The Archdeacon of Leighlin was a senior ecclesiastical officerFryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology (Third Edition, revised ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 407. . within the Diocese of Ferns and Leighlin until 1835"A New History of Ireland" by Theodore William Moody, F. X. Martin, Francis John Byrne, Art Cosgrove: Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1976 and then within the Diocese of Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin until 1977 when it was further enlarged to become the Diocese of Cashel and Ossory. As such he was responsible for the disciplinary supervision of the clergy"ABCD: a basic church dictionary" Meakin, T: Norwich, Canterbury Press, 2001 within the Cloyne Diocese."Clerical and Parochial Records of Cork, Cloyne, and Ross" Maziere Brady, W: London, Longmans, 1864
The archdeaconry can trace its history from William, the first known incumbent, who held the office in 1200"Fasti Ecclesiae Hibernicae: The succession of the prelates Volume 2" Cotton, H. p397 Dublin, Hodges & Smith, 1848-1878 to the last discrete holder John Richard Hedges Becher who was appointed in 1922.Crockford's Clerical Directory 1938 p88: London, Horace Cox,
It was replaced by the combined archdeaconry of Ossory and Leighlin in 1924.
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