The Bishop of Limerick is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Limerick in the Province of Munster, Ireland. In the Catholic Church it still continues as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.

History The diocese of Limerick is one of the twenty-four dioceses established at the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111. After the Reformation, there are parallel apostolic successions: one of the Church of Ireland and the other of the Roman Catholic Church.

In the Church of Ireland, Limerick continued as a separate title until 1661 when it was combined with Ardfert and Aghadoe to form the united bishopric of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe. Since 1976, the Church of Ireland see has been part of the united bishopric of Limerick and Killaloe.

In the Roman Catholic Church, Limerick still remains as a separate title. The current bishop is the Most Reverend Brendan Leahy, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Limerick, who was appointed by the Holy See on 10 January 2013 and received episcopal ordination on 14 April 2013.

Pre-Reformation bishops List of Pre-Reformation Bishops of LimerickFromUntilIncumbentNotesc.11061140Gilli alias Gilla EspaicConsecrated c. 1106; presided as papal legate at the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111; resigned 1140; died 1145; also known as Gilbert11401148PatriciusConsecrated at Canterbury in 1140 and took an oath of fealty there, however, his name does not occur in any Irish record. One source says he died shortly after and never took possession of the diocese. He died after December 1148c.11401151ErolbProbably a successful rival of Patricius, known as an Ostman; governed the see from c. 1140 until his death in 1151; He is called Harold by Usherbef.11521167TorgesiusPresent at the Synod of Kells in March 1152; died in officebef.1167c.1186/89BrictiusBecame bishop before 1167; assisted at the Third Council of the Lateran in 1179 and 1180; died sometime between 1186 and 1189bef.11901207Donnchad Ua BriainBecame bishop before 1190; died before 5 December 1207; also known as Donatus1207(Geoffrey)Rector of Dungarvan; nominated by King John on 5 December 1207, but no evidence he was validly elected or consecrated1208/151222EdmundBecame bishop before July 1215, and probably governed the see from c. 1208; died in office12231250Hubert de Burgo, O.S.A.Formerly Prior of Athassel; became custodian of the diocese 11 March 1223 and elected bishop before 7 May 1224; received possession of the temporalities c. 21 April 1225; died 14 September 125012511272Robert of EmlyElected before 11 April 1251 and received possession of the temporalities 6 January 1252; died 8 September 127212731302Gerald Le MarescalFormerly Archdeacon of Limerick; elected bishop before 11 January 1273 and received possession of the temporalities 17 January 1273; died 10 February 130213021311Robert de DundonaldFormerly a Canon of Limerick; elected bishop before 2 May 1302 and received possession of the temporalities 30 July 1302; died 3 May 131113121336Eustace de l'EauFormerly Dean of Limerick; elected bishop c. 20 November 1312 and received possession of the temporalities after 1 December 1312; died 3 May 1336; also known as Eustace de Aqua13361353Maurice de RochfortElected before 7 November 1336 and received possession of the temporalities on that date; consecrated 6 April 1337; died 9 June 1353; also known as Maurice de Rupe13541359Stephen LawlessFormerly Chancellor of Limerick; appointed bishop 19 February 1354; consecrated before 7 April 1354; received possession of the temporalities 29 April 1354; died 28 December 135913601369Stephen WallFormerly Dean of Limerick; elected bishop before 6 November 1360 and appointed on that date; received possession of the temporalities 2 March 1361; translated to Meath 19 February 1369; also known as Stephen de Valle1369c.1399Peter CurraghAppointed 19 February 1369; received possession of the temporalities 10 February 1370; translated to Ross c. 1399c.1399(Bernardus Ó Conchobhair)Translated from Ross c. 1399, but did not take effect14001434Conchobhar Ó Deadhaidh, O.F.M.Formerly Archdeacon of Killaloe; appointed bishop 26 May 1400; resigned before October 1425; died 27 July 1434; also known as Cornelius O'Dea14261458John Mothel, O.S.A.Formerly a Canon of Kells; appointed bishop 7 October 1426; received possession of the temporalities 23 January 1427; resigned c. April 1458; died 14681456Thomas Leger, O.S.A.Appointed 10 May 1456 whilst John Mothel was still bishop; deprived 23 November 145614581469William CreaghAppointed 19 April 1458; died before July 1469; also known as William Russell14691486Thomas ArthurAppointed 14 July and consecrated 10 September 1469; died 19 July 14861486Richard StakpollAppointed 18 September 1486, but was made void by the appointment of Dunowe; died before 20 November 1486. Was 24 years old at the time of his appointment and was not to be consecrated until he reached 28 though he died the same year. 14861489John DunoweFormerly a Canon of Exeter; appointed bishop 13 November 1486; acted as a suffragan bishop in the diocese of Exeter 1489; died before April 148914891521John FolanFormerly a Canon of Ferns; appointed bishop 24 April 1489; died 30 January 1522; also known as John O'Phelan and in some sources as John Whelan. 15241551John Quin, O.P. Appointed 21 October 1524 and consecrated before 3 January 1525; swore the Oath of Supremacy at Clonmel early in 1539; resigned 9 April 1551; died 1554 (or 1555); also known as John Coyn or Seaán Ó Cuinn Source(s):, The Province of Munster, pp. 376–381., Handbook of British Chronology, pp. 365–366.

