Priest marries his own son

The recent news from the West that a priest had married his own son caught the imagination of country, and now it can be revealed exclusively by The Anglo Celt that the people of Laragh had a very special interest in this unique wedding ceremony. The blushing bride Deborah Coyle has very strong links with Laragh, because her late father Paddy Coyle was born in the parish and Deborah visits the area regularly. Deborah married Paul Moloney in Garrison Church near Renmore Barracks in Galway. The wedding took place two years after the celebrant Fr Michael Moloney was readmitted to the priesthood, which he had left to get married and have a family. Fr. Moloney, who is originally from Tipperary and who is a curate in Daingean in Co. Offaly, applied to rejoin the priesthood when his wife died in 2005. Fr. Moloney's two grandchildren, Abbie (7) and Cian (6), were among 200 guests at the wedding, with a reception afterwards in the Salthill Hotel. Deborah and her new husband Paul chose the Army's Garrison Church in Renmore, as Deborah's late father Paddy Coyle served with the Defence Forces at Renmore. Paddy joined the cadets in Galway over 30 years ago and rose through the ranks to be elevated to rank of Comdt and completed a number of tours of duty abroad. Regardless of where he travelled in the world he always found time to return to his native parish of Laragh in Cavan. His sister Anne Galligan who resides in Drung revealed that Deborah still comes down to Cavan on a regular basis and refer to Cavan as home. Coincidentally the groom's mother Marjorie and the Deborah's father both passed away in 2005. The groom admitted it was unusual for his father to perform the marriage ceremony. "But with all that is going on in the church, it is very reassuring to have someone like him as a priest. He has been through life," said Paul. "It feels strange but he said he would love to do it when I asked him and we were delighted when he said yes," added Paul. Fr. Moloney who is in his late 60s was originally ordained in December, 1966 for the Society of the African Missions. He served as a missionary in Egypt and at Ballinafad College in Co. Mayo. But he applied to be laicised in 1969 and three years later his laicisation was granted by the Catholic Church. He married an Irish woman he met in Zambia and Michael and Marjorie Moloney had three sons and a daughter. The couple returned to work as teachers in Naas and Newbridge. In May 2006, some 37 years after leaving the priesthood, he applied to the pope for his laicisation to be rescinded and to be readmitted to the priesthood. On December 11, 2008, he was readmitted to the priesthood by the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, Dr. Jim Moriarty. A little girl in his parish in Offaly one day called him the grand daddy priest and now it has stuck.