# Bishop of Kilfenora

The Bishop of Kilfenora (Irish: Easpag Chill Fhionnúrach) was a distinct episcopal title which took its name from 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.

## History

The monastery at Kilfenora was reportedly founded by Saint Fachanan in the sixth century. It was not until March 1152 that the diocese of Kilfenora was established at the Synod of Kells. The diocese corresponded with the ancient territory of Corcomroe. Part of the Archdiocese of Cashel, it only extended over 200 square miles of very thinly populated land. It was reckoned the poorest diocese, with only 13 parishes. Demand for the position of bishop thus was not great, but for 1189 a bishop is recorded. In 1660, Samuel Pullen was made Archbishop of Tuam and Kilfenora became part of his province.$^{:2,4}$
After the Reformation, there were parallel paths of succession. In the Church of Ireland, Kilfenora continued as a separate see until it was combined with Killaloe to form the united bishopric of Killaloe and Kilfenora in 1752. Under the Church Temporalities (Ireland) Act 1833 (3 & 4 Will. 4. c. 37), the united see became one of the sees held by bishops of Killaloe and Clonfert in 1834. Since 1976, Kilfenora has been one of the sees held by the bishops of Limerick and Killaloe.
The Roman Catholic Church bishopric of Kilfenora continued as a separate title until 1750 when Pope Benedict XIV decreed that it be united with the bishopric of Kilmacduagh. Since Kilmacduagh was in the ecclesiastical province of Tuam while Kilfenora was in the Province of Cashel, it was arranged that the ordinary of the united dioceses was to be alternately bishop of one diocese and apostolic administrator of the other. The first holder of this unusual arrangement was Peter Kilkelly, who had been Bishop of Kilmacduagh since 1744, and became Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora in September 1750. In 1866, Patrick Fallon, the sitting Bishop of Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora, resigned due to ill health, and John McEvilly, the Bishop of Galway, was appointed Apostolic Administrator of both Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora. McEvilly would be named Coadjutor Archbishop of Tuam in 1878 but retained his duties in Galway until he eventually succeeded to the Tuam archdiocesan throne in 1881. Upon McEvilly's succession in Tuam, the three sees of Galway, Kilmacduagh, and Kilfenora remained vacant for two years. In 1883, Pope Leo XIII combined the dioceses of Galway and Kilmacduagh into a unified see, and made the Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora in perpetuum.

## Pre-Reformation bishops

Pre-Reformation Bishops of Kilfenora :
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| bef.1172 | unknown | (Name not known) | Took the oath of fealty to King Henry II of England in 1172 |
| bef.1205 | unknown | F. | Elected before 1205 |
| bef.1224 | unknown | John | Elected before 1224; also known as Johannes |
| 1251/54 | 1255 | Christian | Known to be bishop fl. 1251 and 1254; died before December 1255; also known as Christianus |
| unknown | 1264 | (Name not known) | Died on 28 February 1264 |
| 1266 | 1273 | Maurice | Elected after 3 March 1265 and consecrated before 12 February 1266; died before 14 July 1273; also known as Mauricius and called by some as Henry |
| 1273 | 1281 | Florence Ó Tigernaig, O.S.A. | Formerly Abbot of Kilsanne; elected bishop before 18 September 1273; died before 12 July 1281; also known as Florentius |
| 1281 | 1298 | Congalach Ó Lochlainn | Formerly Dean of Kilfenora; elected bishop before 6 September 1281; died before 21 December 1298; also known as Carolus |
| 1300 | 1302 | Simon Ó Cuirrin | Elected on 16 May and confirmed on 22 July 1300; died on 26 December 1302 |
| 1303 | 1319 | Maurice Ó Briain | Formerly Dean of Kilfenora; elected bishop sometime between 16 March and 10 June 1303; died in office |
| 1323 | 1359 | Risdeard Ó Lochlainn | Consecrated on 17 April 1323; died on 3 February 1359; also known as Richard O'Loghlain |
| unknown | 1372 | Denis | Died before October 1372; also known as Dionysius |
| 1372 | unknown | Henry | Appointed on 6 October 1372; also known as Henricus |
| unknown | c.1389 | Cornelius | Died in office circa 1389 |
| 1390 | 1421 | Patrick | Elected before 28 February and appointed on that date; consecrated after 19 March 1390; died before 15 January 1421; also known as Patricius |
| 1421 | 1433 | Feidhlimidh mac Mathghamhna Ó Lochlainn | Appointed on 15 January 1421; consecrated after 6 February 1421; died before 7 August 1433; also known as Florentius or Florence O'Loughlin |
| 1433 | 1434 | Fearghal | Appointed on 7 August 1433; died before 17 November 1434 |
| 1434 | 1491 | Denis Ó Connmhaigh | Appointed on 17 November and consecrated on 26 December 1434; resigned on 12 December 1491; also known as Denis O'Cahan or in Latin as Dionysius |
| 1491 | 1541 | Muircheartach mac Murchadha Ó Briain | Formerly a Canon of Kilfenora; appointed bishop on 12 December 1491; Papal bulls expediated on 26 August 1492; died before 21 November 1541; also known as Maurice O'Brien or in Latin as Mauricius |
| 1514 | c.1541 | Maurice O'Kelly | Appointed 6 November 1514; died in office circa 1541 |
| 1541 | 1572 | John O'Nialain | Appointed by Pope Paul III on 21 November 1541, but seems to have accepted royal supremacy since he was recognised by King Henry VIII; died in 1572; also recorded as John O'Neylan |
| Sources: ||||