Post-Reformation bishops

Church of Ireland succession List of Church of Ireland Bishops of LimerickFromUntilIncumbentNotes15511556William CaseyFormerly Rector of Kilcornan; nominated bishop by King Edward VI on 6 July 1551 and consecrated at Dublin on 25 October 1551; deprived by Queen Mary I in 155615561571Hugh Lacy Formerly a Canon of Limerick; appointed bishop 24 November 1556; 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'; in 1562 the Lord Lieutenant the Earl of Sussex said that he had 'by the laws of the realm, forfeited his bishopric';Cal. Carew MSS, 1515-74, no. 237, quoted in Henry A Jeffries, 'The Irish Parliament of 1560', Irish Historical Studies 26 (1989) p. 137. appointed to an ecclesiastical commission for enforcing the royal supremacy in June 1564;Fiants Ire Eliz, No 666 deprived 8 May 1571; died 1580; also known as Hugh de Lacey or Lees15711591William Casey (again)Restored by Queen Elizabeth I on 8 May 1571; died on 7 February 1591appointed 1588(Denis Campbell)Dean of Limerick; appointed coadjutor bishop in 1588 to Bishop Casey; Campbell was later nominated to be bishop of Derry, Raphoe and Clogher in 1603, but died before consecration in July 160315941603John ThornboroughFormerly Dean of York; nominated 20 September 1593 and appointed by letters patent 9 January 1594; translated to Bristol 4 July 1603; also known as John Thornburgh16041626Bernard AdamsNominated 5 August 1603 and consecrated April 1604; also held Kilfenora in commendam from 1606 to 1617; died 22 March 162616261634Francis GoughFormerly Chancellor of Limerick; nominated 18 April and consecrated 17 September 1626; died 29 August 163416341642George WebbFormerly Chaplain-in-Ordinary to King Charles II; nominated bishop 6 October and consecrated 18 December 1634; died as a prisoner at the castle in Limerick on 22 June 164216431649Robert SibthorpTranslated from Kilfenora; nominated 7 April 1643; died in April 164916491660See vacant16601661Edward SyngeFormerly Dean of Elphin; nominated bishop 6 August 1660; became Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe in 166116611976See part of the united bishopric of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe.Since 1976See part of the united bishopric of Limerick and Killaloe. Source(s):, The Province of Munster, pp. 381–385., Handbook of British Chronology, pp. 400–401.

