STORM TRACKER: Follow 'Storm Amy' as it bears down on Ireland amid brutal forecast
Search
06 Sept 2025
Search
06 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
David Vard at his recent ordination in Newbridge
Ireland's youngest priest began his new position as a curate in Portlaoise Parish yesterday (August 1).
Fr David Vard was ordained in his hometown of Newbridge by Bishop Denis Nulty of Kildare and Leighlin last month.
SEE ALSO: Newbridge man to be ordained priest to diocese of Kildare and Leighlin
The ordination was a joyous occasion as Fr Vard was surrounded by his family and friends.
SEE ALSO: Newbridge priest to say first mass tonight
Fr David Vard said his first mass at 10am on Tuesday morning in St. Peter and Paul's church in Portlaoise alongside Fr John Byrne.
After his ordination, the 25-year-old said the thing he was most nervous about was learning to say mass.
"Learning to say mass is definitely one of the things I have to get better at. You don't really do it in seminary a lot. It is very different, we go to mass every day during our training and we work hard to go to mass every day during summer but it is very different doing it. It is like driving a car, you think you would be able to drive a car until you are actually in the drivers seat," he said.
Fr Paddy Byrne wished Fr David the best of luck on Twitter.
A warm welcome to @DavidVard as he begins his ministry in @PortlaoiseParis today. May he blessed with great peace. @BishopDNulty @KANDLEi
— fr paddy (@frpaddybyrne) August 1, 2017
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
