Bishop of Kilmore

The Bishop of Kilmore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the parish of Kilmore in County Cavan, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.

History

The diocese of Kilmore, originally called Tirbrunensis, Triburnia or Tybruinensis (Tir Briuin, the land of the clan of Brian, King of Connaught), was formally established at the Synod of Kells in 1152,^[1] with approximately the same boundaries as those of the ancient Kingdom of Breifne.^[2]

In the 6th century St. Feithlimidh, the patron of the diocese, established a church at Kilmore, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south-west of Cavan town. It was rebuilt in the middle of the 15th century as a cathedral. It came to be know in Irish as An Chill Mhór (meaning The Great Church), and which gave its name to the diocese.

After the Reformation, there were parallel apostolic successions. The Church of Ireland title was intermittently held with Ardagh until they were finally united in 1839. In 1841, the see of Kilmore and Ardagh was combined further with Elphin to form the united bishopric of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh.

The Roman Catholic title still continues as a separate bishopric. The current Incumbent is the Most Reverend Dr. Philip Leo O'Reilly, D.D., Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kilmore who was installed in 1998 at the Cathedral Church of Saints Patrick and Felim in Cavan, County Cavan, Ireland.

Pre-Reformation bishops

Pre-Reformation Bishops of Kilmore [3]
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
unknown	1136	Áed Ua Finn	Died in office.
unknown	1149	Muirchertach Ua Máel Mochéirge	Died in office.
before 1152	1179	Tuathal Ua Connachtaig	Present at the Synod of Kells in March 1152; took the oath of fealty to Henry II in 1172 as Bishop of Kells; died in office; also recorded as Thaddaeus.
before 1185		(Name not known) [A]	A Cistercian monk; elected and consecrated before 1185, expelled circa 1185.
1202	1211	M. Ua Dobailén [A]	Became bishop before August 1202; died in office.
unknown	1231	Flann Ó Connachtaig	Died in office; also recorded as Florentius.
c.1233	1250	Congalach Mac Idneóil	Resigned before May 1250; died in 1250.
1251	1285	Simon Ó Ruairc	Elected before 20 June 1251; died in office.
1286	1307	Mauricius, O.S.A.	Elected before October 1286; died in office.
unknown	1314	Matha Mac Duibne	Died in office.
before 1320	1328	Pádraic Ó Cridecáin	Elected before 1320; died in office.
unknown	1355	Conchobhar Mac Conshnámha	Died in office; also recorded as Cornelius Ford.
c.1356	1369	Riocard Ó Raghillaigh	Elected circa 1356; died in office; also recorded as Richard O'Reilly.
before 1373	c.1389	Johannes	Elected before 1373; died in office.
c.1388	? 1390	Thomas Rushook, O.P.	Translated from Chichester circa 1388; possibly resigned 1390; died circa 1393.
1389	1393	Seoán Ó Raghillaigh I	Became bishop after 2 November 1389; died in office; also recorded as John O Reilly.
1395	1421	Nicol Mac Brádaigh	Appointed before 27 August 1395 and consecrated before July 1398; died in office; also recorded as Ruaidhrí Mac Brádaigh.
dates unknown		John Stokes	Acted as a suffragan bishop in the dioceses of Lichfield in 1407, and Worcester in 1416.
c.1408/09	unknown	David Ó Faircheallaigh	Appointed by Pope Gregory XII and consecrated between 1408 and 1409; died in office.
1422	c.1445	Domhnall O Gabhann	Appointed 13 August 1421 and consecrated after 30 June 1422; resigned circa 1445; also recorded as Donatus.
1445	1455	Aindrias Mac Brádaigh	Appointed on 9 March 1445; died in office; also recorded as Andrew McBrady.
1455	1464	Fear Siíhe Mág Dhuibhne, O.S.A.	Appointed on 11 July 1455; died on 27 November 1464.
1465	1476	Seoán Ó Raghillaigh II, O.S.A.	Appointed on 17 May 1465; died before November 1476; also recorded as John O'Reilly.
1476	1512	Cormac Mág Shamhradháin, O.S.A.[B]	Appointed on 4 November 1476; died in December 1512.
1480	1511	Tomás Mac Brádaigh [B]	Appointed on 20 October 1480; died in 1511.
1512	1530	Diarmaid Ó Raghillaigh	Appointed on 28 January 1512; died before June 1530; also recorded as Dermot O'Reilly.

