Bishop of Raphoe

The Bishop of Raphoe is an episcopal title which takes its name after the town of Raphoe in County Donegal, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.

History

In the earliest period of the diocese, the episcopal see was often referred to as Tír Conaill (the surrounding region). It was also sometimes written as Ráith Both, the Middle Irish spelling of the location. In 1266, Bishop Germanus of Derry forcibly transferred the Inishowen peninsula from jurisdiction of the diocese of Raphoe to Derry.

After the Reformation, there were parallel episcopal successions. In the Church of Ireland, the title continued until 1834 when it united with Derry and formed the united bishopric of Derry and Raphoe.

In the Roman Catholic Church, the title continues as a separate bishopric. The current Incumbent is the Most Reverend Philip Boyce, O.C.D., Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raphoe, who was appointed by the Holy See on 29 June 1995 and ordained Bishop on 1 October 1995.

Pre-Reformation bishops

Pre-Reformation Bishops of Raphoe [1]>[2][3]
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
dates unknown		Eóin Ua Gairedáin [A]
dates unknown		Domnall Ua Garbáin [B]	Also recorded as Domnall Ua Garbáin
dates unknown		Feidlimid Ua Sida [C]	Also recorded as Feidlimid Ua Sida
bef.1156	c.1175	Gilla in Choimded Ua Caráin	Became bishop before 1156; translated to Armagh circa 1175; also known as Gilbert O'Caran, or Gilbertus
unknown	1198	(Name not known)	Resigned before 18 March 1198
bef.1204	1252	Máel Ísu Ua Doirig	Became bishop before 1204; resigned before 7 March 1252
1253	1261	Máel Patraic Ua Scannail, O.P.	Elected circa November and consecrated 30 November 1253; translated to Armagh 5 November 1261; also known as Patrick Ó Scannail, or Patricius
1263	1265	Giovanni de Alneto, O.F.M.	Appointed 3 December 1263; resigned 28 April 1265
1265	1274	Cairpre Ó Scuapa	Appointed after 28 April 1265; acted as a suffragan bishop in the diocese of Canterbury 1273; died 1274
c.1275	1299	Fergal Ó Firghil	Became bishop circa 1275; died in 1299; also known as Fergal O'Ferrell, or Florentius
bef.1306	1306	Tomás Ó Naán	Archdeacon of Raphoe; elected bishop before 1306, but was never consecrated; died in 1306
1306	1319	Énri Mac in Chrossáin	Became bishop circa 1306; died in 1319; also known as Henricus
1319	1337	Tomás Mac Carmaic Uí Domnaill, O.Cist.	Formerly Abbot of Assaroe Abbey; elected bishop in 1319; died in 1337
unknown	1367	Pádraig Mac Maonghaill	Died before October 1367
1367	1397	Conchobhar Mac Carmaic Uí Dhomhnaill, O.Cist.	Appointed 23 December 1367; resigned 21 February 1397; died in 1399; also known as Cornelius
1397	unknown	Seoán Mac Meanmain, O.Cist.	Appointed 21 February 1397; date of death or end of episcopate unknown
1400	1419	Eóin Mac Carmaic	Appointed before 8 December 1400; died in 1419; also known as Johannes
1420	1438	Lochlainn Ó Gallchobhair I	Formerly Dean of Rahoe Cathedral; elected bishop before 27 February and appointed 28 February 1420; died 1438; also known as Laurentius
1440	1442	Cornelius Mac Giolla Bhrighde	Appointed 20 July and consecrated after 30 July 1440; died before June 1442
1443	1479	Lochlainn Ó Gallchobhair II	Appointed 18 June 1442 and consecrated after 23 July 1443; died before November 1479; also known as Laurentius
1479	1482	Johannes de Rogeriis	Appointed 12 November 1479; died before November 1482
1482	1514	Meanma Mac Carmaic	Appointed 4 November 1482; resigned 6 February 1514; died 9 May 1515; also known as Menelaus Mac Carmacáin

