Rev. Father Mimnagh., The Age, Brisbane, 12 January 1918, p 3, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article292005539:

The Rev. Father Mimnagh, parish priest of Bundaberg for the past 26 years, has entered upon a 12 months' holiday, taken mainly for health reasons. He will go to Sydney in the course of the next week or so, to enter a hospital for treatment, after which he will make a tour of Australia. Fr. Mimnagh is one of Bundaberg's leading citizens, always taking the keenest interest in the welfare and progress of the town and district, and is a staunch advocate of Western railway extension. He has been president of the Chamber of Commerce and Patriotic Committee. For four years he has been an alderman of the City Council, having been elected by the largest number of votes polled in Bundaberg. He was elected Mayor for a term, and for the last three years was elected deputy-mayor.

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Jubilee Attained. The Rev. J. Mimnagh Congratulated, The Mercury, Hobart, 23 June 1941, p 6, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25867664:

The Rev J. Mimnagh who lives in retirement at Fern Tree, celebrated his golden jubilee as a priest on Saturday. He was born at Longford (Ireland), and was ordained at Hallows College, Dublin, on June 21, 1891 for the Archdiocese of Brisbane. He was parish priest of Bundaberg (Q.) for 27 years, and built many churches, schools and convents in the parish. About 20 years ago, owing to ill-health, he retired and came to Tasmania, taking his residence at Fern Tree. Some years later he was asked by the late Archbishop Delany to take over Fern Tree and Longley. Later Archbishop Barry asked him to look after the spiritual interests of Roman Catholic people at Kingston, Margate, and Snug. He built the church at Margate, and erected the bell tower and bell at Snug. He was forced by recurrence of ill-health to give up all active work about eight years ago.

On Saturday Father Mimnagh received many congratulations from his former parishioners in Queensland, including a message from Archbishop Duhig of Brisbane. The Vicar-General of Sydney (the Right Rev. Monsignor R. Collender), who was ordained with him in 1891, also sent greetings. On Saturday afternoon the Revs. T.J. O'Donnell and W. Ryan visited him to offer congratulations and make presentations. Father O'Donnell, on behalf of ex-students of All Hallows College, congratulated Father Mimnagh and made a presentation to him. On behalf of the parishioners of Kingston and Margate, Father Ryan made another presentation.

Father Mimnagh expressed his thanks to all who had honoured him. His work in Queensland, he said, was very strenuous and when, seriously ill, he came to Tasmania, he found the finest climate in the world. He appreciated the kindness of former priests of All Hallows College and his former parishioners of Kingston, Margate, Snug and Longley.

During the day Father Mimnagh received many telegrams of congratulations from various parts of Tasmania and the Mainland.

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Deaths, Sunday Independent, Dublin, 28 January 1951, p 2:

Mimnagh (Longford)—January 26, 1951, at his residence, Battery Road, Longford, Rev. John Mimnagh, late of Blackheath, New South Wales. R.I.P. High Mass on to-morrow (Monday) in St. Mel's Cathedral at 11 o'c. Funeral immediately afterwards to Drumlish Cemetery. American and Australian papers, please copy.

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Obituary. Rev. John Mimnagh, Irish Press, Dublin, 29 January 1951, p 9:

Rev. John Mimnagh, who died at his residence, Battery Road, Longford, at the age of 86 years, was a native of Dernacross, Ballinalee. He received his early education at St. Mary's Seminary, Moyne, and pursued his ecclesiastical studies at All Hallows, where he was ordained in 1891. In the same year he went to Australia and became pastor of Bundaberg City, in the diocese of Brisbane. There he interested himself so energetically in social welfare and the development of the area that the inhabitants elected him Mayor.

Having spent about half a century in his priestly work he came to Ireland in retirement nearly two years ago and took up residence in his native county town in delicate health. Three of his sisters live in the U.S.A. Other sisters living in Ireland are: Mrs. Margaret Quinn, Rossan, Aughavas, Co. Leitrim; Mrs. Donnelly, Drumshambo, Co. Leitrim; and Mrs. Trappe, Longford. He was a brother of Mr. Peter Mimnagh, Dernacross, and uncle of Rev. Patrick Quinn, New Orleans; Rev. Patrick Mimnagh and Rev. Peter Mimnagh, San Diego, U.S.A.; Rev. Mark Mimnagh, Maynooth; Sister Angela and Sister Bernadine, Australia.

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Irish Priest Who Became Mayor of Queensland Town, Advocate, Melbourne, 15 February 1951, p 17, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article172517057:

The death has occurred at his residence, Battery-road, Longford, where he had lived in retirement for the past two years of Rev. John Mimnagh, P.P., former Mayor of Bundaberg, Queensland. He studied at All Hallows College, Dublin, where he was ordained for the Australian Mission on May 21, 1891. His first appointment was to the Cathedral staff at Brisbane, and in 1893 he was sent as assistant priest to Bundaberg.

