Bishop John Neill was born in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, in 1945. He attended the Avoca (now Newpark) school in Blackrock, followed by Sandford Park in Ranelagh, and Trinity College where, between 1962 and 1966, he took a first-class honours degree in Hebrew and Oriental languages.

He was ordained in 1969 and became curate in Glenageary, Co Dublin, moving to Kilkenny in 1971, then to Skibbereen, Co Cork in 1974 as rector and later, as rector, to St Bartholomew's in Ballsbridge, noted for its High Church tradition. In 1984, he was appointed Dean and Archdeacon of Waterford. In 1986 he was elected Bishop of Tuam, Killala, and Achonry, where he served for 11 years before being appointed Bishop of Cashel and Ossory in 1997. He was elected Archbishop of Dublin in August and will be enthroned in Christ Church Cathedral next Saturday.

He and Betty Cox (from Ballymoney, Co Antrim) met as students at Trinity and married in 1968. They have three sons. One of them, Rev Stephen Neill (33) serves in Cloughjordan Co Tipperary and is the fifth generation Neill to be in the ministry. They also have three grandchildren.