The newly-appointed Catholic Bishop of Killala, Mgr John Fleming, has said he does not foresee any tensions between him and the diocese's priests in his new role.
Local priests had wanted a greater say in the choice of the bishop to succeed Dr Thomas Finnegan, who had served since 1987.
Mgr Fleming, former rector of the Pontifical Irish College in Rome, told The Irish Times yesterday: "I am always confident that when reasonable men get together, they can work things out reasonably," he said.
He said his appointment had been warmly received by the priests of the diocese, who, along with Bishop Finnegan, were with Mgr Fleming when the appointment was announced at 11 a.m. in Mayo.
Mgr Fleming told RTE that one advantage of being an outsider was that he would be able "with a real impartiality take on the job of being bishop of this diocese and being equally concerned about everybody".
He said his immediate plan was to listen and to learn and to get to know the priests and the people of the diocese.
Last August he performed the wedding ceremony of actor Pierce Brosnan at Ballintubber Abbey. They met in Rome when Mr Brosnan was filming the James Bond film The World is Not Enough.
Explaining how he was informed of his appointment, he said: "On the February 9th I was appointed a parish priest in St Mary's parish in Limerick city, and two days later, on the 11th, I got a phone call asking me to come to Dublin.
"It was probably one of the shortest appointments in history," he said.
He was "very much aware" he might not have been the first choice of many priests in the diocese.
"I'm also aware of the fact that I may not have many of the qualities that they deemed necessary in a bishop of this diocese, but I feel the bottom line really is that providence seems to have destined that our paths would cross."
In 1999, Father Kevin Loftus, parish priest at Easkey, Co Sligo, and former Mayoman of the Year, was nominated by the priests of Killala as their choice of bishop.
It is understood he has never been contacted by the Papal Nuncio in that connection.
Mgr Fleming was born on February 16th, 1948, in Ardpatrick, Co Limerick.
He was educated at St Munchin's Diocesan College, Limerick, and St Patrick's College, Maynooth, where he obtained a Baccalaureate in Divinity in 1971.
He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Limerick in 1972 and was curate in St Michael's parish, Limerick city, from 1972 to 1974.
During this period he also acted as assistant secretary in the diocese.
Yesterday, the Bishop of Limerick, Dr Donal Murray, congratulated Mgr Fleming on his appointment and wished him "many years of fruitful service".
Mgr Fleming obtained his Licentiate in Canon Law at the Gregorian University between 1979 and 1981.
He served at the Pontifical Irish College, Rome, as director of studies and later vice-rector and was appointed rector of the college from 1993 to 2001.
In 1993, he was made a Prelate of Honour of His Holiness, and in 1997 he was awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law from the Gregorian University.
Bishop Finnegan, whom Mgr Fleming will succeed, was born in 1925 and submitted his resignation to the Holy Father on reaching his 75th birthday on August 26th, 2000.