He remained at Bundaberg for 27 years and for 25 years was parish priest. He built churches, schools and convents and interested himself so energetically in the social welfare and development of the district that the citizens elected him mayor. In 1920 he resigned his parish owing to ill health and went to reside in Katoomba, New South Wales. Later he was advised to go to Hobart and his health improving the late Archbishop Delany asked him to take charge of Fern Tree and Longley parish. In 1933 failing health again forced him to relinquish active work and he went into retirement returning to his native Longford two years ago.

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Denis M. Long, Pioneer and Early Priests, Archdiocese of Brisbane, Deceased or retired by 1929, 2021, pp 203-204 [also includes aphotograph]:
Fr John Mimnagh

Bundaberg remained in the Brisbane Archdiocese until 1930. When the diocese of Townsville was created Bundaberg and Blackall moved into a smaller Rockhampton diocese.

Fr John Mimnagh's name does not appear on the list of deceased priests drawn up by the Sick and Infirm Priests' Sustentation Society. While he spent twenty-seven years in the diocese, leaving in 1918, he did not die until 1951.

John Mimnagh was the son of Patrick and Rose (nee Cosgrave) Mimnagh of Killoe in co Longford in the diocese of Ardagh. He was born on 25 March 1866. In 1886 he entered All Hallows Missionary College from Mr Duffy's school in Moyne. He was ordained a deacon on 21 May 1891 and a month later ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Brisbane on 21 June.(1)

Fr Mimnagh arrived in Brisbane late in 1891 and spent a year at St Stephen's Cathedral. In 1893 he was appointed to assist the ailing Fr Rossolini at Bundaberg. Following the death of Fr Rossolini on 7 October Fr Mimnagh was given charge of that mission at the age of 27.

The local press reported on the many parish facilities he built during his 25 years in Bundaberg: a new church at Mt Perry; a convent and new school buildings in Bundaberg.

He took a great interest in civic affairs and established various business enterprises becoming a prominent and wealthy citizen. After serving some time as an alderman on the council, in 1914 he was elected mayor of Bundaberg. Two years later he became chairman of the local Chamber of Commerce.

In 1911, when as Archbishop Dunne became old and feeble, Bishop Duhig of Rockhampton was required to attend to many episcopal duties in Brisbane. In writing to Archbishop Kelly of Sydney concerning the state of the diocese, he mentioned Bundaberg where:

The priest owned a public hall in which pictures and dances were run. This same priest also possessed numerous houses from which he derived rent as well as property in every township included in the parish. He refused to say mass in any township where the people would not guarantee him a certain sum of money on each visit.(2)

In April 1912 James Duhig was appointed coadjutor archbishop to Dunne. I have not discovered any evidence of the relationship between the coadjutor and Mimnagh during the next five years. Fr Mimnagh left Bundaberg about a year after Dr Duhig became archbishop upon the death of Archbishop Dunne in January 1917.

It was reported that Fr Mimnagh went to Katoomba apparently in poor health. He became involved in local community as indicated by a local report when he died.

Many residents of Blackheath will remember the Rev Fr John Mimnagh, who took a prominent part in the formation of the municipality in the 1920s, whose death is reported from Longford (Ireland).(3)

After his ministry in the Blue Mountains, Fr Mimnagh was advised to go to Hobart. He settled at Fern Tree near Hobart where he remained until 1945. As his health improved, Bishop Patrick Delaney asked him to care for Fern Tree and Longley. The next bishop, William Barry, asked him to take on the districts of Margate, Kingston and Snug. At Margate Fr Mimnagh built a beautiful brick church for £1,000. In 1933, with his health declining, Fr Mimnagh retired, but he continued to celebrate Mass each Sunday for the people of Fern Tree.

Priests educated at All Hallows gathered to celebrate his sacerdotal golden jubilee on Saturday 21 January 1941. In the report of the celebrations it is stated that:

He had received a telegram from Archbishop Duhig to return to Brisbane to celebrate his Golden Jubilee, but his health and the conditions of the time prevented that.(4)

In August 1945 Fr Mimnagh left Hobart.(5) It appears that he spent some time in Queensland including three months in Bundaberg,(6) where a street is named after him. He sailed from Sydney on the P & O Stratheden to reach London on 23 April 1949.

Fr Mimnagh retired to Longford where he was born. He died in his residence there on Battery Road on 19 January 1951 at almost 85 years of age.(7)

Footnotes
1. Kevin Condon cm, Missionary College of All Hallows 1842–1891, student 1824, p. 357.
2. Neil J Byrne, Robert Dunne Archbishop of Brisbane, 1991, p. 227.
3. Lithgow Mercury, 20 February 1951, p. 2.
4. Catholic Freeman's Journal, Sydney, 26 Jun 1941, p. 19.
5. Mercury, Hobart 18 Aug 1945, p. 3.
6. Maryborough Chronicle, 24 Feb 1951, p. 6.
7. Advocate, Melbourne, 15 Feb 1951, p. 17.

Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Long.

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Irish birth and death records not found.