Joseph Shiel

[1] Shiel found his vocation for religious life at a young age and entered the seminary of his diocese, St. Finian's College, at Navan.

At the time of his ordination, Thomas Carr, Archbishop of Melbourne was visiting Ireland and was seeking priests to come to Australia.

Shiel expressed a desire to go to Australia and the Bishop of Meath consented to a five year term.

Joseph Higgins, the Bishop of Rockhampton, was visiting Ireland in 1903 and, being a native of Meath, Higgins visited that diocese where he asked the Bishop of Meath to consent to Shiel remaining in Australia because of the great need for priests in Australia.

Archbishop Carr of Melbourne agreed to the arrangement and Shiel became the administrator at Mount Morgan, west of Rockhampton.

[1][9] Shield died on 7 April 1931 aged 58 years at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital at Rockhampton, Queensland following a long illness.

In addition to the large local congregation, the funeral was attended by Archbishop James Duhig, Bishop of Cooktown John Heavey, and many other Catholic priests.