Bishops during the Reformation

During the Reformation, Edmund Nugent and John MacBrady were at one time or another bishops of either the Anglican or Roman Catholic succession. They were each appointed as Roman Catholic bishops, but later accepted or recognized as Church of Ireland bishops.^[4]

Bishops of Kilmore during the Reformation [4]
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1530	c.1550	Edmund Nugent, O.S.A.	Last Prior of Tristernagh Abbey. Appointed bishop on 22 January 1530, but continued to hold the abbey in commendam until he surrendered it to King Henry VIII in 1536 and accepted royal supremacy. Deprived of the Roman Catholic see by Pope Paul III in 1540, but continued with the Church of Ireland see until his death in circa 1550.
1540	1559	John MacBrady	Appointed by Pope Paul III, in opposition to Edmund Nugent, on 5 November 1540. Presumably recognized by the crown in the reign of Queen Mary I. Died in 1559. Also known as Sean Mac Bradaigh.

Post-Reformation bishops

Church of Ireland succession

Church of Ireland Bishops of Kilmore [5]
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1559	1585	See vacant
1585	1589	John Garvey	Nominated on 20 January and appointed by letters patent on 27 January 1585; translated to Armagh on 10 May 1589.
1589	1603	See vacant
1603	1633	See part of the united bishopric of Kilmore and Ardagh
1633	1642	William Bedell	Appointed Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh in 1629; he reliquished the title bishop of Ardagh in 1633, but continued bishop of Kilmore until his death on 7 February 1642.
1643	1661	Robert Maxwell	Nominated on 17 November 1642 and consecrated on 24 March 1643; became Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh when the two sees were united again in 1661.
1661	1742	See part of the united bishopric of Kilmore and Ardagh
1742	1757	Joseph Story	Translated from Killaloe; nominated on 7 January and appointed by letters patent on 29 January 1742; died on 22 September 1727.
1757	1772	John Cradock	Nominated on 14 October and consecrated on 4 December 1757; translated to Dublin on 5 March 1772.
1772	1774	Denison Cumberland	Translated from Clonfert and Kilmacduagh; appointed by letters patent on 6 March 1772; died 1774, and buried 22 November 1774.
1775	1790	George Lewis Jones	Nominated on 21 November 1774 and consecrated 22 January 1775; translated to Kildare on 5 June 1790.
1790	1796	William Foster	Translated from Cork and Ross; nominated on 7 May and appointed by letters patent on 11 June 1790; translated to Clogher on 21 January 1796.
1796	1801	Hon. Charles Brodrick	Translated from Clonfert and Kilmacduagh; nominated on 28 December 1795 and appointed by letters patent on 19 January 1796; translated to Cashel on 9 December 1801.
1802	1839	George de la Poer Beresford	Translated from Clonfert and Kilmacduagh; nominated on 12 January and appointed by letters patent on 1 March 1802; became Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh in 1839; died on 15 October 1841.
1839	1841	See part of the united bishopric of Kilmore and Ardagh
Since 1841, the see has been part of the united bishopric of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh.

