Diocese of Meath Dioecesis Midensis Deoise na Mí | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | Ireland |
Territory | Most of counties Meath, Westmeath part of Offaly along with part of counties Longford, Louth, Dublin and Cavan. |
Ecclesiastical province | Province of Armagh |
Statistics | |
Area | 1,977 sq mi (5,120 km2) |
Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2013) 303,000 267,831 (88.4%) |
Information | |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Rite | Latin Rite |
Cathedral | Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar |
Patron saint | St Finian |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Bishop | Thomas Deenihan |
Metropolitan Archbishop | Eamon Martin |
Bishops emeritus | Michael Smith |
Map | |
Website | |
dioceseofmeath.ie |
The Diocese of Meath (Latin : Dioecesis Midensis; Irish : Deoise na Mí) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church that is located in the middle part of Ireland. It is one of eight suffragan dioceses of the ecclesiastical province of Armagh. Thomas Deenihan has been bishop of the diocese since 2 September 2018.
Meath diocese covers most of counties Meath and Westmeath, part of Offaly along with part of counties Longford, Louth, Dublin and Cavan. The principal towns are Ashbourne, Bettystown, Drogheda, Dunboyne, Laytown, Kells, Mornington, Mullingar, Navan and Tullamore.
Although there had been abbot-bishops of Clonard since the sixth century, the diocese of Clonard proper was not formally established until 1111. [1] [2] [3] It was one of the twenty-four dioceses established by the Synod of Rathbreasail. The diocese covered roughly the western part of the Kingdom of Meath with the bishop's seat located at Clonard Abbey.
During the twelfth century the bishops of Clonard acquired most of Meath as their territory, and frequently used the title "bishop of Meath" or "bishop of the men of Meath". After Bishop Simon Rochfort transferred his seat from Clonard to Trim in 1202, the normal style became the "Bishop of Meath". From 1778 until the late 19th century it had its seat in Navan, County Meath.
Charles Stewart Parnell's relationship with Mrs Katharine O'Shea led to the Bishop of Meath having a letter read at masses in the diocese in condemnation of the relationship. As Parnell was popular, this caused a backlash which eventually led to the cathedral removing to Mullingar, County Westmeath permanently. The diocesan school, St. Finian's College also moved to Mullingar from Navan.
The diocesan cathedral is Christ the King Cathedral, Mullingar, situated near the town centre.
The following is a basic list of bishops of Meath since 1830: [4] [5]
The serving Vicars general as of 2020 are Declan Hurley, administrator of Navan parish and Joseph Gallagher, Parish priest of Tullamore. [7]
Ardbraccan is an ancient place of worship in County Meath, Ireland. It is the location of the former residence of the Roman Catholic, then, after the Reformation, the Church of Ireland Bishop of Meath. it was also a place of prominence in pre-Christian Pagan history. It is approximately 52 km from Dublin via the M3 Motorway, and 4 km from Navan. Ardbraccan is in a civil parish of the same name.
The Diocese of Meath is a nineteenth-century publication on the history of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Meath from medieval to nineteenth century times, written by one of the Diocese's priests, Dean Cogan, a priest in Navan, the then Diocesan capital.
County Meath is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the southwest, Westmeath to the west, Cavan to the northwest, and Monaghan to the north. To the east, Meath also borders the Irish Sea along a narrow strip between the rivers Boyne and Delvin, giving it the second shortest coastline of any county. Meath County Council is the local authority for the county.
The Diocese of Meath is an Irish diocese which took its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Roman Catholic Church it still exists as a separate diocese, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other dioceses.
St Finian's College is a secondary school, the diocesan school of the Diocese of Meath. It is located in Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland, and is under the patronage of The Most Reverend Thomas Deenihan, Bishop of Meath. Rev. Dr. Paul Connell is its president. John McHale is the principal. Aisling Ryan and Emma Carey serve as deputy principals.
Raharney is a village in east County Westmeath, Ireland. It had a population of 221 according to the 2016 census.
Cathedral of Christ the King is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland. It is situated near the centre of Mullingar next to the Royal Canal. The cathedral is both the cathedral church of the Diocese of Meath and the principal centre of worship in the catholic parish of Mullingar, including parts of counties Meath and Westmeath.
Dermot Pius Farrell KC*HS is an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of Dublin since 2021.
The United Dioceses of Meath and Kildare is a diocese in the Church of Ireland located in the Republic of Ireland. The diocese is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin. Alone of English and Irish bishops who are not also archbishops, the Bishop of Meath and Kildare is styled "The Most Reverend".
The Bishop of Meath is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Catholic Church it remains as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.
St. Mary's Church in Navan, County Meath is one of two churches that make up the modern-day Parish of Navan in the Diocese of Meath. It was opened in 1839.
Andrew J. Byrne was an Irish-born American Catholic priest, who became the first bishop of the Diocese of Little Rock in Arkansas from 1844 until his death in 1862.
The Most Reverend Dr. Thomas Nulty or Thomas McNulty (1818–1898) was born to a farming family in Fennor, Oldcastle, Co. Meath, on 7 July 1818, and died in office as the Irish Roman Catholic Bishop of Meath on Christmas Eve, 1898.
Thomas Deenihan KC*HS is an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who has served as Bishop of Meath since 2018.
Bishop John Cantwell was a Roman Catholic Bishop of Meath.
Bishop Mathew Gaffney was a Roman Catholic Bishop of Meath.
John McCormack was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Meath, Ireland from 1968 to 1990.
Thomas Mulvany was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Meath, Ireland from 1929 to his death in 1943.
Paul Connell is an Irish Roman Catholic priest who was appointed Bishop-elect of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise on 5 April 2023.