Post-Reformation bishops

Church of Ireland succession

Church of Ireland Bishops of Raphoe [4][5][6]
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1514	aft.1550	Conn O'Cahan [D]	Appointed 6 or 13 February 1514; accepted royal supremacy in 1534; died after 1550; also known as Cornelius O'Cahan, or Conn Ó Cathláin
unknown	1561	Art O'Gallagher [F]	Papal appointee in 1547 and presumably recognized bishop of both successions when they were briefly reunited under Queen Mary I; died 13 August 1561
1561	1603	See vacant
1603		Denis Campbell	Dean of Limerick; nominated to Raphoe, Derry and Clogher in 1603, but died before consecration in July in the same year
1603	1605	See vacant
1605	1609	George Montgomery	Nominated 15 February and appointed by letters patent 13 June 1605; also was bishop of Derry (1605-1609), Clogher (1605-1621), and Meath (1609-1621); died 15 January 1621
1611	1633	Andrew Knox	Translated from The Isles; nominated 7 May 1610 and appointed by letters patent 26 June 1611; died 17 March 1633
1633	1661	John Leslie	Translated from The Isles; nominated 8 April and appointed by letters patent 1 June 1633; translated to Clogher 17 June 1661
1661	1671	Robert Leslie	Translated from Dromore; nominated 29 April and appointed by letters patent 20 June 1661; translated to Clogher 26 October 1671
1671	1681	Ezekiel Hopkins	Nominated 6 September and consecrated 29 October 1671; translated to Derry 11 November 1681
1682	1693	William Smyth	Translated from Killala and Achonry; nominated 16 January and appointed by letters patent 17 February 1682; translated to Kilmore and Ardagh 5 April 1693
1693	1701	Alexander Cairncross	Formerly Archbishop of Glasgow (1684-1687); nominated 22 March and appointed by letters patent 16 May 1693; died 14 May 1701
1701		Robert Huntington	Nominated 7 June and consecrated 20 July 1701; died 2 September 1701[7]
1702	1712	John Pooley	Translated from Cloyne; nominated 14 May and appointed by letters patent 12 September 1702; died 16 October 1712
1713	1714	Thomas Lindsay	Translated from Killaloe; nominated 23 April and appointed by letters patent 6 June 1713; translated to Armagh 4 January 1714
1714	1716	Edward Synge	Formerly Chancellor of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin; nominated 7 October and consecrated 7 November 1714; translated to Tuam 8 June 1716
1716	1743	Nicholas Forster	Translated from Killaloe; nominated 22 May and appointed by letters patent 8 June 1716; died 5 June 1743
1744	1747	William Barnard	Formerly Dean of Rochester (1743-1744); nominated 20 April and consecrated 19 August 1744; translated to Derry 19 March 1747
1747	1752	Philip Twysden	Nominated 28 February and consecrated 29 March 1747; apparently was shot dead on 2 November 1752 while committing a robbery of a stagecoach in London; his only posthumously child was Frances Twysden (1753-1821)
1753	1763	Robert Downes	Translated from Down and Connor; nominated 28 December 1752 and appointed by letters patent 16 January 1753; died 30 June 1763
1763	1780	John Oswald	Translated from Dromore; nominated 18 July and appointed by letters patent 25 August 1763; died 4 March 1780
1780	1807	James Hawkins	Translated from Dromore; nominated 20 March and appointed by letters patent 1 April 1780; died 23 June 1807
1807	1819	Lord John Beresford	Translated from Cork and Ross; nominated 23 July and appointed by letters patent 10 August 1807; translated to Clogher 25 September 1819
1819	1822	William Magee	Formerly Dean of Cork; appointed by letters patent 22 September and consecrated 24 October 1819; translated to Dublin 24 June 1822
1822	1834	William Bissett	Nominated 17 June and consecrated 21 July 1822; died 5 September 1834
Since 1834, the Church of Ireland see has been part of the united bishopric of Derry and Raphoe

