Bishop of Clonmacnoise was the ordinary of the Roman Catholic episcopal see based at Clonmacnoise, County Offaly, Ireland. The bishops of Clonmacnoise () appear in the records for the first time in the 9th century, although inferior in status to the Abbot of Clonmacnoise until the reformation of the Irish Church in the 12th century. After the Reformation, there were several parallel bishops placed by the Church of Ireland until the Diocese of Clonmacnoise was merged with Diocese of Meath to form the Diocese of Meath and Kildare in 1569. In the Roman Catholic Church, separate bishops continued longer. The diocese came under the administration of the Bishop of Ardagh between 1688 and 1725, before the provision of Stephen MacEgan in 1725. Although MacEgan was translated to Meath in 1729, he continued to administer Clonmacnoise separately until his death in 1756, after which the see was finally merged into the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise.
List of abbots of Clonmacnoise
List of bishops of Clonmacnoise TenureIncumbentNotesd. 713Fáilbe Becd. 889Tuathchard. 890Máel Odard. 904Cairpre Crommd. 919Loingsechd. 922Fer Dálachd. 942Dúnchad mac Suthainénd. 949Óenucán mac Écertaigd. 955Dúnadach mac Écertaigd. 971Tuathald. 971Máenach mac Máel Míchild. 979Flann mac Máel Míchild. 998Conaing ua Coscraigd. 1001Máel Póild. 1010Conaing mac Áedacáind. 1037Flaithbertach mac Loingsigd. 1067Célechair Mugdornach mac Cuinn na mBochtd. 1104Gilla Críst Ua hEchtigirnd. 1105Muiredach Ua Máel Dúinc. 1111–1136Domnall mac Flannacáin Ua DubthaigAbbot of Roscommon and Bishop of Elphin.x1152–1187Muirchertach Ua Máel Uidir?–1207Cathal Ua Máel Eóin1207–1214Muiredach Ua Muirecén1214–1220Áed Ua Máel Eóin (I)1220–1227Máel Ruanaid Ua ModáinResigned in 1227; died 1230.1227–1236Áed Ua Máel Eóin (II)1236–c. 1252Thomas Fitz Patrick1252–1278Tomás Ua CuinnO. F. M.1280–1289AnonymousO. F. M..elected 1282GilbertBlinded, and never consecrated.1290–1297Uilliam Ua DubthaigO. F. M..1298–1302Uilliam Ua FinnéinO. Cist.1302–?Domhnall Ua BráeinO. F. M..?–1337Lughaidh Ua Dálaigh1337–x1368HenryO. P.provided 1349SimonO. P.; provided 11 May 1349; election did not take effect.1369–1371Richard Braybroke1371–1380xHugh?–1388Philip Ó MaoilResigned 30 January 1388; died 1420.1388–1397Milo CorrO. F. M..1397–1423Philip NangleO. Cist..provided 1423David PrendergastO. Cist.; provided on 24 September 1423, but the provision did not take effect.1425–1444Cormac Mac Cochláin1444–1487Seaán Ó Dálaigh1449ThomasOn 27 October 1449 Pope Nicholas V allowed Bishop Thomas to hold this see in commendam; nothing more is known.provided 1458WilliamO. S. A.; provided on 14 July 1458. Not known to have held the see physically, but acted as a suffragan in the diocese of Durham .1480–1486James1487–1508Walter Blakec. 1509–1514Tomás Ó MaolalaidhO. F. M.; translated to the archbishopric of Tuam.1516–1539Quintin Ó hUiginnO. F. M.; also write Quintin O'Higgins1539Richard HoganO. F. M..1539–c. 1555Florence KirwanO. F. M..1556–1568Peter WallO. F. M..; for later Bishops of the Church of Ireland see Bishop of Meath1585–?Alan SullivanFrom 1630Terence CoghlanVicar Apostolic only.1647–1657Anthony MacGeogheganO. F. M.; translated to the bishopric of Meath.From 1657William O'ShielVicar Apostolic only.From 1683Moriarty KearneyVicar Apostolic only.1688–c. 1698Gregory Fallon1725–1729/1756Stephen MacEganO. P.; Although MacEgan was translated to Meath in 1729, he continued to administer Clonmacnoise separately until his death in 1756, after which the see was finally merged into the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise.
References
Annette Kehnel, Clonmacnois the Church and Lands of St. Ciarán:Change and Continuity in an Irish Monastic Foundation (6th- to 16th Century), 1995, Transaction Publishers, Rutgers – State University, USA. .