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THE EARLY CHRISTIAN PERIOD
The introduction of Christianity in the 5th century is the first
outstanding event in the written history of Ireland. How Christianity
first found entry to the Decies we do not know for certain. We have no
record that St. Patrick ever preached there himself or that he ever sent
one of his disciples to preach therein. The probable reason is that
Christianity was already in the course of establishment through the
preaching of St. Declan. Declan, whose preaching, confined to his own
kindred, most probably preceded Patrick's by a few years, was himself of
the ruling Decies family and lived well into St. Patrick's time. Declan
was a Christian from his infancy, and upon his ordination (where, or by
whom, we know not) he devoted himself to the conversion of his own
people and established his chief church by the seashore, at Ardmore. In
early Christian Ireland bishops were more numerous than they are today.
Multiplicity of Bishops was, in fact, one of the peculiarities of the
early Irish church. Within the Decies, for instance, there were bishops
not only at Ardmore and Lismore, but at Kilsheeelan, Kilbarrymeaden,
Donoghmore, Clashmore, Mothel and other places. This does not
necessarily mean that, at each of these places, a regular succession of
bishops was maintained. Far as we know, there was only an occasional
bishop at most of them ... By the end of the 12th century all these
bishoprics had been cut down to three—Lismore, Ardmore and Waterford, and shortly
afterwards the See of Ardmore disappears.
The
Diocese of Waterford (as distinct from Lismore) was of small extent—including only the city with the present
barony of Gaultier and part of Middlethird. Gaultier (Gall Tír-the land
of the foreigners) was
originally the territory of the Danes of Waterford who had, upon their
conversion to Christianity in the 11th century, a bishop of their own
consecrated for them, not by the Archbishop of Cashel or any other Irish
Church authority, but by Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, to whom they
made themselves spiritually subject. Subjection to Canterbury continued,
however, for only a short time. By 1172 we find Waterford acknowledging
the ecclesiastical headship of Cashel. The first bishop of Waterford was
Malchus, an Irishman who had been a monk in England; he was appointed in
1096.
The Diocese of Lismore embraced almost all of the Co. Waterford not
included in Waterford Diocese, together with two baronies (and part of
two others) of Co. Tipperary, as well as a small area of Co. Cork. The
first bishop of Lismore was St. Carthage, otherwise Mochuda, of the 7th
century. He was also Abbot of the great monastery which he established
in his episcopal city. Lismore grew to be a great monastery and also a
centre of learning to which students came, not only from all parts of
Ireland, but even from foreign lands. At one time there were no fewer
than seven churches in Lismore and there was a religious house for
women, as well as the great monastery for men, into which no female
might enter. Among the illustrious men associated with Lismore are
Malchus, Bishop of that See; Cataldus, bishop of Tarentum in Italy;
Malachy, Primate of Ireland and Apostolic Legate; Christian, also
Apostolic Legate; St. Celsus of Armagh and Cormac MacCarthy, royal
builder of the famous church that bears his name on the rock of Cashel.
Alfred the Great, of England, is also said to have studied for a while
in this famous school.
-A
Short History of County Waterford, Rev. Patrick Power, 1933, The
Waterford News Ltd.
Lismore
Ardmore
Waterford
Waterford
& Lismore
The Diocese of Lismore, 637A.D.
Carrthach (Carthage or Mochoda)
Conodur
Iarnlach
Cuandae
Colman ma Findbairr
Crónán ma hÉiceáin
Colmán ua Litáin
Mac Óige
Trichmech
Aedán
Suairleach mac Ciaráin
Órach
Aedán moccu Raichlich
Fland mac Fairchellaig
Daniél ua Liathardi
Fland mac Forbassaig
Mael Brigte mac Mael Domnaig
Cormac ma Mothla
Ciarán mac Ciarmagáin
Diarmait
Diarmait mac Torpthai
Maenach mac Cormaic
Cathmug
Cinaed mac Mael Chiaráin
Cormac mac Maol Chiaráin
Ua Mael Sluaig
Muireadach na Rebacháin
Rónán
Cinead ua Conn Mina
Niall ma Mac Aedachain
Ua Daigthig
Mael Ísu na nAinmere
Malchus
MaelMuire ua Loingsig
Gilla Chríst ua Connairche
The Diocese of Ardmore, 1153 A.D.
Eugenius
Ua Selbeig
The Diocese of Waterford, 1096
A.D.
Malchus
Mael Ísu na nAinmere - Died 1135 or
1136
Toistius
Augustinus ua Selbaig
Robert I
William Wace
Walter
Stephen
Henry
Philip
Walter de Southwell
Stephen de Fulbourn
Walter de Fulbourn
Matthew
Nicholas Welifed
Richard Francis
Robert Elyot
Roger Craddock
The United Dioceses of Waterford
& Lismore, 1363 A.D.
Thomas le Reve 1363 - 93
Robert Read 1394 - 96
Thomas Sparkford 1396 - 97
John Deping (or De-Ping)1397 - 1400
Thomas Snell 1400 - 05
Roger Appleby 1405 - 09
John Geese 1409 - 14
*
Thomas Colby 1414 - 22
John Geese 1422 - 25 *
Same person as 1409 - 14
Richard Cantwell 1426 - 46
Robert Poer 1446 - 71
Richard Martin 1472 - 74
John Bulcomb 1475 – 79
Nicol Ó hAonghusa 1480 - 81
Thomas Purcell 1486 - 1517
Nicholas Comyn 1519 - 47
John MacGrath 1548 - 51
Patrick Walsh 1551 – 78
There was no Catholic bishop for the
next 50 years, during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I
Patrick Comerford 1628 – 1652
John Brennan 1671 – 93
*Translated
to the See of Cashel as Archbishop
Richard Piers 1696 - 1739
Sylvester Louis Lloyd 1739 - 47 (Thomas Stritch 1743 – 1745
coadjutor.)
Peter Creagh 1750 - 74
William Egan 1774 - 96
Thomas Hussey
1797 – 1803
John
Power D.D.1804 – 16
Patrick Kelly 1822 – 29
William Abraham 1829 – 37
Nicholas Foran 1837 – 55
Dominic O’Brien 1855 – 73
John Power 1873 – 87
Piers Power 1887 – 89
John Egan 1889 – 91
Richard A. Sheehan 1891 - 1915
Bernard Hackett 1916 – 32
Jeremiah
Kinane 1932 – 43
*Translated
to the See of Cashel as Archbishop
Daniel Cohalan 1943 – 65
Michael Russell 1965 – 93
William Lee 1993 to present |
