On behalf of the trustees of the Kingston Charity Trust, Mitchelstown, County Cork, the Bishop of Cork, the Right Reverend Dr Paul Colton, is pleased to announce the appointment of the Reverend Peter Tarleton as resident chaplain. Kingston Charity Trust owns Kingston College, a residential housing complex at the heart of Mitchelstown, comprising 31 houses and a chapel which were built in the 18th Century.

Peter Tarleton was born in the Rectory of Pallaskenry, Co. Limerick, when his father was Rector of Kilcornan Union. His formal education did not start until they lived in Dromore, Co. Tyrone, and continued when in Monea, near Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh. Peter’s university life began in Magee University College, Derry and continued in Trinity College Dublin.

Peter and Jocelyn married in Warrenpoint and have five children. He and Joss separated after 19 years, and she has since passed away. Peter married Chutiphas in 2016, and they have the care of Chutipas’s 11-year-old grand-nephew at their home in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Peter’s children live in the UK, Manchester area, and Australia. His eldest grand-daughter, Laura, is getting married in Perth, Western Australia, in October this year. Chutiphas and Peter very much hope to attend.

Peter’s ordained ministry began in Cork, as Curate in St Luke’s, St. Anne’s Shandon, and St Mary’s, Sunday’s Well in June 1973. A second curacy in Drumcondra, North Strand and St Barnabas in Dublin allowed him to study for a teaching qualification at Trinity College Dublin, which equipped him for his next post as Vicar of Limerick, where he also was the first Anglican Chaplain to what is now the University of Limerick, for almost 5 years.

During his time as Rector in Cootehill, Co. Cavan, he was diagnosed with a life- threatening illness. He says that ‘by the grace of God, and homeopathy, he came through.’ Peter then felt called to ministry in prison, and as there were no full-time positions in Ireland – North or South – they moved to England where he served as a prison Chaplain for 21 years. After three years as a hospital chaplain in England, Peter returned to parish ministry in Cashel, Ferns and Ossory, in Killeshin 2011-2018 and Portlaoise and Ballyfin 2018-2020. Peter retired during the Covid Pandemic and moved to Chiang Mai, where he has become a writer.

In relation to his appointment at Kingston College, Peter commented:

Hardly “in the bosom of Abraham”, but something serendipitous about returning to the Diocese of my ordination over 50 years later!