Bishop of Clonmacnoise
Encyclopedia
Bishop of Clonmacnoise was the ordinary
of the Roman Catholic episcopal see
based at Clonmacnoise
, County Offaly
, Ireland
. The bishops of Clonmacnoise (Old Irish: Cluain Moccu Nóis) appear in the records for the first time in the 9th century, although inferior in status to the Abbot of Clonmacnoise
until the reformation of the Irish Church in the 12th century. After the schism in Irish Christianity that was the product of the English Reformation
, there were several parallel bishops placed by the Church of Ireland
until the Diocese of Clonmacnoise was merged with Diocese of Meath to form the Diocese of Meath and Kildare
in 1569. In the Roman Catholic Church, separate bishops continued longer. The diocese came under the administration of the Bishop of Ardagh
between 1688 and 1725, before the provision of Stephen MacEgan in 1725. Although MacEgan was translated to Meath in 1729, he continued to administer Clonmacnoise separately until his death in 1756, after which the see was finally merged into the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise
.
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
of the Roman Catholic episcopal see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
based at Clonmacnoise
Clonmacnoise
The monastery of Clonmacnoise is situated in County Offaly, Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone....
, County Offaly
County Offaly
County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The bishops of Clonmacnoise (Old Irish: Cluain Moccu Nóis) appear in the records for the first time in the 9th century, although inferior in status to the Abbot of Clonmacnoise
Abbot of Clonmacnoise
The Abbot of Clonmacnoise was the monastic head of Clonmacnoise. They also bore the title "Comarba of Saint Ciarán", "successor of Saint Ciarán". The following is a list of abbots:-List of abbots to 1539:-References:...
until the reformation of the Irish Church in the 12th century. After the schism in Irish Christianity that was the product of the English Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
, there were several parallel bishops placed by the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
until the Diocese of Clonmacnoise was merged with Diocese of Meath to form the Diocese of Meath and Kildare
Diocese of Meath and Kildare
The United Dioceses of Meath and Kildare is a diocese in the Church of Ireland located in Ireland. The diocese is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin.-Overview and history:...
in 1569. In the Roman Catholic Church, separate bishops continued longer. The diocese came under the administration of the Bishop of Ardagh
Bishop of Ardagh
The Bishop of Ardagh was a separate episcopal title which took its name after the village of Ardagh in County Longford, Ireland. It was used by the Roman Catholic Church until 1756, and intermittently by the Church of Ireland until 1839....
between 1688 and 1725, before the provision of Stephen MacEgan in 1725. Although MacEgan was translated to Meath in 1729, he continued to administer Clonmacnoise separately until his death in 1756, after which the see was finally merged into the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise
Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise
The Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise is a Roman Catholic diocese in Ireland.-Geographic remit:The diocese is spread over parts of seven counties in the centre of Ireland. It includes almost all of County Longford, half of County Leitrim and parts of counties Westmeath, Offaly, Cavan, Roscommon...
.
List of bishops of Clonmacnoise
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| d.713//Fáilbe Bec | ||
| d. 889// | Tuathchar | |
| d. 890 | Máel Odar | |
| d. 904 | Cairpre Cromm | |
| d. 919 | Loingsech | |
| d. 922 | Fer Dálach | |
| d. 942 | Dúnchad mac Suthainén | |
| d. 949 | Óenucán mac Écertaig | |
| d. 955 | Dúnadach mac Écertaig | |
| d. 971 | Tuathal | |
| d. 971 | Máenach mac Máel Míchil | |
| d. 979 | Flann mac Máel Míchil | |
| d. 998 | Conaing ua Coscraig | |
| d. 1001 | Máel Póil | |
| d. 1010 | Conaing mac Áedacáin | |
