United Dioceses of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe | |
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Location | |
Ecclesiastical province | Dublin and Cashel |
Statistics | |
Parishes | 25 |
Churches | 89 |
Information | |
Cathedral | St Mary's Cathedral, Tuam St Mary's Cathedral, Limerick Killaloe Cathedral Clonfert Cathedral Killala Cathedral |
Current leadership | |
Bishop | Michael Burrows, Bishop of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe |
The Diocese of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe (full title The United Dioceses of Tuam, Killala, Achonry, Limerick, Ardfert, Aghadoe, Killaloe, Kilfenora, Clonfert, Kilmacduagh and Emly) is a diocese of the Church of Ireland that is located in the west of Ireland. [1] The diocese was formed by a merger of the former Diocese of Tuam, Killala and Achonry and the former Diocese of Limerick and Killaloe in 2022, after the retirement of the separate dioceses' bishops and the appointment of Michael Burrows as bishop of the united diocese. [2] It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin. It is one of the eleven Church of Ireland dioceses that cover the whole of Ireland. The largest diocese by area in the Church of Ireland, it covers all of counties Clare, Galway, Kerry, Limerick and Mayo, plus parts of counties Cork, Sligo, Roscommon, Offaly, Laois and Tipperary.
When the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church broke communion, it was established by the state as the established church. Later, by decree of the Irish Parliament, the Church of Ireland became the independent State Church of the Kingdom of Ireland. It assumed possession of most Church property (and so retained a great repository of religious architecture and other items, though some were later destroyed). The substantial majority of the population remained faithful to Roman Catholicism, despite the political and economic advantages of membership in the state church. The English-speaking minority mostly adhered to the Church of Ireland or to Presbyterianism.
On 13 April 1834, the diocese of Killala and Achonry was united to the Archdiocese of Tuam. On the death of Archbishop Trench of Tuam in 1839, the Province of Tuam was united to the Province of Armagh and the see ceased to be an archbishopric and became a bishopric with Thomas Plunket becoming the first bishop of Tuam, Killala and Achonry. [3] Meanwhile, in 1833, the two provinces of Dublin and Cashel were merged. Over the centuries, a number of dioceses were merged (see below), in view of declining membership. It is for this reason that the united diocese has five cathedrals.
In 2019, the Church of Ireland General Synod agreed to amalgamate the two dioceses upon the retirement of their incumbent bishops. [2] These retirements took place in 2021, and in 2022, Burrows was elected as the first bishop of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe. He finished his service in the Diocese of Cashel, Ferns and Ossory in April 2022 and was installed in the united diocese that same month. [4] Despite being the largest single diocese in area, the two prior dioceses each saw the lowest average Sunday attendance of any Church of Ireland dioceses with just 612 in attendance in Tuam, Killala and Achonry and 1,205 in attendance in Limerick and Killaloe, according to the most recently available Church of Ireland census data. The united diocese's attendance of 1,817 make it the second-least-attended diocese in the Church of Ireland after Meath and Kildare. [5]
The present united diocese dates from 2022, the result of a number of mergers of sees beginning in the seventeenth century: [6]
Ancient dioceses | Unions before 1976 | 1976 | 2022 | |
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Diocese of Ardfert & Aghadoe | 1661: Diocese of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe | Diocese of Limerick & Killaloe | Diocese of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe | |
Diocese of Limerick | ||||
Diocese of Clonfert | 1602: Diocese of Clonfert & Kilmacduagh | 1834: Diocese of Killaloe & Clonfert | ||
Diocese of Kilmacduagh | ||||
Diocese of Kilfenora | 1752: Diocese of Killaloe & Kilfenora | |||
Diocese of Killaloe | ||||
Diocese of Emly | United to Cashel from 1569-1976 | |||
Archdiocese of Tuam | 1834: Diocese of Tuam, Killala and Achonry | |||
Diocese of Killala and Achonry |
Five others are in ruins or no longer exist:
St. Crumnathy's Cathedral, Achonry was deconsecrated in 1998 and is now used for ecumenical events. [11]
As of 2022, the united diocese is divided into a number of parishes, each led by a priest serving multiple churches. [12] [13]
Kilfenora is a village and a civil parish in County Clare, Ireland. It is situated south of the karst limestone region known as the Burren. Since medieval times when it was the episcopal see of the Bishop of Kilfenora, it has been known as the "City of the Crosses" for its seven high crosses. The village had around 220 inhabitants in 2011. Much of the TV show Father Ted (1995–98) was filmed there.
