry Cathedral on 9th April 1972.

Fr. Gerry’s first curacy was in Moyraverty (Craigavon) from 1972 to 1977 before being transferred to Lurgan where he remained for 12 years.
Warrenpoint then beckoned in 1989 and he was curate there for a further 9 years.

In 1998 he was inducted as Parish Priest of Drumgath and was appointed Chancellor of the Diocese in 1999. In September 2001, Fr. Gerry returned to St. Paul’s in Lurgan as parish priest and was then appointed Finance Administrator of the Diocese in 2003.

On 30th October 2005 he was inducted as Parish Priest of Tullylish.