## Post-Reformation bishops
### Church of Ireland succession

Church of Ireland Bishops of Kilfenora :
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| 1572 | 1606 | See vacant | See vacant |
| 1606 | 1617 | See held in commendam by Bernard Adams, Bishop of Limerick | See held in commendam by Bernard Adams, Bishop of Limerick |
| 1617 | 1622 | John Steere | Formerly Archdeacon of Emly; nominated on 9 July and consecrated on 26 August 1617; translated to Ardfert and Aghadoe on 20 July 1622 |
| 1622 | 1627 | William Murray | Formerly Chaplain-in-Ordinary to King James I & VI; nominated on 15 March and consecrated on 18 December 1622; translated to Llandaff on 24 December 1627 |
| 1628 | 1628 | Richard Betts | Chaplain-in-Ordinary to King James I & VI; appointed by letters patent on 19 September 1628, but when he arrived in Ireland and learned of the poverty of the see, he declined the appointment and left without consecration |
| 1628 | 1630 | See vacant | See vacant |
| 1630 | 1638 | James Heygate | Formerly Archdeacon of Clogher; nominated on 28 February and consecrated on 9 May 1630; died on 30 April 1638 |
| 1638 | 1643 | Robert Sibthorp | Formerly Treasurer of Killaloe and Prebendary of Maynooth, in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin; nominated on 19 June and consecrated on 11 November 1638; translated to Limerick in 1643 |
| 1643 | 1661 | See vacant | See vacant |
| 1661 | 1741 | See held in commendam by the Archbishops of Tuam | See held in commendam by the Archbishops of Tuam |
| 1742 | 1752 | See held in commendam by John Whitcombe, Bishop of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh | See held in commendam by John Whitcombe, Bishop of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh |
| 1752 | 1834 | See part of the united bishopric of Killaloe and Kilfenora | See part of the united bishopric of Killaloe and Kilfenora |
| 1834 | 1976 | See part of the united bishopric of Killaloe and Clonfert | See part of the united bishopric of Killaloe and Clonfert |
| since 1976 | since 1976 | See part of the united bishopric of Limerick and Killaloe | See part of the united bishopric of Limerick and Killaloe |
| Sources: ||||

### Roman Catholic succession

Roman Catholic Bishops of Kilfenora :
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| 1572 | 1629 | See vacant | See vacant |
| 1629 | unknown | (Daniel Gryphaeus) | Appointed vicar general in 1629 and vicar apostolic by Papal brief on 1 April 1631 |
| 1647 | c.1673 | Andrew Lynch | Appointed on 11 March and consecrated on 21 April 1647; died circa 1673 |
| 1673 | 1722 | See vacant | See vacant |
| 1722 | unknown | William O'Daly | He was vicar general of Kilfenora before appointed bishop on 7 August 1722; date of death unknown |
| 1726 | 1749 | James Augustine O'Daly, O.S.A. | Appointed on 27 July 1726; died on 20 August 1749 |
| 1750 | 1883 | See part of the united bishopric of Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora | See part of the united bishopric of Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora |
| since 1883 | since 1883 | See part of the united diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora | See part of the united diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora |
| Sources: ||||