The Synod of Ráth Breasail was an Irish Catholic church council which took place in Ireland in 1111. It marked the transition of the Irish church from a monastic to a diocesan and parish-based church. Many Irish present-day dioceses trace their boundaries to decisions made at the synod.
The Synod of Kells took place in 1152, under the presidency of Giovanni Cardinal Paparoni, and continued the process begun at the Synod of Ráth Breasail (1111) of reforming the Irish church. The sessions were divided between the abbeys of Kells and Mellifont, and in later times the synod has been called the Synod of Kells-Mellifont and the Synod of Mellifont-Kells.
The Bishop of Killaloe is an episcopal title which takes its name after the town of Killaloe in County Clare, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora is a Roman Catholic diocese in the west of Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Tuam and is subject to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tuam. The deanery of Kilfenora, previously a diocese in its own right, lies in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel. The ordinary is Bishop Michael Duignan who was appointed on 11 February 2022.
The Archdiocese of Tuam is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in western Ireland. The archdiocese is led by the Archbishop of Tuam, who serves as pastor of the mother church, the Cathedral of the Assumption and Metropolitan of the Metropolitan Province of Tuam. According to tradition, the "Diocese of Tuam" was established in the 6th century by St. Jarlath. The ecclesiastical province, roughly co-extensive with the secular province of Connacht, was created in 1152 by the Synod of Kells.
The Diocese of Killaloe may refer either to a Roman Catholic or a Church of Ireland (Anglican) diocese, in Ireland.
The Bishop of Limerick, Killaloe and Ardfert or the Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe is the Church of Ireland Ordinary of the united Diocese of Limerick and Killaloe in the Province of Dublin. As of January 2022, the position was vacant, but due to be taken up by Michael Burrows.
The Diocese of Tuam, Killala and Achonry is a former diocese in the Church of Ireland located in Connacht; the western province of Ireland. It was in the ecclesiastical province of Armagh. Its geographical remit included County Mayo and part of counties Galway and Sligo. In 2022, the diocese was amalgamated into the Diocese of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe.
The Diocese of Limerick and Killaloe was a former diocese of the Church of Ireland that was located in mid-western Ireland. The diocese was formed by a merger of neighbouring dioceses in 1976, before itself merging with the neighbouring Diocese of Tuam in 2022 to form the Diocese of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe.
The Bishop of Kilfenora was a separate episcopal title which took its name after the village of Kilfenora in County Clare in the Republic of Ireland. In both the Church of Ireland and the Roman Catholic Church, the title is now united with other bishoprics.
The Cathedral Church of St Flannan, Killaloe is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Killaloe, County Clare in Ireland.
The Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe, which was in the Province of Cashel until 1833, then afterwards in the Province of Dublin.
The Diocese of Emly can refer to:
The Dean of Tuam is a post held in the Diocese of Tuam, as head of the cathedral chapter from after the creation of the diocese at the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111.
The Dean of Limerick and Ardfert is based in the Cathedral Church of St Mary's in Limerick in the united diocese of Limerick, Killaloe and Ardfert within the Church of Ireland. St Brendan's Cathedral, Ardfert was destroyed by fire in 1641.
The Dean of Killaloe is based at the Cathedral Church of St Flannan in Killaloe in the united diocese of Limerick, Killaloe and Ardfert within the Church of Ireland. The Dean of Killaloe is also Dean of St Brendans, Clonfert, Dean of Kilfenora, and both Dean and Provost of Kilmacduagh.
The Dean of Down is based in The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, Downpatrick within the Diocese of Down and Dromore of the Church of Ireland.