Roman Catholic Diocese of Clonfert

Coordinates: 53°12′01″N 8°34′12″W / 53.2004°N 8.5701°W / 53.2004; -8.5701
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Diocese of Clonfert

Dioecesis Clonfertensis

Deoise Chluain Fearta
St. Brendan’s Cathedral, Loughrea
Patron saintSt Brendan
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopMichael Duignan,
Bishop of Clonfert
Metropolitan ArchbishopFrancis Duffy,
Archbishop of Tuam
Bishops emeritusJohn Kirby
Map
Website
clonfertdiocese.ie

The Diocese of Clonfert (Irish: Deoise Chluain Fearta) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church[1] in the western part of Ireland. It is in the Metropolitan Province of Tuam.

The Most Reverend

ordained bishop on 13 October 2019.[2] It is Ireland's smallest diocese by population and territory with a declining number of poorly educated clergy and, in recognition of this, in Feb 2022 the Vatican united the diocese in personi episcopi with Michael Duignan serving simultaneously as Bishop of Clonfert and Bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora.[3]

Territory

The diocese covers almost the whole of East

Uí Maine (Hy-Many), as it existed when the diocese was formed. In fact, the bishop of the diocese was sometimes referred to as the Bishop of Hy-Many. The major towns in the diocese are Ballinasloe, Loughrea and Portumna.[4]

The cathedra is currently located at Loughrea but was historically Clonfert Cathedral.[5]

History

Early history

Established in A.D. 550 as an abbacy, it was promoted to a diocese in

1111
. The early Irish monastery and school of Clonfert, founded by Saint
Céli Dé.[citation needed
]

Saint Brendan's fame as a seafaring missionary contributed to its pre-eminence in later times and led to its choice as an episcopal see in the twelfth century. Like most dioceses in Ireland, the present Diocese of Clonfert had its origin in the

Archdiocese of Tuam.[citation needed
]

Feudal period

In 1170, the

Laurence O'Toole as papal legate
.

In the early 13th century its bishop was one of those appointed by

Bishop of Ardfert. Later that century it was provided with John, a bishop of Italian
birth — one of the very few occasions when this happened in Ireland.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, bishops introduced the mendicant orders: the Franciscans to Kilconnell, Kinalehin and Meelick, with their 3rd Order to Clonkeenkerril and Kilbocht; the Dominicans to Portumna, with their 3rd Order to Kilcorban; and the Carmelites to Loughrea.[4]

Catholic Emancipation

In 1704, the diocese had forty-one parishes but by 1800, these were amalgamated into twenty four. There followed a period of church building. Churches were erected in Ballymacward and Ballinasloe, the latter designed by McCarthy and Pugin. Landlord intransigence prevented the building of a cathedral in Loughrea until 1897 when Bishop Healy laid the foundation stone, which was fortunate because the era of the Celtic Revival and Irish Stained Glass had begun, with happy results in its interior decoration.[6]

The

Western Health Board.[citation needed
]

The diocesan seminary, begun at Loughrea by Bishop Derry in the 19th century, was succeeded by St. Joseph's College at Cartron, at Esker and finally at Garbally College since 1924.[7]

Ordinaries

Main article: Bishop of Clonfert

The following is a basic list of the post-Reformation Roman Catholic bishops.

  • Thady Farrell,
    O.P.
    (1587–1602)
  • (Dermot Nolan, appointed
    vicar ap.
    1609)
  • (Thady Egan, appointed vicar ap. 1622)
  • John de Burgo (1629–1647)
  • Walter Lynch (1647–1663)
  • Sede vacante (1663–1678)
  • Thady Keogh, O.P. (1678–1687)
  • (See vacant, 1687–1695)
  • Maurice Donnellan (1695–1706)
  • Sede vacante (1706–1711)
  • Ambrose O'Madden (1711–1715)
  • Edmund Kelly (1718–1733)
  • Peter O'Donnellan (1733–1778)
  • Andrew O'Donellan (1778–1786)
  • Thomas Costello (1786–1831)
  • Thomas Coen (1831–1847)
  • John Derry (1847–1870)
  • (Hugh O'Rorke, 1871)
  • Patrick Duggan (1871–1896)
  • John Healy (1896–1903)
  • Thomas O'Dea (1903–1909)
  • Thomas P. Gilmartin (1909–1918)
  • Thomas O'Doherty (1919–1923)
  • John Dignan (1924–1953)
  • William J. Philbin (1953–1962)
  • Thomas Ryan (1963–1982)
  • Joseph Cassidy
    (1982–1987)
  • John Kirby (1988–2019)
  • Michael Duignan (2019–present)

See also

References

  1. ^ https://www.clonfertdiocese.ie/message-from-bishop-michael-to-the-priests-and-people-of-the-diocese-of-clonfert/
  2. ^ https://www.catholicbishops.ie/bishops/bishop-michael-duignan/
  3. ^ On 11 February 2022, His Holiness Pope Francis appointed Bishop Michael Duignan, Bishop of Clonfert, to minister simultaneously as Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora. The two Dioceses concerned (Galway and Clonfert), united in persona episcopi, p
  4. ^ a b "About - Our Diocese". clonfertdiocese.ie. Diocese of Clonfert.
  5. ^ https://www.wmf.org/project/saint-brendans-cathedral
  6. ^ "Saint Brendan's Cathedral, Barrack Street, Loughrea, County Galway". buildingsofireland.ie. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
  7. ^ "History". garballycollege.com. Garbally College.

External links

53°12′01″N 8°34′12″W / 53.2004°N 8.5701°W / 53.2004; -8.5701

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