The Bishop of Ross (Irish: Ross Ailithir; Corco Loígde; Latin: Rossensis) was a separate episcopal title which took its name after the town of Rosscarbery in County Cork, Ireland. The title is now united with other bishoprics. In the Church of Ireland it is held by the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross,[1] and in the Roman Catholic Church it is held by the Bishop of Cork and Ross.[2]
| Pre-Reformation Bishops of Ross | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes | |
| unknown | 1160 | Nechtan Mac Nechtain | Died in office. | |
| unknown | 1168 | ? Ua Cerbaill | Also known as O'Carroll. He was either bishop of Ross or Roscrea. | |
| Benedictus | ||||
| Mauricius | ||||
| 1223 | Daniel | Elected circa 1196 and consecrated before January 1198. Died in office in 1223. | ||
| 1224 | Fingen Ó Clothna | Also known as Florentius. Elected before 7 May 1224. Resigned before January 1253. | ||
| 1253 | 1265 | Mauricius | Formerly precentor of Cloyne. Elected before 16 July 1253, consecrated after 2 March 1254, and received possession of the temporalities after 18 July 1254. Resigned circa 25 April 1265. | |
| 1269 | 1274 | Ualter Ó Mithigéin, O.F.M. | Also known as Walter O'Mithigein. Elected before 23 September 1269 and received possession of the temporalities after that date. Died in office before 13 December 1274. | |
| Matthaeus | Elected circa 1269 and confirmed by Pope Gregory X on 28 December 1272, but did not get possession of the see. | |||
| 1275 | 1290 | Peter Ó h-Uallacháin, O.Cist. | Possibly also known as Patricius. Elected before 25 March 1275 and received possession of the temporalities on 25 March 1275. Died in office on 21 September 1290. | |
| 1291 | 1310 | Laurentius | Formerly a canon of Ross. Elected before 12 January 1291 and received possession of the temporalities on that date. Died in office before 8 March 1310. | |
| 1310 | 1320 | Matthaeus Ó Finn | Elected and received possession of the temporalities after 8 March 1310. Died in office on 16 October 1320. | |
| 1320 | 1331 | See vacant | ||
| 1331 | 1335 | Laurentius Ó h-Uallacháin | Elected on 30 April 1331 and received possession of the temporalities on 14 August 1331. Died in office in 1335. | |
| 1336 | 1377 | Dionysius | Elected in 1336. Died in office in 1377. | |
| 1377 | 1379 | See vacant | ||
| 1379 | Bernard Ó Conchobhair, O.F.M. | Also known as Bernard O'Connor. Received possession of the temporalities on 3 February 1379. Translated to Limerick circa 1399, but the translation did not take effect. | ||
| Peter Curragh | Also known as Peter Creagh. Translated from Limerick circa 1399, but the translation did not take effect. | |||
| Thaddaeus O Ceallaigh | Abbot of Maure (Abbeymahon). Papal provision circa 1399, but did not take effect. | |||
| 1401 | 1403 | Mac Raith Ó hEidirsgeóil | Also known as Macrobius or Matthaeus. Papal provision before 4 August 1401, but annulled on 25 June 1403, and died in 1418. | |
| 1403 | aft.1420 | Stephen Brown, O.Carm. | Papal provision on 24 April 1399, but apparently did not take effect. Received possession of the temporalities on 6 May 1402 and papal provision again on 25 June 1403. Acted as a suffragan bishop in the dioceses of St David's (1408), Bath & Wells (1410), Hereford (1418), and Worcester (1420). Died after 1420. | |
| 1418 | 1423 | Walter Formay, O.F.M. | Papal provision on 14 November 1418, Died in office before September 1423. | |
| 1424 | John Bloxworth, O.Carm. | Papal provision on 24 September 1424, but did not take effect. | ||
