Fr Des (97) is unique in his approach to people

A PACKED Mass was held in Clondalkin to honour Fr Des Byrne (97) who served the parish for over 25 years.

Fr Byrne was a popular figure in the parish of the Church of the Presentation, Knockmitten, and this was evident by the amount of people who attended the ceremony on Sunday.

July 4 also saw Fr Des celebrate 70 years since his ordination. He celebrated his first mass on July 7, 1954.

Parishioners in Knockmitten were joined by Archbishop Dermot Farrell for the mass on Sunday, which also marked the end of Fr Des’s ministry with the parish.

Knockmitten parishioner Aine Nolan said: “He is not your usual priest.

“Fr Des is very forward thinking, very inclusive, loves children, he is very unique in his approach to people of all backgrounds.

“You would need to hear him to believe him.

“He is 97 but has the mind of a 27 year old, and is still razor sharp.

“We were expecting a big crowd at the mass to mark the end of his ministry including a big group of young people.

“People were also coming back to the parish for the special occasion.”

Knockmitten Youth Choir sang during the service and Fr Des also addressed the crowd to wish them all the best.

In recent years, Fr Des has been living in Kimmage Manor but he was frequently back to Knockmitten parish to see his friends.