A total of nine new priests will be ordained into Irish Catholic dioceses this year, an increase on the six ordained in 2025.
Of the 26 dioceses and archdioceses, all but five have ordained a priest since 2021 or will ordain one this year.
The dioceses of Achonry, Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, Clonfert and Ossory have not ordained a priest in over ten years.
The cross-border archdiocese of Armagh will ordain three priests this year, Down and Connor will ordain two, with the dioceses of Clogher, Cloyne, Derry and Dromore also ordaining a new priest.
"It is a joy to see young men, and indeed not so young men, stepping out of the crowd to follow the call of Jesus Christ in the priesthood," said Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, and chair of the Catholic Bishop's Council for Vocations, Phonsie Cullinan.
One of the most recent ordinations was of Fr Stephen Sherry, who was ordained by Bishop of Clogher Larry Duffy at the end of April.
He entered his preliminary seminary year in 2018, having first graduated from the University of Limerick with an English and History degree, on the advice of his parish priest and vocations director.
"I started to discern my vocation 12 years ago when I was trying to study for my Leaving Cert and wondering what did I want from my life and what did God want from my life," Fr Sherry said.
The small voice said 'we do need more priests' and I felt that maybe that was the call for me. But I had my Leaving Cert to do, so I did that first," he said.
Entering priesthood was an "exciting" time, he said, one in which he knows his vocation will be fulfilled.
"In Ireland in 2026 it is a very different church than it might have been 50 years ago," the bishop said.
"While we may face lots of challenges, decreasing numbers, maybe practice rate, I think it is a very blessed, very privileged time. Any time of change can be a great time of opportunity and I think that is what it will be for me," he said.
At 30 years old, Fr Sherry is one of the youngest priests serving in a diocese.
Three dioceses said their youngest serving priest was 29, while nine dioceses said their youngest priest was between 30 and 35 years old.
At the time of his ordination in 2017, aged 25, Fr David Vard was recognised as Ireland's youngest priest.
It was recognition that brought some attention to his work, he said.
"I did not seek out that title. It was a throwaway comment that my bishop made on the day of my ordination and people latched onto," said Fr Vard.
"Twenty-five was the average age of a priest 30, 40 years ago. There was no pressure but a lot of eyes were on me from very early in my priesthood. It was an interesting time."
When officiating a wedding he asks to be sat with people his own age for the afters, he said, where they can have general conversations about all topics, including religion.
"Sometimes you get pulled aside at these events as well and you have very deep conversations. Some people open up, some people don't want to talk to you. That's ok too," said Fr Vard.
Last September, 13 men began their academic programme as seminarians for Irish Catholic dioceses.
It brought the total number of seminarians studying for the priesthood for Irish dioceses to 77. In 2024, 21 men began studying for the priesthood, the highest enrolment in over a decade.
Finn McDonnell is one of those seminarians discerning his faith.
Like Fr Sherry, Mr McDonnell graduated college before joining the seminary. For him, it was those years in third-level education where he found his calling.
"I'm a little bit surprised at where I am now. I wouldn't have thought this ten years ago," he said, describing himself as someone who stopped practising his faith after making his confirmation.
While studying science, he met young people practising faith and that got him interested again
"At a certain point I saw that life was better with God than without and I started practicing again. That took a bit of time to come back to the faith," he said.
He started thinking of priesthood as he neared the end of his degree but did not take the leap before getting a job in IT.
"When I made the decision to take the step and give the priesthood a go, I told my manager I was leaving and I think he was very surprised to hear I was leaving. But I think he was more surprised to hear the reason I was leaving," Mr McDonnell said.
He had the wisdom to say 'this is not something I can convince you to stay by making you a better offer'. So I took the risk and I'm on this road now for four years," he added.
Life in the seminary is "challenging but rewarding," he said, with camaraderie among those studying.
There is an acknowledgment that for those currently studying, they will enter into a different Church than years previously.
"The Church looks very different now than it did before. We know we require a certain level of adaptability in the future. I think that's really important to be aware of. We just don't know what it will be like in the future fully," said Mr McDonnell.