The Bishop of Kilmore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the parish of Kilmore, County Cavan in 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 see of Kilmore was originally known as Breifne (Latin: Tirbrunensis, Tybruinensis or Triburnia; Irish: Tír mBriúin, meaning "the land of the descendants of Brian", one of the kings of Connaught) and took its name after the Kingdom of Breifne., Handbook of British Chronology, p. 362.
The see became one of the dioceses approved by Giovanni Cardinal Paparoni at the synod of Kells in 1152, and has approximately the same boundaries as those of the ancient Kingdom of Breifne. In the Irish annals, the bishops were recorded of Breifne, Breifni, Breifny, Tir-Briuin, or Ui-Briuin-Breifne.
In the second half of the 12th century, it is likely the sees of Breifne and Kells were ruled together under one bishop., Handbook of British Chronology, p. 357. In 1172, Tuathal Ua Connachtaig took the oath of fealty to King Henry II of England as bishop of Kells., Handbook of British Chronology, p. 363. Soon after 1211 the see of Kells was incorporated into the diocese of Meath.
In 1454, Pope Nicholas V gave permission for the then bishop, Aindrias Mac Brádaigh (Anglicised: Andrew McBrady), to have the ancient church at Kilmore, founded in the 6th century by Saint Felim (or Feithlimidh), to be the cathedral church of the diocese. This building passed into the hands of the Church of Ireland at the Reformation, and, following the construction of a new cathedral, is now used as a parochial hall.. Travelmania. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
After the upheavals of the Reformation, there were parallel apostolic successions: one of the Church of Ireland and the other of the Roman Catholic Church.
In the Church of Ireland, the title was intermittently held with Ardagh until they were finally united in 1839. In 1841, the sees of Kilmore and Ardagh were amalgamated with Elphin to form the united bishopric of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh. The current incumbent is The Right Reverend Samuel Ferran Glenfield M.A. M.Th. (Oxon.) M.Litt. He was elected, consecrated, and installed in 2013.
In the Roman Catholic, the title continues as a separate bishopric. The current Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kilmore is the Most Reverend Martin Hayes, who was appointed as the diocesan bishop on 29 June and installed at the Cathedral Church of Saints Patrick and Felim, Cavan on 20 September 2020.
Pre-Reformation bishops Bishops of Breifne From Until Ordinary Notesunknown1136Áed Ua FinnAnglicised as Hugh O'Finn. Died in office on an island in Lough Ree.unknown1149Muirchertach Ua Máel MochéirgeDied in office.before 11521179Tuathal Ua ConnachtaigKnown in Latin as Thaddaeus. 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. before 1185(Name not known) A Cistercian monk. Elected and consecrated before 1185. Expelled circa 1185.12021211M. Ua Dobailén Became bishop before August 1202. Died in office.unknown1231Flann Ó ConnachtaigKnown in Latin as Florentius. Died in office. 1250Congalach Mac IdneóilResigned before May 1250. Died in office in 1250.12511285Simon Ó RuaircAnglicised as Simon O'Rourke. Elected before 20 June 1251. Died in office.12861307Mauricius, O.S.A.Elected before October 1286. Died in office.unknown1314Matha Mac DuibneAnglicised as Matthew MacGevney. Died in office.before 13201328Pádraic Ó CridecáinAnglicised as Patrick O'Cridagain. Elected before 1320. Died in office.unknown1355Conchobhar Mac ConshnámhaAlso known as Cornelius Ford. Died in office. 1369Riocard Ó RaghillaighAnglicised as Richard O'Reilly. Elected circa 1356. Died in office. before 1373JohannesElected before 1373. Died in office.? 