Biography

Father Brian is a Passionist priest based in Ireland and serves as Rector of St Gabriel’s Retreat, the Graan. He is also an author, newspaper columnist, broadcaster, journalist and chaplain to the entertainment industry.

He is currently, and will continue to be, a contributor to Radio 2’s 'Pause For Thought' on 'Wake Up To Wogan'. Father Brian was born in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh in June 1945.

He entered the Passionist Religious Congregation, a Roman Catholic religious community, in 1962 and was professed at The Graan, Enniskillen in 1963. He began his university education at UCD in 1963 and pursued his studies for the priesthood in Mount Argus Monastery, Dublin and in Cloonamahon, Co. Sligo.

He was ordained a Passionist priest in 1969 in St Michael's College, Enniskillen. In August 1970 he was appointed editor of 'The Cross' magazine and resided in Mount Argus until 1975, when he was appointed production editor of the Catholic Communications Centre in Dublin.

He served as parish priest at Mount Argus in Dublin, before returning to Enniskillen as superior at St. Gabriel's Retreat, The Graan. He left to become Superior in Crossgar and returned to Superior of The Graan in January 2001.

In 1967 he began a career in journalism when he wrote for various pop magazines at home and abroad and was the first priest in Ireland to be admitted to the National Union of Journalists. His weekly column in the 'Sunday World' has been running for over 30 years.

He has his own music programme, 'Sunday with Brian D’Arcy', on BBC Radio Ulster. Father Brian has broadcast for Ireland’s RTE Radio this past 35 years. He recently published memoirs 'A Different Journey', which was a best seller in Ireland.