Matthew Gibney

The Most Reverend Matthew Gibney
3rd Roman Catholic Bishop
Bishop Matthew Gibney
Province	Sydney
Diocese	Perth
Installed	1 November 1886
Term ended	14 May 1910
Predecessor	Martin Griver
Successor	Patrick Clune
Orders
Ordination	14 June 1925 (Priest)
Consecration	23 January 1887 (Bishop)
Personal details
Born	(1837-11-01)1 November 1837 Killeshandra, Cavan, Ireland
Died	22 June 1925(1925-06-22) (aged 87) Perth, Western Australia
Buried	St Mary's Cathedral, Perth
Nationality	Irish/Australian
Denomination	Roman Catholic Church
Occupation	Roman Catholic bishop
Profession	Cleric
Alma mater	Catholic Missionary College of All Hallows, Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland

Matthew Gibney (1 November 1835 in Killeshandra, Cavan, Ireland – 22 June 1925 in Perth, Western Australia), an Australian metropolitan bishop, was the third Roman Catholic Bishop of Perth, serving from 1886 until 1910.

Gibney gave Australian bushranger Ned Kelly his last rites following a shoot out at Glenrowan, Victoria in 1880.

Gibney studied for the priesthood at the preparatory seminary at Stillorgan and from 1857 at the Catholic Missionary College of All Hallows, Drumcondra, Dublin. He was ordained priest in 1863 and arrived in Perth, Western Australia later that year.

On a trip to the colonies on the east coast of Australia, Gibney was travelling by train between Benalla and Albury when at Glenrowan, he heard of the Siege of Glenrowan and left the train. Gibney tended to the injured Kelly, heard his confession and gave him the last rites.

In January 1887, Gibney was consecrated as the Bishop of Perth. His episcopate was marked by a number of poor investment decisions as the diocese purchased shops, offices, houses and a hotel in Perth as well as a newspaper, exerting editorial influence by banning the publication of horse racing information; leading to the paper's eventual demise. As the diocese's debts mounted, Gibney was forced to resign in May 1910.