Diocese of Lismore

Walsh c. xxv., p. 239

LISMORE ITS FOUNDATION Saint Carthag founded the see of Lismore in the year 633 This saint sometimes called Mochuda was horn in Kerry about the middle of the sixth century Having studied several years under Saint Comgall of Bangor he removed to Clonfert Molua with a view of practising greater austerity and of becoming acquainted with monastic discipline The first establishment of St Carthag was at Ratheny in the present county of Westmeath In this retreat he drew up a rule for his disciples and remaining here forty years was at length consecrated bishop Though his great sanctity and that of his monks should secure them protection against cruelty they were compelled to relinquish their monastery at Ratheny by Blathmac prince of the country but on being after their expulsion kindly received by Moelochtride prince of Nan desi and obtaining the tract of land in which Lismore is situated they settled there and founded the celebrated monastery of that place It soon became an episcopal see and was governed by a regular succession of prelates until it became united with Waterford in the year 1363 Its holy founder having retired to a solitary valley at the east end of the town spent the last years of his life in prayer and contemplation He died on the 14th of May AD 637 and was buried at Lismore Hitherto a wild and dreary spot Lismore soon became a considerable city and the fame of the school which St Carthag founded in connection with his monastery spreading not only over Ireland and England but also over the most distant parts of the continent of Europe numbers flocked from Gaul Germany Italy the regions of the Danube and from Scotland and Britain and those students who came in the days of Ireland's splendor and in those of the glory and renown of Lismore returned to their respective homes full of gratitude to the country that afforded them education and hospitality Ages have passed over revolutions have succeeded scarcely does tradition point out the site of this ancient asylum in which the genius of literature was once supreme After the death of the holy founder St Carthag the schools of Lismore became still more celebrated under the learned Cathaldus in the middle of the seventh century who afterwards succeeded to the bishopric of Tarentum in Italy and who it is said foretold the destruction of Naples Into the religious establishments of Lismore women were prevented from entering a ruJe that was observed in other monasteries until it was generally adopted over all the religious foundations of Ireland

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Some of the superiors of Irish communities would not even allow women to enter the chapels or churches belonging to them nor could ladies complain of this incivility as such churches were not intended for their use A similar observance is enforced in all the monasteries and convents of men episcopal seminaries and some colleges on the continent of Europe St Carthag the first bishop and the founder of the see of Lismore about the year 633 This venerable servant of God died as was already noted on the 14th day of May 637 Hierologus or Theologus abbot and bishop of Lismore died on the 16th of January 698 Colman or Mocholmoc son of Finbarr succeeded Hierlog in the government of the abbey and bishopric While Colman presided Lismore stood in a higher degree of reputation both for learning and virtue than any other seminary in Ireland Colman died on the 22d of January 702 Saint Cronan a learned man and called the wise was descended of a noble stock and of the same family with St Ailbe of Emly died on the 9th of February 717 Colman O Liathain a learned doctor and bishop of Lismore died about 725 Macoge died in 746 Ronan died in 763 but his consecration is doubtful Cormac Culenan prince of Desies in Munster and bishop of Lismore is said to have died in the year 918 is not to be confounded with Cormac of Cashel who was slain either in 903 or 908 O Mail Sluaig bishop of Lismore died AD 1025 Moriertach O Selbac died in 1034 Mac Airthir died in 1064 Mael Dun O Rebacain died in 1091 Mac Mic Aeducan died in 1113 Gilla Mocudu O Rebacain who it is supposed was only abbot died in 1129 as Malchus according to St Bernard was bishop of Lismore in 1123 when St Malachy repaired hither Malchus lived in 1123 He was says St Bernard a man full of days and virtues and the wisdom of God was in him Bishop Malchus was an Irishman educated in England and embraced a monastic life in the abbey of Winchester whence he was removed to the see of Lismore It is not decided whether different from the Malchus of Waterford who was promoted in 1096 to that see In the see of Lismore Malchus became eminenV by his great learning exemplary life and also by miracle as St Bernard testifies

