ONE OF the North's best-known priests is to leave his north Belfast parish in Ardoyne next month for Paris.
Fr Aidan Troy, who gained worldwide recognition in 2001 for his role in the Holy Cross primary school dispute, will be taking up a new post at an English-speaking parish in the centre of the French capital.
Fr Troy, a native of Bray, Co Wicklow, and a member of the Passionist Order, spent seven years at Holy Cross parish, joining as a rector in 2001. Upon his arrival he was immediately confronted with escalating community tensions between the divided loyalist and nationalist communities.
This unrest culminated with a long-running loyalist picket near Holy Cross primary school, making headlines worldwide.
Fr Troy was also an important community leader in the Ardoyne area and in 2006 intervened in the dispute between the Orange Order and nationalist residents to help a number of contentious parades pass off without incident.
In 2004 he intervened following a spate of teenage suicides in north Belfast by helping to set up a confidential counselling service for troubled young people.
He also called for direct dialogue with paramilitary groups operating in the area, stating he would go "anywhere, anytime" to help resolve the issue.
Speaking of his departure, he said that he was sad to be leaving Ardoyne and that he would "miss the place enormously".
"I'm really heartbroken, but in my way of life you are moved on after a certain number of years and my superior and his advisers suggested I take this change.
"I remember when I was in Rome for seven years and I was asked to come to Belfast, I thought it was the end of my life. So when I was asked to leave here, in conscience I couldn't say 'oh no I won't do that'," he told BBC Radio Ulster.
Fr Troy also acknowledged that community relations have improved substantially since he took up his post, saying: "We are going out on a quieter summer and I know the amount of hard work which went into that.
"I stood beside people from every side of the divide working towards that."