| d. 1037 | Flaithbertach mac Loingsig | |
| d. 1067 | Célechair Mugdornach mac Cuinn na mBocht | |
| d. 1104 | Gilla Críst Ua hEchtigirn | |
| d. 1105 | Muiredach Ua Máel Dúin | |
| c. 1111–1136 | Domnall mac Flannacáin Ua Dubthaig | Abbot of Roscommon and Bishop of Elphin. |
| x1152–1187 | Muirchertach Ua Máel Uidir | |
| ?–1207 | Cathal Ua Máel Eóin | |
| 1207–1214 | Muiredach Ua Muirecén | |
| 1214–1220 | Áed Ua Máel Eóin (I) | |
| 1220–1227 | Máel Ruanaid Ua Modáin | Resigned in 1227; died 1230. |
| 1227–1236 | Áed Ua Máel Eóin (II) | |
| 1236–c. 1252 | Thomas Fitz Patrick | |
| 1252–1278 | Tomás Ua Cuinn | O. F. M.. |
| 1280–1289 | Anonymous | O. F. M.. |
| elected 1282 | Gilbert | Blinded, and never consecrated. |
| 1290–1297 | Uilliam Ua Dubthaig | O. F. M.. |
| 1298–1302 | Uilliam Ua Finnéin | O. Cist.. |
| 1302–? | Domhnall Ua Bráein | O. F. M.. |
| ?–1337 | Lughaidh Ua Dálaigh | |
| 1337–x1368 | Henry | O. P.. |
| provided 1349 | Simon | O. P.; provided May 11, 1349; election did not take effect. |
| 1369–1371 | Richard Braybroke | |
| 1371–1380x | Hugh | |
| ?–1388 | Philip Ó Maoil | Resigned January 30, 1388; died 1420. |
| 1388–1397 | Milo Corr | O. F. M.. |
| 1397–1423 | Philip Nangle | O. Cist.. |
| provided 1423 | David Prendergast | O. Cist.; provided on September 24, 1423, but the provision did not take effect. |
| 1425–1444 | Cormac Mac Cochláin | |
| 1444–1487 | Seaán Ó Dálaigh | |
| 1449 | Thomas | On October 27, 1449 Pope Nicholas V Pope Nicholas V Pope Nicholas V , born Tommaso Parentucelli, was Pope from March 6, 1447 to his death in 1455.-Biography:He was born at Sarzana, Liguria, where his father was a physician... allowed Bishop Thomas to hold this see in commendam In Commendam In canon law, commendam was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice in trust to the custody of a patron... ; nothing more is known. |
| provided 1458 | William | O. S. A.; provided on July 14, 1458. Not known to have held the see physically, but acted as a suffragan in the diocese of Durham Diocese of Durham The Diocese of Durham is a Church of England diocese, based in Durham, and covering the historic County Durham . It was created in AD 1000 to replace the Diocese of Lindisfarne... . |
| 1480–1486 | James | |
| 1487–1508 | Walter Blake | |
| c. 1509–1514 | Tomás Ó Maolalaidh Tomás Ó Maolalaidh Tomás Ó Maolalaidh was an Irish churchman who became Bishop of Clonmacnoise and Archbishop of Tuam .... |
O. F. M.; translated to the archbishopric of Tuam Archbishop of Tuam The Archbishop of Tuam is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name after the town of Tuam in County Galway, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1839, and is still in use by the Roman Catholic Church.-History:... . |
| 1516–1539 | Quintin Ó hUiginn | O. F. M.; also write Quintin O'Higgins |
| 1539 | Richard Hogan | O. F. M.. |
| 1539–c. 1555 | Florence Kirwan | O. F. M.. |
| 1556–1568 | Peter Wall | O. F. M..; for later Bishops of the Church of Ireland see Bishop of Meath Bishop of Meath The Bishop of Meath is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.-History:... |
| 1585–? | Alan Sullivan | |
| From 1630 | Terence Coghlan | Vicar Apostolic only. |
| 1647–1657 | Anthony MacGeoghegan | O. F. M.; translated to the bishopric of Meath Bishop of Meath The Bishop of Meath is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.-History:... . |
| From 1657 | William O'Shiel | Vicar Apostolic only. |
| From 1683 | Moriarty Kearney | Vicar Apostolic only. |
| 1688–c. 1698 | Gregory Fallon | |
| 1725–1729/1756 | Stephen MacEgan | O. P.; Although MacEgan was translated to Meath in 1729, he continued to administer Clonmacnoise separately until his death in 1756, after which the see was finally merged into the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise The Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise is a Roman Catholic diocese in Ireland.-Geographic remit:The diocese is spread over parts of seven counties in the centre of Ireland. It includes almost all of County Longford, half of County Leitrim and parts of counties Westmeath, Offaly, Cavan, Roscommon... . |