The Bishop of Clonfert (Irish : Easpag Chluain Fearta) is an episcopal title which takes its name after the village of Clonfert in County Galway, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains as a separate title; but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.
The diocese of Clonfert was one of the twenty-four dioceses established at the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111, and its boundaries were fixed at the Synod of Kells in 1152. During the Reformation, the bishops changed their allegiance back and forth between the Pope and the Crown. After the Reformation, there were parallel apostolic successions.
In the Church of Ireland, the title continued until 1625, when it united with Kilmacduagh, forming the united see of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh.
In the Roman Catholic Church, the title remains a separate bishopric. The current incumbent is the Most Reverend Michael Duignan, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clonfert, who was appointed on 16 July 2019 and ordained bishop on 13 October 2019. In 2021 the Holy See determined that the diocese of Clonfert and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora would share a bishop. [1]
| Pre-Reformation Bishops of Clonfert | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Ordinary | Notes |
| unknown | 1117 | Muiredach Ua hÉnlainge | Died in office |
| unknown | 1149 | Gilla Pátraic Ua hAilchinned | Died in office |
| c.1150 | 1171 | Petrus Ua Mórda , O.Cist. | Died 27 December 1171 |
| 1172 | 1173 | Máel Ísu Mac in Baird | Died in office |
| bef.1179 | 1186 | Celechair Ua hAirmedaig | Died in office |
| 1186 | 1187 | Muirchertach Ua Máel Uidir | Bishop of Clonmacnoise since c. 1152; also became Bishop of Clonfert in 1186; died in office |
| unknown | 1195 | Domnall Ua Finn | Died in office |
| unknown | 1203 | Muirchertach Ua Carmacáin | Died in office |
| 1205 | unknown | Máel Brigte Ua hEruráin | Elected in 1205 |
| bef.1224 | 1259 | Cormac Ó Luimlín | Died c. 19 June 1259; also known as Carus |
| 1259 | 1263 | Tomás Ó Cellaigh | Elected before 7 November 1259 and received possession of temporalities after that date; died 6 January 1263; also recorded as Tomás mac Domnaill Móir Ó Cellaig |
| 1263 | 1266 | See vacant | |
| 1266 | 1295 | Johannes de Alatre | Appointed before 29 September 1266 and received possession of temporalities on that date; consecrated 19 December 1266; translated to Benevento 2 October 1295 |
| 1296 | 1307 | Robert, O.S.B. | Appointed 2 January and consecrated after 21 April 1296; received possession of temporalities 24 September 1296; acted as a suffragan bishop in the diocese of Canterbury 1296–1307; died after December 1307 |
| 1308 | 1319 | Gregorius Ó Brócaig | Elected before 22 March 1308 and received possession of temporalities after that date; died in office |
| 1320 | 1321 | Robert Petit, O.F.M. | Elected 10 February and confirmed by the king 24 February 1320; consecrated c. 1320; deprived c. 1321; acted as a suffragan bishop in the dioceses of Worcester 1322 and Exeter 1324; later appointed Bishop of Annaghdown 27 October 1325; also known as Robert Le Petit |
| 1322 | 1336 | Seoán Ó Leaáin | Elected 10 November 1319, but was not appointed until 6 August 1322; consecrated 20 September and received possession of temporalities 29 December 1322; died 7 April 1336 |
| 1336 | 1347 | See vacant | |
| 1347 | 1378 | Tomás mac Gilbert Ó Cellaigh | Became bishop before 14 October 1347; died 1378; also known as Thomas O'Kelly |
| 1378 | 1393 | Muircheartach mac Pilib Ó Ceallaigh | Appointed before 6 March 1378 and consecrated in the same year; translated to Tuam 26 January 1393; also known as Mauricius |
| 1393 | 1398 | Uilliam Ó Cormacáin | Translated from Tuam 27 January 1393; deprived in 1398; also known as Wiliam Ó Cormacáin |
| 1398 | David Corre, O.F.M. | Appointed 20 March 1398, but did not take effect | |
| 1398 | 1405 | Énri Ó Connmhaigh | Appointed c. July 1398; translated to Kilmacduagh 11 March 1405 |
| 1405 | 1438 | Tomás mac Muircheartaigh Ó Cellaigh , O.P. | Translated from Ardfert and Aghadoe 11 March 1405; translated to Tuam 15 July 1438 |
| 1410 | Cobhthach Ó Madagáin | Elected in 1410, but was not consecrated | |
| 1438 | 1459 | Seaán Ó hEidhin , O.F.M. | Appointed 18 July 1438 and again 25 October 1441; acted as a suffragan bishop in the dioceses of London, Diocese of Exeter, and Worcester 1443–59; died after 1459 |
| 1441 | 1448 | John White, O.F.M. | Appointed 25 October 1441, but did not obtain possession of the see; resigned in July 1448 |
| 1447 | 1448 | Conchobair Ó Maolalaidh , O.F.M. | Appointed 22 May 1447 and again 18 July 1448; translated to Emly 30 August 1448; also known as Cornelius |
| 1448 | 1463 | Cornelius Ó Cuinnlis , O.F.M. | Translated from Emly 30 August 1448; resigned in 1463; died after 1469 |
| 1463 | 1507 | Matthaeus Mág Raith , O.S.A. | Appointed 22 June 1463; died in office |
| 1508 | 1509 | David de Burgo | Appointed 5 July 1508; died in office |
| 1509 | 1534 | Dionysius Ó Mórdha , O.P. | Appointed 7 November 1509; died office; also known as Denis O'More |