1390Thomas Rushook, O.P.Translated from Chichester circa 1388. Possibly resigned 1390 and died circa 1393.13891393Seoán Ó Raghillaigh IAnglicised as John O'Reilly. Became bishop after 2 November 1389. Died in office.13951421Nicol Mac BrádaighAlias Ruaidhrí Mac Brádaigh (anglicised as Nicholas or Rory MacBrady). Appointed before 27 August 1395 and consecrated before July 1398. Died in office.dates unknownJohn StokesDate of appointment not known. Acted as a suffragan bishop in the dioceses of Lichfield in 1407, and Worcester in 1416.unknownDavid Ó FaircheallaighAppointed by Pope Gregory XII and consecrated between 1408 and 1409. Died in office.1422Domhnall O GabhannKnown in Latin as Donatus. Appointed 13 August 1421 and consecrated after 30 June 1422. Resigned circa 1445. Pre-Reformation Bishops of Kilmore From Until Ordinary Notes14451455Aindrias Mac BrádaighAnglicised as Andrew McBrady. Appointed on 9 March 1445. Died in office.14551464Fear Siíhe Mág Dhuibhne, O.S.A.Appointed on 11 July 1455. Died in office on 27 November 1464.14651476Seoán Ó Raghillaigh II, O.S.A.Anglicised as John O'Reilly. Appointed on 17 May 1465. Died in office before November 1476.14761512Cormac Mág Shamhradháin, O.S.A. Anglicised as Cormac McGovern. Appointed on 4 November 1476. Died in office in December 1511.14801511Tomás Mac Brádaigh Anglicised as Thomas MacBrady. Appointed on 20 October 1480. Died in office on 29 July 1511.15121530Diarmaid Ó RaghillaighAnglicised as Dermot O'Reilly. Appointed on 28 January 1512. Died in office before June 1530. Sources: , The Episcopal Succession volume 1, pp. 277–279., The Province of Ulster, pp. 154–156., Handbook of British Chronology, pp. 362–363., A New History of Ireland, volume IX, pp. 228–289.
Bishops during the Reformation During the Reformation, Edmund Nugent and John MacBrady were at one time or another bishops of either the Church of Ireland or Roman Catholic succession. They were each appointed as Roman Catholic bishops, but later accepted or recognized as Anglican bishops.
Bishops of Kilmore during the Reformation From Until Ordinary Notes1530Edmund 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 as the Church of Ireland bishop until his death in circa 1550.15401559John 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. Sources: , Handbook of British Chronology, pp. 363, 398 and 436., The Episcopal Succession, volume 1, pp. 279–280., The Province of Ulster, p. 156., A New History of Ireland, volume IX, pp. 289, 349, and 404.
Post-Reformation bishops
Church of Ireland succession Church of Ireland Bishops of Kilmore From Until Ordinary Notes15591585See vacant15851589John GarveyNominated on 20 January and appointed by letters patent on 27 January 1585. Translated to Armagh on 10 May 1589.15891603See vacantDuring part of this period, the custody of the see was placed under Edward Edgeworth, Prebendary of Christchurch and St Patrick's cathedrals in Dublin, later Bishop of Down and Connor.1603 1633See part of the united bishopric of Kilmore and Ardagh16331642William BedellAppointed Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh in 1629. He relinquished the title Bishop of Ardagh in 1633, but continued Bishop of Kilmore until his death on 7 February 1642.16431661Robert MaxwellNominated on 17 November 1642 and consecrated on 24 March 1643. Became Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh when the two sees were united again in 1661.16611742See part of the united bishopric of Kilmore and Ardagh17421757Joseph StoryTranslated from Killaloe. Nominated on 7 January and appointed by letters patent on 29 January 1742. Died in office on 22 September 1727.17571772John CradockNominated on 14 October and consecrated on 4 December 1757. Translated to Dublin on 5 March 1772.17721774Denison CumberlandTranslated from Clonfert and Kilmacduagh> Appointed by letters patent on 6 March 1772. Died in office in November 1774 and buried in Kilmore Cathedral churchyard on 22 November 1774.17751790George Lewis JonesNominated on 21 November 1774 and consecrated 22 January 1775. Translated to Kildare on 5 June 1790.17901796William FosterTranslated from Cork and Ross> Nominated on 7 May and appointed by letters patent on 11 June 1790. Translated to Clogher on 21 January 1796.17961801The Hon. Charles BrodrickTranslated from Clonfert and Kilmacduagh. Nominated on 28 December 1795 and appointed by letters patent on 19 January 1796. Translated to Cashel on 9 December 1801.18021839George de la Poer BeresfordTranslated 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 in office on 15 October 1841.18391841See part of the united bishopric of Kilmore and Ardaghsince 1841See part of the united bishopric of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh. Sources: , The Province of Ulster, pp. 157–167 and 169–170., Handbook of British Chronology, pp. 398–399., A New History of Ireland, volume IX, pp. 404–406.
Roman Catholic succession