The Bishop of Emly (Irish: Imleach Iubhair; Latin: Imilicensis) was a separate episcopal title which took its name after the village of Emly in County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland. In both the Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, it has been united with other sees.
The monastery in Emly was founded by Saint Ailbe in the 6th century.[1] After his death there was a succession of abbots of Emly, a few of whom were also consecrated as bishops.[1] In 1118, the Diocese of Emly became one of the twenty-four dioceses established at the Synod of Ráth Breasail. The diocese's boundaries were formally set out by the Synod of Kells in 1152, and consisted of a small portion of west County Tipperary, east County Limerick and southeast County Clare.[2]
After the Reformation in Ireland there were parallel apostolic successions: one of the Catholic Church and the other of the Church of Ireland.
In the Catholic Church, the see of Emly had an unsettled history from the mid-16th to the early 18th century. During that period, there were only three bishops and one vicar apostolic appointed, one of whom was executed. In 1695, James Stritch was nominated to be bishop, but is doubtful if he took possession of the see. The rest of the time there were long periods the see was vacant or administered by the archbishops of Cashel. On 10 May 1718, Pope Clement XI decreed the union of the sees of Cashel and Emly.[3] [4]
In the Church of Ireland, the see of Emly was united to the archepiscopal see of Cashel by an Act of Parliament in 1568.[5] Under the Church Temporalities (Ireland) Act 1833 (3 & 4 Will. 4. c. 37), the bishopric of Waterford and Lismore was united to the archbishopric of Cashel and Emly on 14 August 1833.[6] [7] On the death of Archbishop Laurence in 1838, the archepiscopal see lost its metropolitan status and became the bishopric of Cashel and Waterford.[8] Through reorganisation in the Church of Ireland in 1976, the bishopric of Emly was transferred to the bishopric of Limerick and Killaloe.[9] [10]
| Pre-Reformation Bishops of Emly | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| unknown | 1114 | Diarmait Ua Flainn Chua | Also Abbot of Emly. Died in office. |
| before 1152 | unknown | Gilla in Choimded Ua hArdmaíl | Known in Latin as Deicola. Present at the Synod of Kells in March 1152. Died in office. |
| unknown | 1163 | Máel Ísa Ua Laigenáin, O.Cist. | Died in office. |
| before 1172 | 1173 | Ua Meic Stia | Became bishop before 1172. Died in office. |
| before 1192 | 1197 | Ragnall Ua Flainn Chua | Also known as Reginald O'Flanua. He was bishop when Emly Cathedral was burnt down in 1192. Died in office. |
| before 1205 | after 1209 | M. | The bishop's name is unknown just by the initial letter "M.", which may stand for Máel Ísu. There is also mention in a document, dated 1302, of Isaac Ua hAnmchada (anglicised: Isaac O'Hanmy) as an early 13th-century bishop of Emly. |
| c.1209 | 1211 | (William) | Canon of Emly. Elected circa 1209, but annulled by Pope Innocent III on 5 January 1211. |
| 1212 | 1227 | Henry, O.Cist. | Formerly Abbot of Bindon, England. Elected and consecrated in 1212. During his episcopate, he obtained from King John the privilege for the town of Emly to hold fairs and markets. Died in office before 13 July 1227. |
| 1228 | 1236 | John Collingham | Formerly Chancellor of Emly Cathedral. Elected bishop before 13 July 1228, despite opposition from the Crown, and confirmed by Pope Gregory IX in that year. Consecrated before 25 June 1228 and received the temporalities after 25 June 1230. Died in office before 14 June 1236. |