Roman Catholic succession List of Roman Catholic Bishops of LimerickFromUntilIncumbentNotes15511556See vacant15561580Hugh Lacy Formerly a Canon of Limerick; appointed 24 November 1556; received special faculties for the province of Cashel in the absence of the archbishop on 3 May 1575; died 158015821591Cornelius O'BoyleAppointed 20 August 1582; died after 159115911602See vacantappointed 1602Richard CadanAppointed vicar apostolic by papal brief 22 February 160216201646Richard ArthurNamed as vicar general of Limerick in a government report in 1613, and as bishop-elect in a later report 1617; appointed 18 May 1620 and consecrated September 1623; died 23 May 164616461654Edmund O'DwyerAppointed coadjutor bishop (with right of succession) 6 February and consecrated 7 May 1645; succeeded 23 May 1646; died 5 April 165416571685James DowleyAppointed vicar apostolic by papal brief 17 April 1657 and again 31 July 1669; appointed bishop 4 May 1676 and by papal brief 8 March 1677; died c. January 168516981702John O'MolonyTranslated from Killaloe 24 January 1689, but continued as Apostolic Administrator of Killaloe 1689–1702; died 3 September 170217021720See vacant17201737Cornelius Ó CaoimhAppointed 7 March 1720; died 4 May 173717371759Robert LacyAppointed 30 August 1737 and consecrated 23 February 1638; died 4 August 175917591778Daniel O'KearneyAppointed 27 November 1759 and consecrated 27 January 1760; died 24 January 1778(1778)(John Butler, S.J.)Appointed 10 April 1778, but was not accepted17791796Denis ConwayAppointed 25 February and consecrated 20 June 1779; died 19 June 179617961813John YoungAppointed coadjutor bishop (with right of succession) 4 January and consecrated 20 May 1793; succeeded 19 June 1796; died 22 September 181318141828Charles TuohyAppointed 1 October 1814 and consecrated 23 April 1815; died 17 March 182818281864John RyanAppointed coadjutor bishop (with right of succession) 31 September and consecrated 11 December 1825; succeeded 17 March 1828; died 6 June 186418641886George ButlerAppointed 10 June and consecrated 25 July 1861; succeeded 6 June 1864; died 3 February 188618861917Edward Thomas O'DwyerAppointed 18 May and consecrated 29 June 1886; died 19 August 191719181923Denis HallinanAppointed 10 January and consecrated 10 March 1918; died 2 July 192319231945David KeaneAppointed 24 December 1923 and consecrated 2 March 1924; died 12 March 194519451958Patrick O'NeillAppointed 15 December 1945 and consecrated 24 February 1946; died 26 March 195819581973Henry MurphyAppointed 1 July and consecrated 31 August 1958; died 8 October 197319741995Jeremiah NewmanAppointed 17 May and consecrated 14 July 1974; died 3 April 199519941996(John Magee, Bishop of Cloyne)Acted as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Limerick from July 1994 to March 1996.19962009Donal Brendan MurrayPreviously Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin and Titular Bishop of Glenndálocha 1982–1996; appointed bishop of Limerick on 10 February 1996 and installed at St John's Cathedral, Limerick on 24 March 1996; resignation accepted on 17 December 200920092013See vacant2013presentBrendan LeahyAppointed on 10 January 2013 and received episcopal ordination on 14 April 2013. Source(s):, Handbook of British Chronology, pp. 337–438.

Notes Some sources state that John Quin resigned by consequences of his infirmities., The Province of Munster, p. 381. However, another source states he was forced to resign by King Edward VI in 1551, but was restored by Queen Mary I in 1553., Handbook of British Chronology, p. 437. Hugh Lacy became bishop of both successions when they were briefly reunited in the reign of Queen Mary I. After the accession of Queen Elizabeth I, he was deprived of the Church of Ireland title in 1571, but continued with the Roman Catholic title until his death in 1580.

References

Bibliography

Further reading Begley, John, The Diocese of Limerick, Ancient and Medieval. Dublin: Browne & Nolan, 1906.