The Bishop of Waterford was a medieval prelate, governing the Diocese of Waterford

Diocese of Waterford

The Diocese of Waterford was established in the year AD 1096; it was renamed as the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore on 16 June 1363 . It has remained an independent diocese in the Roman Catholic Church...

 from its creation in the 11th century until it was absorbed into the new Roman Catholic Diocese of Waterford and Lismore

Roman Catholic Diocese of Waterford and Lismore

The Diocese of Waterford and Lismore is a Roman Catholic diocese in southern Ireland. It is one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and is subject to the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. The diocese is in the secular province of the same name - Munster...

 in the 14th century. After the creation of four archdioceses for 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...

 in the middle of the 12th century, Waterford fell under the Archbishop of Cashel

Archbishop of Cashel

The Archbishop of Cashel is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name after the town of Cashel, County Tipperary in Ireland. The title is still in use in the Roman Catholic Church, but in the Church of Ireland it was downgraded to a bishopric in 1838....

.

The beginnings of the bishopric of Waterford can be dated fairly securely. The Norse city of Waterford

Waterford

Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...

 became a bishopric in 1096, when Anselm

Anselm of Canterbury

Anselm of Canterbury , also called of Aosta for his birthplace, and of Bec for his home monastery, was a Benedictine monk, a philosopher, and a prelate of the church who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109...

, Archbishop of Canterbury

Archbishop of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...

 consecrated Malchus (Máel Ísu Ua hAinmere) as its first bishop.
Pope John XXII

Pope John XXII

Pope John XXII , born Jacques Duèze , was pope from 1316 to 1334. He was the second Pope of the Avignon Papacy , elected by a conclave in Lyon assembled by Philip V of France...

 had decreed on 31 June 1327 that the bishoprics of Waterford and Lismore were to be united upon the death of either living bishop, Nicholas Welifed of Waterford (died 1337) and John Leynagh of Lismore (died 1354). This did not occur until 1363 however, when Thomas le Reve, Leynagh's successor at Lismore, took over the temporalities of the bishopric of Waterford.