| 1238 | (Daniel) | Prior of the Hospital of St John, Dublin. Elected before April and received the temporalities after 8 April 1238, but did not get possession of the see. | |
| 1238 | 1249 | Christianus | Elected before 18 October 1238. Died in office before 12 December 1249. |
| 1251 | 1265 | Gilbertus | Also known as Gilbert O'Doverty. Formerly Dean of Emly. Elected bishop before 12 October 1251 and received the temporalities on that date. Died in office on 9 October 1265. |
| 1266 | (Laurentius 'of Dunlak) | Precentor of Emly. Elected before 30 March 1266, but was never consecrated. | |
| 1266 | 1272 | Florentius Ó hAirt | Formerly a canon of Emly. Elected and confirmed bishop before 17 April 1266 and received the temporalities after that date. Consecrated circa Whitsuntide 1266. Died in office on 18 January 1272. |
| 1272 | 1275 | Matthaeus Mac Gormáin | Also known as Matthew MacGormain. Formerly Archdeacon of Emly. Elected and confirmed after 3 April and received the temporalities on 18 June 1272. Died in office on 24 March 1275. |
| 1275 | 1281 | David Ó Cossaig. O.Cist | Formerly Abbot of Holy Cross Abbey, Tipperary. Elected before 24 June and received the temporalities on 2 August 1275. Died in office on 11 June 1281. |
| 1286 | 1306 | William de Clifford | Appointed on 1 October 1286. Died in office before 10 August 1306. |
| 1306 | 1309 | Thomas Cantock | Elected before 3 September 1306 and received the temporalities on that date. Also Lord Chancellor of Ireland (1292–1294 and 1306–1308). Died in office on 4 February 1309. |
| 1309 | 1335 | William Roughead | Elected before 14 May 1309 and received the temporalities on that date. Died in office on 15 June 1335. |
| 1335 | 1356 | Richard le Walleys | Also recorded as Thomas Walsh. Elected before 16 August 1335 and received the temporalities on that date. Died in office before 15 March 1356. |
| 1356 | 1362 | John Esmond | Formerly Bishop of Ferns. Appointed Bishop of Emly on 11 January 1353, but did not get possession. Appointed again on 28 February 1356 and received the temporalities on 27 April 1356. Died in office on 4 April 1362. |
| 1362 | 1363 | David Penlyn | Also recorded as David Foynlyn. Formerly a canon of Emly. Appointed bishop on 4 July 1362 and consecrated before June 1363. Died in office. |
| 1363 | 1405 | William | Formerly Archdeacon of Emly. Appointed bishop on 7 June and received the temporalities on 11 October 1363. Died in office before December 1405. |
| 1405 | 1421 | Nicholas Ball | Translated from Ardfert & Aghadoe on 2 December 1405. Died in office in April 1421. |
| align=center colspan=2 | 1421 | (John Rishberry, O.E.S.A.) | Appointed on 21 April 1421, but the papal bulls were not expedited. |
| 1422 | 1425 | Robert Windell, O.F.M. | Appointed on 14 January 1423. Acted as a suffragan bishop in the English dioceses of Norwich (1424), Worcester (1433), and Salisbury (1435–41). Deprived of the see in 1425 and died in 1441. |
| 1425 | 1444 | Thomas de Burgh, O.S.A. | Also recorded as Thomas de Burgo. Formerly a canon regular of Clare Abbey. Appointed on 19 December 1425 and consecrated after 23 February 1428. Died in office in September 1444. |
| align=center colspan=2 | 1429 | (Robert Portland, O.F.M.) | Appointed on 5 March 1429, but did not take effect. Later appointed titular bishop of Tiberias in 1444 and acted as a suffragan bishop in the English diocese of Worcester (1456). |
| 1444 | 1448 | Cornelius Ó Cuinnlis, O.F.M. | Appointed on 11 September 1444 and consecrated before 16 January 1445. Translated to Clonfert on 30 August 1448. |
| 1448 | 1449 | Conchobair Ó Maolalaidh, O.F.M. | Translated from Clonfert on 30 August 1448. Afterwards translated to Elphin on 20 October 1448. |
