Meet Our Prior

Fr. Colm Mannion O.P.

Fr. Colm was ordained to the priesthood in 2014, is currently the vocations director and was elected Prior of St Mary’s May 2024.

Present Community


  • Fr. Finian Lynch OP

    Having exercised many ministries in the Irish Dominican province including serving in our overseas missions (seven years in Argentina), Fr. Finian has been a member of this community since 2004.

  • Fr. Ben Hegarty Op

    Fr. Ben Hegarty OP

    A native of Cork city, Fr. Ben Hegarty did post graduate studies in archaeology in the Middle East. He lectured in Dublin for a number of years, and was Prior in a number of Dominican Communities in Ireland. Fr Ben was assigned to St Mary’s in 2022.

  • Br. Tom Casey OP

    Lived and worked in our community in Ennismore for over forty years. He joined our community in St Mary’s in 2022.

  • Fr Brendan Clifford Op

    Fr. Brendan Clifford OP

    Fr. Brendan was assigned to Saint Mary’s during the summer of 2016 having been resident in our Limerick community for some years. Fr Brendan is well known in Ireland and abroad for his pioneering of the Lectio Divina method of understanding the sacred scriptures.

  • Fr. Louis Hughes OP

    A friar with wide experience,
    Fr. Louis has ministered in India, was third level chaplain in Dublin, and is a popular retreat master. He has researched and written extensively in holistic Christian spirituality. For more on this click here.

  • Fr. Brian Mc Kevitt OP

    Fr. Brian Mc Kevitt OP

    Fr. Brian joined the Dominican Community in Cork, in early 2022. He has spent most of his priestly life in our community in Tallaght, Dublin. Fr Brian is a popular preacher and well known as a social commentator both on-line and in print (most notably, in publishing, in him setting up the, widely read, Catholic free monthly newspaper Alive!). 

  • Fr. Philip Mulryne OP

    Fr. Philip Mulryne OP

    Fr. Philip, from Belfast, was ordained in 2016. In 2019 he was appointed as Novice Master.

  • Fr. Gerard Dunne OP

    Fr. Gerard is a native of Laois. He was vocations director and has been based in Cork for the past number of years. Fr Gerard is currently Chaplain in UCC.

  • Fr. Luuk Jansen OP

    Fr. Luuk Jansen OP was ordained to the priesthood in 2014. He is serving as Bursar in St Mary's Priory. He is also Camp Director of Knockadoon and the National Religious Advisor of Guides and Scouts of Europe - Ireland. 

  • Fr. Blazej Bialek OP

    Fr. Blazej was ordained to the priesthood in 2024 and he joined the Cork Community in August of that year. Born in Poland, Fr. Blazej grew up in Carlow.