List of bishops

Bishops of Waterford
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1096	1135	Máel Ísu Ua hAinmere, O.S.B.	Formerly a monk of Winchester Abbey; consecrated bishop on 27 December 1096 by St Anselm Anselm of Canterbury Anselm of Canterbury , also called of Aosta for his birthplace, and of Bec for his home monastery, was a Benedictine monk, a philosopher, and a prelate of the church who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109... ; appointed the first Archbishop of Cashel Archbishop of Cashel The Archbishop of Cashel is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name after the town of Cashel, County Tipperary in Ireland. The title is still in use in the Roman Catholic Church, but in the Church of Ireland it was downgraded to a bishopric in 1838....  at the Synod of Rathbreasail Synod of Rathbreasail The Synod of Ráth Breasail took place in Ireland in 1111. It marked the transition of the Irish church from a monastic to a diocesan and parish-based church...  in 1111, but appears to have resigned it shortly afterwards and retired back to Waterford; during the last years of his life was also Bishop of Lismore Bishop of Lismore, Ireland The Bishop of Lismore was a separate episcopal title which took its name after the town of Lismore in County Waterford, Ireland.-History:The diocese of Lismore was one of the twenty-four dioceses established by the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111. The see of Ardmore was incorporated with Lismore in... ; died in 1135; also was known in Latin as Malchus
before 1152	unknown	Toistius	Attended at the Synod of Kells in 1152; death date unknown
1175	1182	Augustinus Ua Selbaig	Elected 6 October 1175; attended at the Third Council of the Lateran Third Council of the Lateran The Third Council of the Lateran met in March 1179 as the eleventh ecumenical council. Pope Alexander III presided and 302 bishops attended.By agreement reached at the Peace of Venice in 1177 the bitter conflict between Alexander III and Emperor Frederick I was brought to an end...  in 1179; died 1182
before 1198	1204	Robert I	Found to be bishop around 1195 and 1198; died before October 1204
1204	1209	David the Welshman	Elected before 19 October 1204 and consecrated later in the same year; following a dispute concerning property with the Bishop of Lismore Bishop of Lismore, Ireland The Bishop of Lismore was a separate episcopal title which took its name after the town of Lismore in County Waterford, Ireland.-History:The diocese of Lismore was one of the twenty-four dioceses established by the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111. The see of Ardmore was incorporated with Lismore in... , he was murdered in 1209 by Ua Fáeláin, King of the Déise; also known as David "Breathnach"
1210	1223	Robert II	Elected after June 1210; died before April 1223
1223	1225	William Wace	Formerly Dean Dean (religion) A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...  of Waterford Waterford Cathedral Christ Church Cathedral, Waterford is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Waterford City, Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin.... ; elected bishop before 5 April and received possession of the temporalities 6 April 1223; died before 19 April 1225
1227	1232	Walter, O.S.B.	Formerly Prior of St John's Abbey, Waterford; elected bishop circa 20 August 1227 and received possession of the temporalities after that date; 1 August 1232
1232	1250	Stephen, O.S.B.	Elected before 19 December 1232 and received possession of the temporalities after that date; died before March 1250
1250	1251	Henry	Formerly Archdeacon of Waterford; elected bishop before 11 March 1250 and received possession of the temporalities after that date; died 20 July 1251
1252	1254	Philip	Formerly Dean Dean (religion) A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...  of Waterford Waterford Cathedral Christ Church Cathedral, Waterford is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Waterford City, Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin.... ; elected bishop before 26 March 1252 and received possession of the temporalities 14 June 1252; died 15 April 1254
1255	1271	Walter de Southwell	Elected before 2 April 1255 and was confirmed by Pope Alexander IV Pope Alexander IV Pope Alexander IV was Pope from 1254 until his death.Born as Rinaldo di Jenne, in Jenne , he was, on his mother's side, a member of the de' Conti di Segni family, the counts of Segni, like Pope Innocent III and Pope Gregory IX...  on that date; died circa 24 March 1271
1274	1286	Stephen de Fulbourn Stephen de Fulbourn Stephen de Fulbourn, Archbishop of Tuam, 1286-89.A native of Cambridgeshire, de Fulbourn was translated to Tuam by a Papal bull dated 12 July 1286, having previously been Bishop of Waterford...	Elected before 10 June 1274 and received possession of the temporalities 28 October 1274; translated to 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:...  12 July 1286
1286	1307	Walter de Fulburn Walter de Fulburn Walter de Fulburn , or de Fulbourn was a leading Irish statesman and cleric who held the offices of Bishop of Waterford, Bishop of Meath and Lord Chancellor of Ireland...	Brother of the previous bishop; translated from 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:...  12 July 1286; died 14 December 1307
1308	1322	Matthew	Formerly Chancellor of Waterford; elected bishop 7 February 1308; died 18 December 1322
1323	1337	Nicholas Welifed	Formerly Dean Dean (religion) A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...  of Waterford Waterford Cathedral Christ Church Cathedral, Waterford is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Waterford City, Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin.... ; consecrated bishop 17 April 1323 and received possession of the temporalities 28 July 1323; died 27 June 1337
1338	1349	Richard Francis	Elected before 6 April 1338 and received possession of the temporalities on that date; acted as a suffragan bishop Suffragan bishop A suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop. He or she may be assigned to an area which does not have a cathedral of its own.-Anglican Communion:...  in the diocese of Exeter Diocese of Exeter The Diocese of Exeter is a Church of England diocese covering the county of Devon. It is one of the largest dioceses in England. The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter is the seat of the diocesan bishop, the Right Reverend Michael Langrish, Bishop of Exeter. It is part of the Province of...  1338; died circa 1349
1349	1350	Robert Elyot	Elected circa 1349 and consecrated in June 1349; deprived of Waterford before March 1350, and the following year he was appointed to Killala Bishop of Killala The Bishop of Killala is an episcopal title which takes its name after the town of Killala in County Mayo, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.-History:...  on 8 JUne 1351
1350	1361	Roger Cradock, O.F.M.	Appointed 2 March 1350; received possession of the temporalities 17 August 1350 and again 10 May 1352; translated to Llandaff Bishop of Llandaff The Bishop of Llandaff is the Ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff.-Area of authority:The diocese covers most of the County of Glamorgan. The Bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul , in the village of Llandaff, just north-west of the City of...  in December 1361; died 22 June 1382
In 1363, Waterford united with the see of Lismore Bishop of Lismore, Ireland The Bishop of Lismore was a separate episcopal title which took its name after the town of Lismore in County Waterford, Ireland.-History:The diocese of Lismore was one of the twenty-four dioceses established by the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111. The see of Ardmore was incorporated with Lismore in...  to form the united bishopric of Waterford and Lismore Bishop of Waterford and Lismore The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Waterford and town of Lismore in the Republic of Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1838, and is still used by the Catholic Church....