| 1426 | unknown | Conchobhar Mac Fhaolchadha, O.F.M. | Also known as Cornelius. Papal provision on 19 August 1426. Not known his episcopate ended, but died before December 1448. | |
| unknown | Maurice Brown | Died before July 1431, since he only appears in the papal provision of his successor Walter of Leicester. | ||
| 1431 | unknown | Walter of Leicester, O.P. | Papal provision on 13 July 1431. | |
| 1434 | unknown | Richard Clerk | Formerly a clerc in the Diocese of Meath. Papal provision on 10 March 1434. Acted as a suffragan bishop in the dioceses of London (1434–41), Canterbury (1439–65), and Salisbury (1454). Died after 1465. | |
| 1448 | bef. 1474 | Domhnall Ó Donnobháin | Formerly a clerc in the Diocese of Ross. Papal provision on 4 November 1448. Resigned and died before 1474 | |
| unknown | 1460 | Johnannes | Acted as a suffragan bishop in the Bath & Wells (1450–60). Died in March 1460. | |
| 1460 | unknown | Robert Colynson | Formerly a priest in the Diocese of York. Papal provision on 19 March 1460 | |
| 1464 | unknown | John Hornse | Also known as John Skipton. Acted as a suffragan bishop in the dioceses of Norwich (1466–69) and Bath & Wells (1479–81). Died after 1481. | |
| 1473 | 1494 | Aodh Ó hEidirsgeóil | Also known as Odo. Formerly a canon of Ross. Papal provision on 24 March and consecrated on 11 April 1473. Died before September 1494. | |
| 1482 | 1483 | Thaddeus McCarthy | Also known as Tadhg Mac Cartaigh. Formerly a canon of Cork. Papal provision on 29 March and consecrated on 3 May 1482. Deprived on 3 August 1483. Later appointed Bishop of Cork and Cloyne on 21 April 1490. | |
| 1494 | 1517 | John Edmund de Courcy, O.F.M. | Translated from Clogher on 26 September 1494. Resigned on 4 November 1517. | |
| 1517 | 1519 | Seaán Ó Muirthile, O.Cist. | Also known as John O'Murily. Formerly abbot of Maure (Abbeymahon). Papal provision on 4 November 1517. Died on 9 January 1519. | |
| 1519 | 1526 | Tadhg Ó Raghallaigh | Also known as Thaddeus. Papal provision Bishop of Dromore on 30 April 1511 and Bishop of Ross on 23 December 1519. Held both sees until his death sometime before June 1526. | |
| Bonaventura | A native of Spain. No record of a papal provision, but believed to be alive around 27 March 1523. | |||
| Source(s):[3] [4] | ||||
| Bishops of Ross during the Reformation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes | |
| 1526 | 1552 | Dermot MacCarthy, O.S.A. | Also known as Diarmaid Mac Carthaigh. Papal provision on 6 June 1526. Died in office in 1552. | |
| 1554 | 1559 | Maurice O'Fihely, O.F.M. | Papal provision on 12 January 1554 and again on 25 May 1554. Died in office before 27 January 1559. | |
| Source(s):[5] [6] | ||||
| Church of Ireland Bishops of Ross | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes | |
| 1559 | 1582 | See vacant | ||
| 1582 | 1583 | William Lyon | Nominated by the crown on 30 March 1582 and appointed by letters patent on 12 May 1582. Became Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross in November 1583. Died in office on 4 October 1617. | |
| 1583 | 1638 | Part of the united bishopric of Cork, Cloyne and Ross. | ||
| 1638 | 1660 | Part of the united bishopric of Cork and Ross. | ||
| 1660 | 1678 | Part of the united bishopric of Cork, Cloyne and Ross. | ||
| 1679 | 1835 | Part of the united bishopric of Cork and Ross. | ||
| Since 1835 | Part of the united bishopric of Cork, Cloyne and Ross. | |||
| Source(s):[7] [8] | ||||
| Roman Catholic Bishops of Ross | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes | |
