# Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe

The Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe (usually simply referred to as the Bishop of Ardfert) was an episcopal title which took its name after the village of Ardfert and townland of Aghadoe, both in County Kerry, Ireland.

## History

The diocese of Ráith Maighe Deiscirt was one of the twenty-four dioceses established at the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111 and was co-extensive with the kingdom of Iarmuman; which consisted all of County Kerry and a small part of County Cork. The bishop's seat (Cathedra) was originally located at Rathass near Tralee, but by 1117, it had been moved to Ardfert Cathedral. At the Synod of Kells in 1152, the diocese lost some territory when the diocese of Scattery Island was established.
After the Reformation, there were parallel apostolic successions. In the Church of Ireland, the title continued until 1661 when it united with Limerick to form the bishopric of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe. The Roman Catholic Church title continued until 1952 when it changed its name to the bishopric of Kerry.

## Pre-Reformation bishops

Pre-Reformation Bishops of Ardfert and Aghadoe :
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| unknown | 1117 | Anmchad O h-Anmchada | Died in office |
| bef. 1152 | 1161 | Máel Brénainn Ua Rónáin | Called Bishop of Kerry at the Synod of Kells in 1152; died 21 September 1161 |
| unknown | 1193 | Domnall O Connairche | Called Bishop of Iar Mumhan (West Munster); died in office |
| 1197 | 1207 | David Ua Duibdithrib | Called Bishop of Iar Mumhan (West Munster); elected before 1197; confirmed in 1200 or 1201; died in office |
| unknown | c.1217 | (name not known) | Died in office |
| 1217 | 1224 | John, O.S.B. | Elected circa 1217; consecrated before 28 February 1218; acted as a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Canterbury; deprived by the Papal legate 18 June 1224; died 14 October 1245 |
| 1218 | 1235 | Gilbertus | Elected before 28 February 1218; confirmed after 16 July 1219; resigned after 24 April 1235 |
| 1236 | 1251 | Brendán | Elected after 6 December 1236; confirmed 17 November 1237; resigned 1 August 1251; died before 20 April 1252 |
| 1253 | 1256 | Christianus, O.P. | Elected before 23 February 1253; consecrated after 17 August 1253; died before 20 August 1256 |
| 1257 | 1264 | Philippus | Elected before 25 March 1257; consecrated 1257; died before 4 July 1264 |
| 1265 | 1286 | John | Elected before 3 March 1265; died before 6 June 1286 |
| 1286 | 1288 | Nicolaus | Elected after 28 June 1286; died 14 March 1288 |
| 1288 | 1335 | Nicol Ó Samradáin, O.Cist. | Elected after 26 April 1288; died 1335 |
| 1331 | 1331 | (Edmund of Caermarthen, O.P.) | Appointed and consecrated 24 September 1331, but did not get possession |
| 1335 | 1347 | Ailín Ó hEichtigihirn | Elected circa 1335; provided and consecrated 18 November 1336; died 2 December 1347 |
| 1348 | 1372 | John de Valle | Elected before October 1348; provided 22 October 1348; died before October 1372 |
| 1372 | c.1379 | Cornelius Ó Tigernach, O.F.M. | Appointed 22 October 1372; died circa 1379 |
| 1380 | c.1404 | William Bull | Appointed in 1380; received temporalities from the king 14 February 1380; died circa 1404 |
| 1404 | 1405 | Nicholas Ball | Appointed before October 1404, but did not take effect; translated to Emly 2 December 1405 |
| 1405 | 1405 | (Tomás Ó Ceallaigh, O.P.) | Appointed before 10 March 1405, but did not take effect; translated to Clonfert 11 March 1405 |
| 1405 | 1411 | John Attilburgh, O.S.B. | Appointed 10 March 1405; confirmed by Antipope Alexander V 25 October 1409 (in opposition to Nicholas FitzMaurice); died before January 1411; also known as John Artilburch |
| 1408 | 1450 | Nicholas FitzMaurice | Appointed before 17 September 1408; confirmed by Antipope Pope John XXIII 27 January 1411; died before April 1450 |
| 1450 | 1451 | Maurice Slack | Appointed 30 January 1450; consecrated after 29 April 1450; died before January 1452 |
| 1452 | 1458 | Mauricius Ó Conchobhair | Appointed 26 January 1452; consecrated after 11 February 1452; died before September 1458 |
| 1458/88 | 1488 | John Stack | Appointed by Pope Pius II 18 September 1458; consecrated circa 1461; confirmed by Pope Sixtus IV 15 March 1488; died October 1488 |
| 1461 | 1475 | John Pigge, O.P. | Appointed by Pope Pius II 27 March 1461; resigned before 22 June 1473; translated to Beirut before 1475; also was rector of St Christopher, Threadneedle Street, London 1462–1483 |
| 1473/88 | 1495 | Philip Stack | Appointed by Pope Sixtus IV 26 June 1473, but set aside; provided again by Pope Innocent VIII 27 October 1488; died before November 1495 |
| 1495 | 1536 | John FitzGerald | Appointed 20 November 1495; died before May 1536 |
| 1536 | 1583 | James FitzMaurice, O.Cist. | Appointed 15 May 1536; papal nominee and recognised by the crown; in a letter of 12 October 1561, the papal legate Fr David Wolfe SJ described all the bishops in Munster as 'adherents of the Queen'; died 1583; also known as James FitzRichard, FitzRichard Pierce or FitzRichard Piers |
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## Post-Reformation bishops
### Church of Ireland succession

