The Bishop of Kilfenora () was a distinct episcopal title which took its name from the village of Kilfenora in County Clare in the Republic of Ireland. In both the Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, the title is now united with other bishoprics.

History The monastery at Kilfenora was reportedly founded by Saint Fachanan in the sixth century. It was not until March 1152 that the diocese of Kilfenora was established at the Synod of Kells. The diocese corresponded with the ancient territory of Corcomroe., The Province of Munster, p. 500. Part of the Archdiocese of Cashel, it only extended over 200 square miles of very thinly populated land. It was reckoned the poorest diocese, with only 13 parishes. Demand for the position of bishop thus was not great, but for 1189 a bishop is recorded. In 1660, Samuel Pullen was made Archbishop of Tuam and Kilfenora became part of his province.

After the Reformation, there were parallel paths of succession. The Catholic bishopric of Kilfenora continued as a separate title until 1750 when Pope Benedict XIV decreed that it be united with the bishopric of Kilmacduagh. Since Kilmacduagh was in the ecclesiastical province of Tuam while Kilfenora was in the Province of Cashel, it was arranged that the ordinary of the united dioceses was to be alternately bishop of one diocese and apostolic administrator of the other. The first holder of this unusual arrangement was Peter Kilkelly, who had been Bishop of Kilmacduagh since 1744, and became Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora in September 1750. In 1866, Patrick Fallon, the sitting Bishop of Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora, resigned due to ill health, and John McEvilly, the Bishop of Galway, was appointed Apostolic Administrator of both Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora. McEvilly would be named Coadjutor Archbishop of Tuam in 1878 but retained his duties in Galway until he eventually succeeded to the Tuam archdiocesan throne in 1881. Upon McEvilly's succession in Tuam, the three sees of Galway, Kilmacduagh, and Kilfenora remained vacant for two years. In 1883, Pope Leo XIII combined the dioceses of Galway and Kilmacduagh into a unified see, and made the Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora in perpetuum., Handbook of British Chronology, p. 436., Maps, Genealogies, Lists, p. 390.

In the Church of Ireland, Kilfenora continued as a separate see until it was combined with Killaloe to form the united bishopric of Killaloe and Kilfenora in 1752. Under the Church Temporalities (Ireland) Act 1833 (3 & 4 Will. 4. c. 37), the united see became one of the sees held by bishops of Killaloe and Clonfert in 1834. Since 1976, Kilfenora has been one of the sees held by the bishops of Limerick and Killaloe.

Pre-Reformation bishops Pre-Reformation Bishops of KilfenoraFromUntilIncumbentNotesbef.1172unknown(Name not known)Took the oath of fealty to King Henry II of England in 1172bef.1205unknownF.Elected before 1205bef.1224unknownJohnElected before 1224; also known as Johannes1251/541255ChristianKnown to be bishop fl. 1251 and 1254; died before December 1255; also known as Christianusunknown1264(Name not known)Died on 28 February 126412661273MauriceElected after 3 March 1265 and consecrated before 12 February 1266; died before 14 July 1273; also known as Mauricius and called by some as Henry12731281Florence Ó Tigernaig, O.S.A.Formerly Abbot of Kilsanne; elected bishop before 18 September 1273; died before 12 July 1281; also known as Florentius12811298Congalach Ó LochlainnFormerly Dean of Kilfenora; elected bishop before 6 September 1281; died before 21 December 1298; also known as Carolus13001302Simon Ó CuirrinElected on 16 May and confirmed on 22 July 1300; died on 26 December 130213031319Maurice Ó BriainFormerly Dean of Kilfenora; elected bishop sometime between 16 March and 10 June 1303; died in office13231359Risdeard Ó LochlainnConsecrated on 17 April 1323; died on 3 February 1359; also known as Richard O'Loghlainunknown1372DenisDied before October 1372; also known as Dionysius1372unknownHenryAppointed on 6 October 1372; also known as Henricusunknownc.1389CorneliusDied in office circa 138913901421PatrickElected before 28 February and appointed on that date; consecrated after 19 March 1390; died before 15 January 1421; also known as Patricius14211433Feidhlimidh mac Mathghamhna Ó LochlainnAppointed on 15 January 1421; consecrated after 6 February 1421; died before 7 August 1433; also known as Florentius or Florence O'Loughlin14331434FearghalAppointed on 7 August 1433; died before 17 November 143414341491Denis Ó ConnmhaighAppointed on 17 November and consecrated on 26 December 1434; resigned on 12 December 1491; also known as Denis O'Cahan or in Latin as Dionysius14911541Muircheartach mac Murchadha Ó BriainFormerly a Canon of Kilfenora; appointed bishop on 12 December 1491; Papal bulls expediated on 26 August 1492; died before 21 November 1541; also known as Maurice O'Brien or in Latin as Mauricius1514c.1541Maurice O'KellyAppointed 6 November 1514; died in office circa 154115411572John O'NialainAppointed by Pope Paul III on 21 November 1541, but seems to have accepted royal supremacy since he was recognised by King Henry VIII; died in 1572; also recorded as John O'NeylanSources: , Handbook of British Chronology, p. 358., The Episcopal Succession in England, Scotland and Ireland, volume 2, pp. 125–127., The Province of Munster, pp. 501–502., Maps, Genealogies, Lists, p. 299.