| 1559 | Maurice O'Hea | Papal provision on 7 April 1559. Died in office circa 1561. | ||
| 1561 | 1580 | Thomas O'Herlihy | Papal provision on 17 December 1561. Died in office on 11 March 1580. | |
| 1582 | 1587 | Bonaventura Naughton, O.F.M. | Papal provision on 20 August 1582. Died in office on 14 February 1587. | |
| 1587 | 1597 | See vacant | ||
| 1597 | unknown | (Eugene Egan (I.), vicar apostolic) | Appointed vicar apostolic by papal brief on 30 May 1597 (N.S.). | |
| 1619 | unknown | (Florence MacCarthy, vicar apostolic) | Appointed vicar apostolic by papal brief on 15 July 1619 (N.S.). Presumably died or replaced on Barry's appointment. | |
| 1620 | 1647 | (Robert Barry, vicar apostolic) | Appointed vicar apostolic by papal brief on 27 May 1620 (N.S.). Afterwards appointed Bishop of Cork and Cloyne on 8 April 1647. | |
| 1647 | 1650 | Boetius MacEgan, O.F.M. | Papal provision on 11 March 1647 (N.S.) and consecrated on 25 March 1648. Hanged after the Battle of Macroom on 11 May 1650 (N.S.). | |
| 1657 | unknown | (Eugene Egan (II.), vicar apostolic) | Appointed vicar apostolic by papal brief on 17 April 1657 (N.S.). | |
| 1693 | 1712 | (John Baptist Sleyne, apostolic administrator) | Bishop of Cork and Cloyne (1693–1712). Appointed apostolic administrator of Ross by papal brief on 11 March 1647 (N.S.). Resigned on 22 January 1712 (N.S.) and died on 16 February 1712 (N.S.). | |
| 1712 | 1732 | See vacant | Christopher Butler, Archbishop of Cashel, may have been apostolic administrator of Ross from circa 1711 until resigned the post in September 1730, but this has not been substantiated. | |
| 1732 | 1747 | (Thaddeus MacCarthy, apostolic administrator) | Bishop of Cork and Cloyne (1954–1958). Appointed apostolic administrator of Ross by papal brief on 20 June 1732 (N.S.). Died in office on 14 August 1747. | |
| 1747 | 1850 | Part of the united bishopric of Cloyne and Ross | ||
| 1850 | 1857 | William Keane | Papal provision on 24 November 1850, papal brief issued on 20 December 1850, and consecrated on 2 February 1851. Translated to Cloyne on 5 May 1857. | |
| 1857 | 1876 | Micheal O'Hea | Papal provision on 4 October 1857, papal brief issued on 11 December 1857, and consecrated on 7 February 1858. Died in office on 18 December 1876. | |
| 1877 | 1896 | William Fitzgerald | Appointed by papal brief on 7 September 1877 and consecrated on 11 November 1877. Died in office on 24 November 1896. | |
| 1897 | 1924 | Denis Kelly | Appointed by papal brief on 29 March 1897 and consecrated on 9 May 1897. Died in office on 18 April 1924. | |
| 1926 | 1931 | James Roche | Papal provision on 31 March 1926 and consecrated on 30 May 1926. Translated to Cloyne as coadjutor bishop on 26 June 1931. | |
| 1931 | 1935 | See vacant | By special arrangement with the Holy See, James Roche continued as apostolic administrator of Ross from 26 June 1931 until succeeded diocesan bishop of Cloyne on 23 March 1935. | |
| 1935 | 1940 | Patrick Casey | Papal provision on 22 June 1935 and consecrated on 15 September 1935. Died in office on 19 September 1940. | |
| 1941 | 1953 | Denis Moynihan | Papal provision on 5 July 1941 and consecrated on 21 September 1941. Translated to Kerry on 10 February 1953. | |
| 1954 | 1958 | (Cornelius Lucey, apostolic administrator) | Bishop of Cork (1952–1958). Appointed apostolic administrator of Ross on 20 February 1954. Became Bishop of Cork and Ross on 19 April 1958 when the two sees were united. | |
| Since 1958 | Part of the united bishopric of Cork and Ross. | |||
| Source(s):[9] [10] [11] | ||||