The Dean of Elphin and Ardagh is based in St John the Baptist Cathedral, Sligo in the Diocese of Elphin and Ardagh within the united bishopric of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh of the Church of Ireland. The dioceses of Elphin and Ardagh were merged in 1841. The original cathedral had been destroyed by military action in 1496 and the original diocesan cathedral was damaged by a storm in 1957 and abandoned in 1961.
The current incumbent is The Very Reverend A. Williams.
Deans of Elphin Malachi O'Flanagan: ? – 1587 Thomas O'Heidegein: 1587 Thomas Burke: 1591–1603 Edward King: 1603 (later Bishop of Elphin) Eriell O'Higgin: 1606 John Evatt: 1613–1633 1634 Richard Jones: 1634 Joseph Ware: 1642–1648 Edward Synge: ? – 1661 (afterwards Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe) Clement Paman: 1661–1664 (poet) Daniel Neyland: 1664 1665 Thomas Crofton: 1665 Anthony Cope: 1683–1700 (afterwards Dean of Connor) Edward Goldsmith: 1700–1723 Peter Mahon: 1723–1739 Christopher Lloyd: 1739–1757 James Dickson: 1757–1768 (afterwards Dean of Down) Robert Bligh: 1768–1778 John Barry: 1778–1794 Francis Browne: 1794–1797 John French: 1797–1848 William Warburton: 1848–1894 Francis Burke: 1894–1900 Alexander Kearney: 1904–1912
Deans of Ardagh John Bowerman: 1552 1563 William Brady: 1563 Robert Richardson: 1595 Lewis Jones: 1606–1625 (also Dean of Cashel) Henry Jones: 1625–1637 (son of above; afterwards Dean of Kilmore) Nicholas Bernard: 1637 – ? (fled to England 1641; later chaplain to Oliver Cromwell) John Kerb/Carr: 1661–1701 John Barton: 1701 Charles Cobbe: 1718–1720 (afterwards Bishop of Killala and Achonry) Josiah Hort: 1720–1721 (afterwards Bishop of Ferns) Robert Howard: 1721 (later Bishop of Killala and Achonry) Lewis Saurin: 1727–1749 (d. 1749) George Sandford: 1749–1757 Thomas White: 1757–1769 William French: 1769–1785 Lilly Butler: 1785–1790 Charles Mongan Warburton: 1790–1800 (afterwards Dean of Clonmacnoise, later Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe) The Hon. Richard Bourke: 1800–1813 (afterwards Bishop of Waterford and Lismore 1813) Richard Graves: 1814–1829 Richard Murray: 1829–1854 Usher Tighe: 1854–1860 (afterwards Dean of Derry) Augustus William West: 1860–1880 Alexander Orme: 1880–1896 Frederic Potterton: 1896–1912 (d. 1912) Thomas Reilly: 1913–1921
Deans of Elphin and Ardagh John Ardill: 1933–1944 John Beresford: 1944–1954 James Wilson: 1954–1963 George Bolton: 1963–1967 Cecil Wyndham Browne: 1967–1983 Hugh Mortimer: 1983–1991 Stuart McGee: 1992–1999 David Griscome: 1999–2004 Arfon Williams: 2004–present
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