THE feast day of St Brigid was marked in a particularly meaningful way in Carlow and Killeshin when the Rev Paul Fitzpatrick was instituted as incumbent of the newly-formed Carlow and Killeshin Group of Parishes.

The Right Reverend Dr Paul Colton was the longest serving bishop in the Diocese of Cork, Cloyne, and Ross since William Lyons' death in 1617.

Tensions are continuing to smoulder around two loyalist bonfires in the North which have attracted significant controversy.

Another group offered to make a charitable donation outside the scheme while five made no offer.

The blaze happened on Tuesday afternoon after the crypt in Church Street in Dublin was broken into and vandalised

In a shared statement church leaders said the visit is taking place at a time of ‘great concern for the state of our fragile peace’.