Roman Catholic succession

Roman Catholic Bishops of Raphoe [8][9][10]
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1514	1534	Conn O'Cahan [E]	Appointed 6 or 13 February 1514; deprived when he execepted royal supremacy in 1534; died after 1550; also known as Cornelius O'Cahan, or Conn Ó Cathláin Cornelius O'Cahan
1534	1543	Edmund O'Gallagher	Appointed 11 May 1534; died 26 February 1543; also known as Éamonn Ó Gallchobhair
1547	1561	Art O'Gallagher [G]	Appointed 5 December 1547; presumably recognized bishop of both successions when they were briefly reunited under Queen Mary I; died 13 August 1561
1562	1589	Donald MacGongail	Appointed 28 January 1562; died 29 September 1589; also known as Donald McGonagle
1589	1591	See vacant
1591	1611	Niall O'Boyle	Appointed 9 August 1591; died 6 February 1611
1611	1621	See vacant
1621	1661	John O'Cullenan	Appointed vicar apostolic by papal brief 1 December 1621; appointed bishop 9 June 1625; left Ireland in March 1653; died 24 March 1661
apptd. 1657		Hugh O'Gallagher	Appointed vicar apostolic to administer the see by papal brief 10 July 1657
1695	1696	Fergus Laurence Lea	Bishop of Derry (1694-1696); appointed Apostolic Administrator of Raphoe 18 February 1695; died in 1696
1696	1725	See vacant
1725	1737	James O'Gallagher	Appointed 21 July and consecrated 14 November 1725; translated to Kildare and Leighlin 18 May 1737
1737	1749	Daniel O'Gallagher, O.F.M.	Appointed 10 December and consecrated 29 December 1737; died 1749
1750	1755	Anthony O'Donnell, O.F.M.	Appointed 19 January 1750; died 26 April 1755
1755	1758	Nathaniel O'Donnell	Appointed 18 July 1755; died 1758
1759	1782	Philip O'Reilly	Appointed 9 January and consecrated 22 April 1759; died 1782
1782	1801	Anthony Coyle	Appointed coadjutor bishop 27 April and consecrated 14 September 1777; succeeded 1782; died 21 January 1801
1802	1819	Peter McLaughlin	Appointed 25 April and consecrated 24 August 1802; resigned 29 July 1819; appointed Apostolic Administrator of Derry in 1819 and became Bishop of Derry in April 1824
1820	1861	Patrick McGettigan	Appointed 25 June and consecrated 17 September 1820; died 1 May 1861
1861	1870	Daniel McGettigan	Appointed coadjutor bishop 13 February and consecrated 18 May 1856; succeeded 1 May 1861; translated to Armagh 7 March 1870
1871	1879	James McDevitt	Appointed 13 February and consecrated 30 April 1871; died 5 January 1879
1879	1887	Michael Logue	Appointed 13 May and consecrated 20 July 1879; translated to Armagh as coadjutor archbishop on 19 or 30 April 1887, and succeeded there as Archbishop of Armagh on 3 December 1887
1888	1922	Patrick Joseph O'Donnell	Appointed 26 February and consecrated 3 April 1888; translated to Armagh as coadjutor archbishop on 14 February 1922, and succeeded there as Archbishop of Armagh on 19 November 1924
1923	1963	William MacNeely	Appointed 21 April and consecrated 22 July 1923; died 11 December 1963
1965	1982	Anthony Columba McFeely	Appointed 14 May and consecrated 27 June 1965; resigned 16 February 1982
1982	1994	Séamus Hegarty	Appointed 16 February and consecrated 28 March 1982; translated to Derry 1 October 1994
1995	present	Philip Boyce, O.C.D.	Appointed 29 June and consecrated 1 October 1995

Notes

• ^{A B C} These three bishops are named as the first known bishops of Raphoe in a seventeenth century catalogue, however, no dates were given.
• Cornelius O'Cahan ^{D E} and Art O'Gallagher ^{F G} were bishops of both successions.

See also

• Cathedral of St. Eunan and St Columba, the Roman Catholic bishop's seat located in Letterkenny

References

1. ^ Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology (Third ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 370–371. ISBN 0-521-56350-X. 
2. ^ Moody, T. W.; Martin, F. X.; Byrne, F. J., eds (1984). Maps, Genealogies, Lists: A Companion to Irish History, Part II. New History of Ireland: Volume XI. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 278–280. ISBN 0198217455 
3. ^ Cotton, Henry (1851). The Succession of the Prelates and Members of the Cathedral Bodies of Ireland. Fasti ecclesiae Hiberniae. Vol. 1, The Province of Munster (2nd Edition, corrected and englarged ed.). Dublin: Hodges and Smith. pp. 347–349. 
4. ^ Fryde, ibid., p. 405.
5. ^ Moody, ibid., p. 409-411.
6. ^ Cotton, ibid., p. 350-359.
7. ^ DNB
8. ^ Fryde, ibid., pp. 441-442.
9. ^ Moody, ibid., p. 352-354.
10. ^ Diocese of Raphoe. Catholic Hierarchy. Retrieved on 8 August 2009.