Post-Reformation bishops

Catholic succession Roman Catholic Bishops of KilfenoraFromUntilIncumbentNotes15721629See vacant1629unknown(Daniel Gryphaeus)Appointed vicar general in 1629 and vicar apostolic by Papal brief on 1 April 16311647c.1673Andrew LynchAppointed on 11 March and consecrated on 21 April 1647; died circa 167316731722See vacant1722unknownWilliam O'DalyHe was vicar general of Kilfenora before appointed bishop on 7 August 1722; date of death unknown17261749James Augustine O'Daly, O.S.A.Appointed on 27 July 1726; died on 20 August 174917501883See part of the united bishopric of Kilmacduagh and Kilfenorasince 1883See part of the united diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and KilfenoraSources: , The Episcopal Succession in England, Scotland and Ireland, volume 2, pp. 127–128., Handbook of British Chronology, pp. 430 and 432–433.History of the Diocese. Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora. Retrieved on 28 September 2009., Maps, Genealogies, Lists, p. 362.

Church of Ireland succession Church of Ireland Bishops of KilfenoraFromUntilIncumbentNotes15721606See vacant16061617See held in commendam by Bernard Adams, Bishop of Limerick16171622John SteereFormerly Archdeacon of Emly; nominated on 9 July and consecrated on 26 August 1617; translated to Ardfert and Aghadoe on 20 July 162216221627William MurrayFormerly Chaplain-in-Ordinary to King James I & VI; nominated on 15 March and consecrated on 18 December 1622; translated to Llandaff on 24 December 16271628Richard BettsChaplain-in-Ordinary to King James I & VI; appointed by letters patent on 19 September 1628, but when he arrived in Ireland and learned of the poverty of the see, he declined the appointment and left without consecration16281630See vacant16301638James HeygateFormerly Archdeacon of Clogher; nominated on 28 February and consecrated on 9 May 1630; died on 30 April 163816381643Robert SibthorpFormerly Treasurer of Killaloe and Prebendary of Maynooth, in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin; nominated on 19 June and consecrated on 11 November 1638; translated to Limerick in 164316431661See vacant16611741See held in commendam by the Archbishops of Tuam17421752See held in commendam by John Whitcombe, Bishop of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh17521834See part of the united bishopric of Killaloe and Kilfenora18341976See part of the united bishopric of Killaloe and Clonfertsince 1976See part of the united bishopric of Limerick and KillaloeSources: , The Province of Munster, pp. 502–504., Handbook of British Chronology, p. 395., Maps, Genealogies, Lists, p. 417.

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