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Maol or Malchus was preceptor to St Malachy O Moore of Armagh who was induced by the solicitations of Gilbert bishop of Limerick and legate of Ireland and the holy prelate of Lismore to accept the primatial chair Malchus according to Harris was living in 1134 but the year of his death is not on record Christian O Conarchy born near Bangor in Ulster a disciple of St Malachy and at last his archdeacon either in Armagh or Down succeeded in 1150 St Malachy sent Christian to tho abbey of St Bernard at Clairvaux to be instructed in the Cistercian institute where he became a monk and havingYeturned to Ireland in 1142 was appointed the first abbot of Mellifont Soon after consecrated bishop of Lismore he was constituted legate of Ireland While he sat in the chair of Lismore the synod of Kells was held at which he and Cardinal Paparo presided In the year 1157 Christian presided at a synod held in the abbey of Mellifont seventeen bishops together with Gelasius archbishop of Armagh assisting in its celebration While this synod sat the church of this beautiful abbey the most splendid in Ireland was consecrated According to Keating Christian was superior of all the monks of Ireland his own order Christian died very far advanced in years AD 1186 and was buried in the abbey of O Dorney or Kyrie eleisoH county of Kerry Tired of worldly pomp and choosing a life of retirement which was more genial with his earlier habits of prayer and contemplation this holy prelate resigned the see of Lismore in the year 1175 Felix bishop of Lismore was sitting in 1179 assisted at the council of Lateran held in that year He gave the church of St John at Lismore to tho abbey of Thomas court near Dublin The time of his consecration is to be inferred from the resignation of Christian and that of his death from the appointment of his successor Harris thinks his death ought to be placed in 1206 and considers this prelate of Lismore the one who was so grievously injured by Robert bishop of Waterford The contest began in the year 1209 when David Walsh was slain and renewed by his successor Robert If the prelate Felix was tho person thus injured he could not be put down as hors de combat in 1206 Odanus Or O Hcda a Cistercian monk and a disciple of St Malachy while that holy prelate sat in the chair of Down a man of great esteem for his learning sanctity and knowledge is said to have succeeded Christian O Conarchy in the see of Lismore If Felix and O Heda be one and the same his incumbency must have continued long after the year 1206 Robert of Bedford so called from the place of his birth in England was elected without the king's licence on the 12th day of December 16

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1218 His election on that account was voided by the king's council The proctors of the chapter Macrobius and David at once renouncing the first election produced authority from the canons of Lismore enabling them to elect whereupon licence being given they reelected Robert of Bedford whom the king confirmed giving him also the temporals the same year he was consecrated in London Robert of Waterford who claimed the see of Lismore as united to his own suggested a fraud in the proceedings of the canons at Lismore and supported his pretensions by exhibiting the letters of John cardinal priest of St Stephen on thd Coolian Mount the Pope's legate for the ordering and uniting of those bishoprics Upon this petition the king annulled the election of Robert de Bedford and directed that restitution of the temporals should be made in favor of Robert bishop of Waterford but Robert de Bedford appealed from the king's order to the Pope who referred the investigation of the cause to his legate Pandulph de Masca bishop elect of Norwich Stephen Langton archbishop of Canterbury and Benedict bishop of Rochester Having enquired into the matter a definitive sentence was given against the bishop of Waterford and it was declared that the union made by the former legate was void and the election of de Bedford good and valid The bishop of Waterford was moreover condemned in the sum of three hundred marks to the bishop of Lismore for past profits and costs of suit Robert de Bedford died soon after the termination of the contest with the bishop of Waterford AD 1222 Griffin Christopher chancellor of Lismore was elected to this see in the year 1223 but was not consecrated until 1227 as it appears he had not received the confirmation of his metropolitan This prelate was the first who instituted vicars choral in the cathedral of Lismore Before his death he granted away eighty acres of land two of mea dow eighty of wood belonging to this see to Philip Fitz Adam Christopher senior without the consent of his chapter Griffin died m 1246 Alan O Sullivan a Dominican friar was translated to the see of Lismore from the diocese of Cloyne in 1248 and died in 1252 Thomas Treasurer of Lismore was elected by the dean and chapter of Lismore in April 1253 was confirmed by the king in July following Two years before his death some trouble arosO between this prelate and Mathew le Poer who arrested the prelate and kept him in prison for some time This affair took place in 1268 Thomas having died was buried in his own church John Roche or de Rupe descended of a noble family and chantor