Roman Catholic succession

Roman Catholic Bishops of Kilmore [6][7]
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1560	1579	Hugh O'Sheridan	Appointed on 7 February 1560; died in office.
1580	1607	Richard Brady, O.F.M.	translated from Ardagh on 9 March 1580; died in September 1607.
1607	1625	See vacant	No record of vicars apostolic appointed.
1625	1628	Hugh O'Reilly	Appointed on 9 June and consecrated in July 1625; translated to Armagh on 5 May 1628.
1628	1669	Eugene Sweeney	Appointed on 18 September 1628 and consecrated in 1630; died on 18 October 1669.
1666	1677	(Thomas Fitzsymons)	Appointed Vicar General of Kilmore by Edmund O'Reilly, Archbishop of Armagh, but was deprived of the position in 1677.
1678	1689	(Patrick Tyrrell)	Bishop of Clogher (1676–1689). Appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Kilmore. Later became Bishop of Meath 1689–1692.
1689	1711	See vacant	No vicars apostolic appointed, and the diocese was governed by unnamed vicars general.
1711	1728	(Hugh MacMahon)	Bishop of Clogher (1707–1715). Appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Kilmore. Later became Archbishop of Armagh 1714–1737.
1728	1746	Michael MacDonagh, O.P.	Consecrated on 12 December 1728; died on 26 November 1746
1747	1753	Laurence Richardson, O.P.	Appointed on 6 February and consecrated on 1 May 1747; died on 29 January 1753
1753	1769	Andrew Campbell	Appointed on 3 April 1753; died on 1 December 1769
1770	1798	Denis Maguire, O.F.M.	Translated from Dromore on 25 March 1770; died on 23 December 1798
1798	1800	Charles O'Reilly	Appointed Coadjutor bishop on 17 May 1793; succeeded Diocesan bishop on 23 December 1798; died on 6 March 1800
1800	1806	James Dillon	Translated from Raphoe on 10 August 1800; died at Ballyconnell on 19th August 1806
1807	1829	Farrell O'Reilly	Appointed 16 January and consecrated 24 August 1807; died in office on 30 April 1829; also known as Fargal O'Reilly
1829	1865	James Browne	Appointed Coadjutor bishop on 20 March and consecrated on 10 June 1827; succeeded Diocesan bishop on 30 April 1829; died on 11 April 1865
1865	1886	Nicholas Conaty	Appointed Coadjutor Bishop on 11 March 1863; succeeded Diocesan bishop on 11 April 1865; died on 17 January 1886
1886	1887	Bernard Finegan	Appointed on 10 May and consecrated on 13 June 1886; died on 11 November 1887
1888	1906	Edward MacGennis	Appointed on 3 February and consecrated on 15 April 1888; died on 15 May 1906
1907	1910	Andrew Boylan, C.SS.R.	Appointed on 1 March and consecrated on 19 May 1907; died on 25 March 1910
1910	1937	Patrick Finegan	Appointedon 4 July and consecrated on 11 September 1910; died on 25 January 1937
1937	1949	Patrick Lyons	Appointed on 6 August and consecrated on 3 October 1937; died on 27 April 1949
1950	1972	Austin Quinn	Appointed on 19 July and consecrated on 10 September 1950; resigned on 10 October 1972; died on 24 September 1974
1972	1998	Francis McKiernan	Appointed on 11 October and consecrated on 10 December 1972; resigned on 16 October 1998; died on 23 December 2005
1998	present	Philip Leo O'Reilly	Appointed Coadjutor bishop on 20 November 1996 and consecrated on 2 February 1997; succeeded Diocesan bishop on 16 October and installed on 15 November 1998

Notes

• ^A These two are possibly the same individual.
• ^B Cormac Mág Shamhradháin and Tomás Mac Brádaigh were rivil bishops, and probably supported by rival septs within the diocese. They were present at provincial councils held by Ottaviano Spinelli de Palatio, Archbishop of Armagh, in 1492 and 1495, and were both then recognized as bishops of Kilmore. But Diarmaid Ó Raghillaigh was appointed to the see in 1512 before Cormac's death, though Cormac was still maintaining his rights at that date.

See also

	Anglicanism portal
	Catholicism portal

• Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh
• Bishop of Elphin
• Bishop of Ardagh
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Kilmore
• Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh (Church of Ireland)
• List of Anglican diocesan bishops in Britain and Ireland

References

1. ^ St. Feithlimidh's Cathedral, Kilmore.
2. ^ Kilmore: The Diocese.
3. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, pp. 362–363.
4. ^ ^{a b} Fryde et al. 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, pp. 398 and 436.
5. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, pp. 398–399.
6. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, pp. 436–437.
7. ^ Diocese of Kilmore at Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved on 16 January 2008.

Bibliography

• Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S. et al., eds (1986). Handbook of British Chronology (3rd, reprinted 2003 ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.