| 1449 | 1475 | William Ó hEidheáin | Also recorded as William O Hetigan. Translated from Elphin on 20 October 1449. Died in office after February 1475. |
| 1476 | 1494 | Pilib Ó Cathail | Appointed on 1 December and consecrated after 9 January 1476. Died in office before November 1494. |
| 1494 | 1498 | Donatus Mac Briain | Appointed on 10 November 1494. Resigned before April 1498. Later acted as a suffragan bishop of the Worcester (1500). |
| 1498 | 1505 | Cinnéidigh Mac Briain | Also recorded as Carolus. Formerly a canon of Emly. Appointed bishop on 30 April 1498. Died in office before October 1505. |
| 1505 | 1542 | Thomas O'Hurley | Also known as Tomás Ó hUrthaile. Appointed on 6 October 1505 and consecrated circa 1507. Swore the Oath of Supremacy at Clonmel early in 1539.[11] Died in office in 1542. |
| Sources:[12] [13] [14] [15] | |||
| Catholic Bishops of Emly | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| 1542 | 1550–1551 | See vacant | |
| 1550–1551 | 1562 | Raymond Burke, O.F.M. | Also known as Raymond de Burgh and Raymond de Burgo. Appointed on 20 October 1550 or 19 January 1551. Died in office on 23 or 28 July 1562. |
| 1562 | 1567 | See vacant | |
| 1567 | 1586 | Maurice MacBrien | Also recorded as Maurice O'Brien. Appointed on 24 January 1567 and consecrated on 7 October 1671. Died in office in 1586. |
| 1586 | 1620 | See vacant | There is no record of vicars apostolic during this period, and was perhaps administered by the archbishops of Cashel. |
| 1620 | 1646 | Maurice Hurley | Also recorded as Maurice O'Hurley. Appointed on 1 June 1620 and consecrated on 7 September 1623. Died in office in September 1646. |
| 1647 | 1651 | Bl. Terence Albert O'Brien, O.P. | Appointed coadjutor bishop (with rights of succession) on 11 March 1647, the Holy See not knowing Bishop O'Hurley had already died. O'Brien was consecrated on 2 April 1648. He was executed on 26 November 1651 and was Beatified on 27 September 1992. |
| 1651 | 1657 | See vacant | |
| 1657 | 1669 | (William Burgat) | Appointed vicar apostolic of the see of Emly by a papal brief on 17 April 1657, and re-appointed on 24 November 1665. Became Archbishop of Cashel on 11 January 1669. |
| 1669 | 2015 | See administered by the archbishops of Cashel | |
| 1695 | (James Stritch) | Nominated by the Propaganda Fide on 3 or 30 August 1695. There is no record of his consecration, and is doubtful he ever took possession of the see. | |
| align=center colspan=2 | from 2015 | The see became part of the new Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly | |
| Sources:[16] [17] [18] | |||
| Church of Ireland Bishops of Emly | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| 1543 | 1553 | Angus O'Hernan | Also recorded as Aeneas. Nominated by King Henry VIII on 6 October 1542 and appointed by letters patent on 6 April 1543. Died in office in 1553. |
| 1553 | 1562 | Raymond Burke | Also recorded as Raymond de Burgh and Raymond de Burgo. Appointed by Holy See on 20 October 1550 or 19 January 1551. Presumably recognised by the crown in the reign of Queen Mary I. In a letter of 12 October 1561, the papal legate Fr David Wolfe SJ described all the bishops in Munster as 'adherents of the Queen'.[19] Died in office on 23 or 28 July 1562. |
| 1562 | 1568 | See vacant | |
| 1568 | 1838 | See part of the Anglican archbishopric of Cashel | |
| 1838 | 1976 | See part of the Anglican bishopric of Cashel and Waterford | |
| align=center colspan=2 | since 1976 | See part of the Anglican bishopric of Limerick and Killaloe | |
| Sources:[20] [21] [22] [23] | |||
. William Maziere Brady . The Episcopal Succession in England, Scotland and Ireland, A.D. 1400 to 1875 . 1876 . Tipografia Della Pace . Rome . 2 .
. Richard Bagwell . 1885–1890 . Ireland Under the Tudors . 1 . 305 .