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of Lismore was elected and confirmed AD 1270 He sat almost nine years and died about Whitsuntide 1279 Richard Cor chancellor of Lismore was elected and obtained the temporals on the 24h of October 1279 A great contest arose between this prelate and Stephen Fulburn bishop of Waterford about some lands the affair remaining undecided through the translation of Stephen to the see of Tuam it was again revived between him and Walter Fulburn Stephen's successor in the see of Waterford It was at last composed in the year 1288 In 1297 Richard brought a writ of entry in the post against Philip Fitz Adam Christopher jun for possessions which GrifBn Christopher granted without the consent of his chapter Richard was successful in his suit He died a little before the feast of All Saints in 1303 and was buried in his own church William of Flanders or Fleming was elected in the end of 1303 or the beginning of the following year bishop of Lismore William was archdeacon of Lismore before his election to the see He died about November 1321 John Leynagh a secular priest was consecrated on Palm Sunday 1323 bishop of Lismore In 1347 he was indicted for opposing the subsidy which the parliament granted to the king and was found guilty John died a little before Christmas 1354 and deserved well of his successors for recovering the possessions of his see After the death of this prelate the see was kept vacant some years Thomas le Reve was promoted to the see of Lismore at Avignon in 1358 and during his incumbency the sees of Waterford and Lismore were united AD 1363 by Pope Urban V an act which the King Edward HI confirmed on the 7th of October following Thomas le Reve died a very old man AD 1393 and had been in 1367 chancellor of Ireland for some time It appears that the union of thoso sees had been in contemplation a long time before the act of Pope Urban and must have been the cause of the disputes between the prelates of those sees disputes that were disastrous to life and to the interest of religion It is lamentable to have to record such quarrels between those who are constituted to inculcate and enforce virtue and forbearance in others while avarice or a vile propensity to acquire wealth and territory which would be criminal even in the laic stimulates them to acts of spoliation and of rapine It is worthy of remark that no such disgraceful conduct took place in the Irish church until her so called reformers thronged the precincts of her sanctuary and disgraced the very name of religion by their crimes and excesses

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Robert Kead a Dominican friar succeeded in 1394 In two years after he was translated to the see of Carlisle in England Thomas Sparkford a secular priest of the diocese of Bath and Wells succeeded to those united sees in 1396 Thomas died intestate in 1397 John Deping a Dominican friar was consecrated in 1397 A prelate of the name of Colby is said to have enjoyed the bishopric a very short time between the death of Jofin Deping and the appointment of Thomas Sncll in 1399 the year in which Deping died Thomas Snell archdeacon of Glendaloch having renounced all clauses in the Pope's provision prejudicial to the king and having sworn fealty obtained the temporals in 1399 he sat about six years and was translated to the see of Ossory in 1405 Roger succeeded in 1405 sat three years and some months John Geese a Carmelite friar succeeded in August 1409 by provision of Pope Alexander V John died in December 1425 He was a doctor of divinity in the university of Oxford and a prelate greatly celebrated for his piety and learning Whatever may be said of hia learning the impeachment of Richard O Hedian archbishop of Cashol before the parliament does little credit to his piety Richard archdeacon of Lismore succeeded by the provision of the Pope Martin V in 1426 He died on the 7th day of May 1446 and was buried at Waterford in a monument fixed in the wall of his cathedral A report of his death having been circulated Thomas Bird a Dominican friar was consecrated in 1436 to preside over the sees of Waterford and Lismore who died in 1446 Robert Poer dean of Limerick succeeded in 1446 He obtained a licence from King Edward IV to purchase lands in mortmain for himself and his successors to the yearly value of forty pounds Robert died about the year 1471 greatly esteemed for his charity and hospitality Richard Martin a Franciscan friar and professor of divinity was appointed by the Pope to succeed in March 1472 John Bolcomp succeeded in 1475 was consecrated in this or the following year and died in 1479 Nicholas O Henisa a Cistercian monk and abbot of St Mary's of Fermoy succeeded in 1480 by provision of Pope Sixtus IV He sat but a short time John rector of Baudrip in the diocese of Bath and Wells was bishop of Waterford in 1482 Thomas Purcell succeeded in 1486 The same year Thomas took care to have the ancient charters of the church of Lismore among its other antiquities transcribed into a registry by his amanuensis John

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Russel economist of that church it was afterwards destroyed by an accidental fire in 1617 Thomas Purcell died AD 1517 Nicholas Comyn a native of Limerick bishop of Ferns was translated to the sees of Waterfowl and Lismore in 1519 Nicholas resignod AD 1551 Nicholas Fagan abbot of Inislannacht was provided by the Pope Died and was buried in this abbey AD 1617 Patrick Comerford of the order of St Augustin succeeded Died an exile at Nantz in France Was living in 1649 John Brennan was translated to Cashel in 1676 Edward Connery was bishop of Waterford and Lismore in 1685 Richard Pierce succeeded in 1701 Was in exile AD 1735 Stretch bishop of Waterford and Lismore succeeded in 1736 Patrick Creagh or Crowe succeeded in 1770 died in 1775 William Egan elected in 1772 coadjutor succeeded in 1775 Thomas Hussey elected in 1796 died in 1803 John Power elected in 1804 died in 1816 Robert Walsh deposed died in Rome 1822 Patrick Kelly translated from Richmond South America to Waterford and Lismore died on the 8th of October 1829 William Abraham consecrated in 1830 died in the beginning of 1847 Nicholas Foran the present bishop consecrated on the 24th of August 1847