Born in Dublin in 1958, Mons. Tighe grew up in Navan and Sligo. He graduated from University College Dublin in 1979 with a degree in Civil Law. After preparing for the priesthood at Holy Cross College in Dublin and the Pontifical Irish College in Rome, he was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Dublin in 1983.
His first assignment was as a parish chaplain and teacher in Ballyfermot. Subsequently, he studied Moral Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, and in 1990, he was appointed a Lecturer in Moral Theology at the Mater Dei Institute of Education and Holy Cross College in Dublin. In 2000, he became the head of the Theology Department.
In 2004, he was appointed Director of the Communications Office of the Archdiocese of Dublin. The following year, he established the Office for Public Affairs to promote the Diocese’s engagement with public institutions and civil society.
In November 2007, Pope Benedict XVI announced his appointment as Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. On December 19, 2015, he was appointed by Pope Francis as the titular Bishop of Drivasto and Additional Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture.
On October 28, 2017, Pope Francis appointed His Excellency Monsignor Paul Tighe Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture. And following the promulgation of the Apostolic Constitution “Praedicate Evangelium”, he became Secretary of the Dicastery for the Culture and Education with particular responsibility for the section for Culture.