The first Irish

Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

 translation of the New Testament was begun by Nicholas Walsh, Bishop of Ossory

Bishop of Ossory

The Bishop of Ossory is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient of Kingdom of Ossory in the Province of Leinster, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.-History:The diocese of Ossory...

, who worked on it until his untimely death in 1585. The work was continued by John Kearny, his assistant, and Dr. Nehemiah Donellan

Nehemiah Donnellan

Nehemiah Donnellan , Archbishop of Tuam, fl. c. 1560-1609.-Background:Donellan was born in the county of Galway, a son of Mael Sechlainn Ó Dónalláin, by his wife Sisly, daughter of William Ó Cellaigh of Calla...

, Archbishop of Tuam, and it was finally completed by William O'Domhnuill (William Daniell, Archbishop of Tuam in succession to Donellan). Their work was printed in 1602.

The work of translating the Old Testament was undertaken by William Bedel (1571–1642), Bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

 of Kilmore

Bishop of Kilmore

The Bishop of Kilmore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the parish of Kilmore in County Cavan, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.-History:...

, who completed his translation within the reign of Charles the First

Charles I of England

Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...

, however it was not published until 1680, in a revised version by Narcissus Marsh

Narcissus Marsh

Narcissus Marsh was an English clergyman who was successively Church of Ireland Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin, Archbishop of Cashel, Archbishop of Dublin and Archbishop of Armagh....

 (1638–1713), Archbishop of Dublin

Archbishop of Dublin (Church of Ireland)

The Archbishop of Dublin is the title of the senior cleric who presides over the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough in the Church of Ireland...

.

A modern Bible in Irish, An Bíobla Naofa was translated and edited by Pádraig Ó Fiannachta

Pádraig Ó Fiannachta

Pádraig Ó Fiannachta is a renowned Irish language scholar, poet and priest, born in the Kerry Gaeltacht in 1927. He studied at Maynooth, University College Cork and All Hallows, Clonliffe College. He was ordained a priest in 1953. He spent some time in Wales prior to returning to Maynooth College...

. Published by the National University of Ireland, Maynooth

National University of Ireland, Maynooth

The National University of Ireland, Maynooth , was founded by the Universities Act, 1997 as a constituent university of the National University of Ireland. It is Ireland's second oldest university, having been formed from St Patrick's College, Maynooth, itself founded in 1795.The university is...

 in 1981, it was the first Bible in Irish approved by the Roman Catholic church in Ireland. Coslett Quinn translated the New Testament and Psalms in the 1960s.

Translation	John Gospel of John The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus... (Eoin) 3:16
An Bíobla Naofa (The Holy Bible, 1981 Catholic translation)	Óir ghráigh Dia an domhan chomh mór sin gur thug sé a Aonghin Mic uaidh i dtreo, gach duine a chreideann ann, nach gcaillfí é ach go mbeadh an bheatha shíoraí aige.