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21 Oct 2025

Sadness at death of hugely popular Donegal priest, Fr Joseph (Joe) O'Donnell

Sadness at death of hugely popular Donegal priest,  Fr Joseph (Joe) O'Donnell

Flashback: Fr. Joe O'Donnell, right,  being handed the keys to St Brigid's  Church, at his indunction cermony by Bishop of Raphoe, Philip Boyce on in July 2016 Picture Thomas Gallagher 

Prayers were offered at Sunday Mass in St Brigid's Church Ballintra and elsewhere in the diocese of Raphoe this morning as news emerged of the death of Parish Priest Very Rev Fr Joseph (Joe) O'Donnell who had served as PP in Ballintra since 2016.

Known fondly by all as 'Fr Joe', he was also chaplain to Abbey Vocational School (AVS) in Donegal town, and as with his parishioners, he was hugely popular with all in the school community.

Geraldine Diver, principal at AVS, described him as  "a kind and gentle soul who had a word for everybody. he visited the school regularly and stopped to speak to every member of the school community."

She added: "He had a great sense of humour and a great way of interacting with all in the school and always had a story or two to share with people, we will miss him dearly."

Ms Diver recalled how Fr Joe had written a special message from his hospital bed to the Leaving Certficiate class students in the school prior to their exams wishing them well in their endeavours. "He sent a lovely letter to them from hospital which was read out to them. Despite his illness he was thinking of others, that was typical of him, he always put others first," she said.

While he spent his most recent years in the south of the county, serving as a curate in Mountcharles before his 2016 appointment as PP in Ballintra, Fr Joe spent the bulk of his priestly career in Aughaninshin where he spent 16 years, while he served eight years in Letterkenny and an earlier spell in Convoy.

A native of St Johnston, he is predeceased by his parents Hugh and Eileen, and is survived by his brothers Seamus and Jude and his sister Elaine.

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