Church of Ireland Bishops of Ardfert and Aghadoe :
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| 1588 | c.1599 | Nicholas Kenan | Nominated 26 June 1588; letters patent 22 October 1588; died circa 1599 |
| 1600 | 1621 | John Crosbie | Nominated 2 October 1600; letters patent 15 December 1600; died September 1621 |
| 1621 | 1628 | John Steere | Translated from Kilfenora; nominated 8 December 1621; letters patent 20 July 1622; died May 1628 |
| 1628 | 1638 | William Steere | Nominated 21 July 1628; consecrated October 1628; died 21 January 1638 |
| 1641 | 1661 | Thomas Fulwar | Nominated 27 June 1641; consecrated 1641; translated to Cashel 1 February 1661 |
| In 1661, the see became part of the united bishopric of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe ||||
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### Roman Catholic succession

Roman Catholic Bishops of Ardfert and Agahdoe :
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| 1591 | c.1600 | Michael Fitzwalter | appointed 9 August 1591; died circa 1600 |
| appointed 1601 | appointed 1601 | Michael Egan | Appointed vicar apostolic to administer the see by papal brief 1 December 1601 |
| c.1611 | c.1650 | Richard O'Connell | Appointed as vicar apostolic circa 1611 and as bishop 16 September 1641; consecrated 10 June 1643; died circa 1650; also recorded as Rickard O'Connell |
| appointed 1657 | appointed 1657 | Moriarty O'Brien | Appointed vicar apostolic to administer the see by papal brief 17 April 1657 |
| appointed 1700 | appointed 1700 | Aeneas O'Leyne | Appointed vicar apostolic to administer the see by papal brief 12 March 1700 |
| 1720 | 1739 | Denis Moriarty | Appointed 7 March 1720; died February 1739 |
| 1739 | 1743 | Eugene O'Sullivan | Appointed 24 April 1739; died 1743 |
| 1743 | 1753 | William O'Meara | Appointed in November 1743; translated to Killaloe 23 February 1753 |
| 1753 | 1774 | Nicholas Madgett | Translated from Killaloe 23 February 1753; died in August 1774 |
| 1775 | 1786 | Francis Moylan | Appointed 8 May 1775; translated to Cork 3 June 1787 |
| 1787 | 1797 | Gerard Teehan | Appointed 19 June 1787; died 4 (or 5) July 1797 |
| 1798 | 1824 | Charles Sughrue | Appointed 6 February 1798; consecrated 11 June 1798; died 29 September 1824 |
| 1824 | 1856 | Cornelius Egan | Appointed coadjutor bishop 4 April and consecrated 25 July 1824; succeeded 29 September 1824; died 22 July 1856 |
| 1856 | 1877 | David Moriarty | Appointed coadjutor bishop 18 February and consecrated 25 April 1854; succeeded 22 July 1856; died 1 October 1877 |
| 1878 | 1881 | Daniel McCarthy | Appointed 7 June and consecrated 25 August 1878; died 23 July 1881 |
| 1881 | 1889 | Andrew Higgins | Appointed 18 December 1881; consecrated 5 February 1882; died 1 May 1889 |
| 1889 | 1904 | John Coffey | Appointed 27 August and consecrated 10 November 1889; died 14 April 1904 |
| 1904 | 1917 | John Mangan | Appointed 8 July and consecrated 18 September 1904; died 1 July 1917 |
| 1917 | 1927 | Charles O'Sullivan | Appointed 10 November 1917; consecrated 27 January 1918; died 29 January 1927 |
| 1927 | 1952 | Michael O'Brien | Appointed 9 May and consecrated 24 July 1927; died 4 October 1952 |
| On 20 December 1952, the diocese and bishopric changed its name to Kerry. ||||
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