Kieran Loughran’s departure has been met with overwhelming gratitude and emotion from many members of the parish

PARISH clerk Kieran Loughran has retired after over 40 years as sacristan of St John’s Cathedral in Limerick.

Officially entering into retirement on Tuesday, September 22, Kieran’s departure has been met with overwhelming gratitude and emotion from many members of the parish.

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Wishing Kieran a happy retirement on Facebook, a post from the Garryowen Residents Association read: “The end of an era as our parish clerk, Kieran, retires after over 40 years of service. As news of his retirement spreads, many people are filled with emotion as they recall stories of how Kieran’s kindness affected their lives.

“There is hardly a family in our area that Kieran has not supported in happy times and sad. Kieran has been a source of comfort to us in times of sickness and death, but has also shared in our joy at christenings, weddings, first holy communions and confirmations.

“Kieran also ensured that deceased members of our community were mentioned at Mass on anniversaries. He treated everyone with dignity, respect and compassion. He is, as someone once said, a Prince among men. On behalf of our community, we wish Kieran the very best in his retirement.”

Serving in the role for over 40 years, Kieran now joins the likes of Margie Doran and Ailbe Hourigan in the long list of past sacristans of St John’s Cathedral to become key beloved figures of the community.

Community activist and businessman George Lee shared the impact Kieran has had on the parish, noting his devotion not only to the cathedral itself, but also to the community.

“Kieran approached the job with a level of humour and bonhomie. He would have shared happy moments and sad moments with us all. Kieran knew when to be discreet, when to be serious, and when to share the joy and sadness in equal measure, which is really a mark of his.

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“He helped to draw a lot of the pieces together when the cathedral was being renovated. Kieran became almost an unofficial photographer and would have photographed the entire renovation of the cathedral and the spire.

“In that way, he would also have greatly added to the social history of the parish. He was part of the folk group in St John’s as well – playing the bongos – and would’ve participated in some of the liturgies himself.

Floods of commenters across various social media channels shared personal stories about their experiences with Kieran, under a post made by the Diocese of Limerick, which read: “Kieran Loughran retired yesterday after 40 years as sacristan of St John Cathedral, Limerick. His faithful service and dedication have meant to much to so many; he will be greatly missed by the Cathedral community. May God bless Kieran with good health, peace and happiness. Amen.”