Br. Tom Farrell
Tom Farrell was born in 1925 near Daingean, Co. Offaly. He was the eldest of a family of four.After national school he continued his education at Tullamore Vocational Institute.
During a parish retreat in Edenderry, he met a Redemptorist priest, Fr. Leo O'Halloran who invited him to join the Redemptorists. After a short apprenticeship in the Redemptorist House at Cluain Mhuire, Galway, he entered the Redemptorist noviciate in 1950 in Limerick and was professed a year later.
The years 1950 to 1974 saw him alternating between Esker, Limerick and Cluain Mhuire. He was chef, farm manager and receptionist during those years. In 1974 he was appointed farm manager in Esker. Esker monastery had a large farm of 192 acres attached to it. In those days farming was a labour-intensive occupation. Esker had nine farm hands employed at one time! The farm was run according to farming methods of former times. Bro. Tom suggested modernising the farm but superiors decided instead to lease it.
He was back again to Cluain Mhuire in 1979 and was appointed next to St. Clement's,
Retreat House, Belfast. He also spent a few years in Liguori House, Dublin, with the Provincial and his staff.
For the past twenty years he has been in Esker beavering away wherever the need arises.
Bro. Tom has seen many changes from the primitive days of 1949 when he answered the challenge of Fr. Leo O'Halloran and joined the Redemptorists. The local people here in Esker will associate Bro. Tom with the Esker church, as they did Bro. Gall. He is a true image of a long line of Brothers beginning with St. Gerard Majella.
Bro. Tom is very much a living stone in the fabric of the Redemptorist edifice here in Esker.
We, his confreres, owe him much; the people of Esker, owe him much!
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Fr Johnny Doherty
Fr. Michael Cusack, Vicar
Fr. Fonsie Doran, Consultor
Fr. Jimmy Buckley,
Fr. Mike Heagney,
Fr. Tony Flannery,
Br. James Casey
Fr. Pat Egan - working in Knock
Br. Tom Farrell
Fr. Peter Flannery
Br. Senan Forrie
Fr. Paddy Howell
Fr. Vincent Kavanagh
Fr. Eddie Lynch
Fr. Rick McMahon - Curate in Kiltuillagh
Fr. Sean Mullin - in Castleturvin Nursing Home
Fr. Dermie O'Connor
Fr. Mike O'Flynn
Fr. Brian Foley - in a Nursing Home
Fr. Phil Hearty - Administrator in Lusmagh
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