| Sources: [2] | |||
| Bishops of Clonfert during the Reformation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Ordinary | Notes |
| 1534 | 1580 | Roland de Burgo | Appointed by Pope Clement VII 18 May 1534; accepted royal supremacy in 1538; confirmed (re-appointed) by King Henry VIII 24 October 1541; acknowledged papal authority in the reign of Queen Mary I, but again accepted royal supremacy under Queen Elizabeth I; also was Bishop of Elphin 1551–1580; died 20 June 1580; also known as Roland Burke |
| 1536 | 1538 | Richard Nangle | Appointed by King Henry VIII; consecrated 1536; expelled before July 1538 by the papal nominee who had accepted royal supremacy |
| Sources: [3] | |||
| Church of Ireland Bishops of Clonfert | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Ordinary | Notes |
| 1582 | 1601 | Stephen Kirwan | Translated from Kilmacduagh; nominated 30 March 1582; letters patent 24 May 1582; died before 4 November 1601; also known as Stephen Kerovan |
| 1602 | 1625 | Roland Lynch , Bishop of Kilmacduagh | Held the see of Clonfert "in commendam" from 1602 until his death in 1625 |
| In 1625, the Church of Ireland sees of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh were amalgamated, forming the united Bishopric of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh. | |||
| Sources: [4] | |||
| Roman Catholic Bishops of Clonfert | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Ordinary | Notes |
| 1580 | 1587 | See vacant | |
| 1587 | 1602 | Thady Farrell , O.P. | Appointed 8 June and consecrated 30 August 1587; also appointed an Auxiliary bishop of Sigüenza in 1589; died 1602; also known as Tadhg O'Farrell, Tadhg MacEoga and Tadeo O'Farrell |
| appointed 1609 | (Dermot Nolan) | Appointed vicar apostolic by papal brief 4 February 1609 | |
| appointed 1622 | (Thady Egan) | Appointed vicar apostolic by papal brief 13 July 1622 | |
| 1629 | 1647 | John de Burgh | Appointed vicar apostolic by papal brief 13 October 1629, and appointed bishop 16 September 1641; translated to Tuam 11 March 1647; also recorded as John de Burgo and John Burke |
| 1647 | 1663 | Walter Lynch | Arrived in Ireland in 1647; appointed 11 March 1647 and consecrated 9 April 1648; left Ireland c. 1648 and spent the rest of his life in Hungary; died 14 July 1663 |
| 1663 | 1678 | See vacant | |
| 1678 | 1687 | Thady Keogh , O.P. | Appointed 13 July and consecrated in October 1671; died in office; also known as Tadhg Keogh or Mac Eogha |
| 1687 | 1695 | See vacant | |
| 1695 | 1706 | Maurice Donnellan | Appointed 14 November 1695; died 2 July 1706; also known as Murtagh Donnellan or Muircheartach Ó Domhnalláin |
| 1706 | 1713 | See vacant | |
| 1713 | 1715 | Ambrose O'Madden | Previously bishop-designate of Killala and Kilmacduagh; appointed bishop of Clonfert 15 September 1713 and consecrated 15 April 1714; died in July 1715 |
| 1715 | 1718 | See vacant | |
| 1718 | 1733 | Edmund Kelly | Appointed in February and consecrated before 14 May 1718; died in office |
| 1733 | 1778 | Peter O'Donnellan | Appointed 11 August 1733; died 7 May 1778 |
| 1778 | 1786 | Andrew O'Donellan | Appointed coadjutor bishop 1 December 1776; succeeded 7 May 1778; died before 6 July 1786 |
| 1786 | 1831 | Thomas Costello | Appointed coadjutor bishop 30 June 1786; succeeded 6 July 1786; died 8 October 1831 |
| 1831 | 1847 | Thomas Coen | Appointed coadjutor bishop 26 January and consecrated 5 May 1816; succeeded 8 October 1831; died 25 April 1847 |
| 1847 | 1870 | John Derry | Appointed 9 July and consecrated 21 September 1847; died 28 June 1870 |
| 1871 | (Hugh O'Rorke) | Appointed 13 February 1871 but was not accepted | |
| 1872 | 1896 | Patrick Duggan | Appointed 2 October 1871 and consecrated 14 January 1872; died 15 August 1896 |
| 1896 | 1903 | John Healy | Appointed coadjutor bishop 26 June and consecrated 31 August 1884; succeeded 15 August 1896; translated to Tuam 13 February 1903 |
| 1903 | 1909 | Thomas O'Dea | Appointed 12 June and consecrated 30 August 1903; translated to Galway and Kilmacduagh 29 April 1909 |
| 1909 | 1918 | Thomas Gilmartin | Appointed 3 July 1909 and consecrated 13 February 1910; translated to Tuam 10 July 1918 |
| 1919 | 1923 | Thomas O'Doherty | Appointed 3 July and consecrated 14 September 1919; translated to Galway and Kilmacduagh 13 July 1923 |
| 1924 | 1953 | John Dignan | Appointed 24 March and consecrated 1 June 1924; died 12 April 1953 |
| 1953 | 1962 | William J. Philbin | Appointed 22 December 1953 and consecrated 14 March 1954; translated to Down and Connor 5 June 1962 |
| 1963 | 1982 | Thomas Ryan | Appointed 9 May and consecrated 16 June 1963; resigned 1 May 1982; died 20 August 1983 |
| 1982 | 1987 | Joseph Cassidy | Appointed coadjutor bishop 24 August and consecrated 23 September 1979; succeeded 1 May 1982; translated to Tuam 22 August 1987 |
| 1988 | 2019 | John Kirby | Appointed 18 February and consecrated 9 April 1988; resigned 16 July 2019 |
| 2019 | present | Michael Duignan | Appointed 16 July and consecrated 13 October 2019 |
| Sources: [5] | |||
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