Bishop of Ossory
Encyclopedia

The Bishop of Ossory is an episcopal
Episcopal polity
Episcopal polity is a form of church governance that is hierarchical in structure with the chief authority over a local Christian church resting in a bishop...

 title which takes its name after the ancient of Kingdom of Ossory in the Province
Provinces of Ireland
Ireland has historically been divided into four provinces: Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht. The Irish word for this territorial division, cúige, literally meaning "fifth part", indicates that there were once five; the fifth province, Meath, was incorporated into Leinster, with parts going to...

 of Leinster
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...

, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

. In the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...

 it has been united with other bishoprics.

History

The diocese of Ossory was one the twenty-four dioceses established at the Synod of Rathbreasail
Synod of Rathbreasail
The Synod of Ráth Breasail took place in Ireland in 1111. It marked the transition of the Irish church from a monastic to a diocesan and parish-based church...

 in 1111 and coincided with the ancient Kingdom of Ossory. The Episcopal see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...

 was originally at Aghaboe
Aghaboe
Aghaboe is a village and parish in County Laois, Ireland. It is located on the R434 regional road in the rural hinterland west of the town of Abbeyleix....

 but was subsequently transferred to St Canice's Cathedral
St Canice's Cathedral
St Canice's Cathedral , is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Kilkenny city, Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin....

, Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...

 in 1120's.

Following the Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....

, there were parallel apostolic succession
Apostolic Succession
Apostolic succession is a doctrine, held by some Christian denominations, which asserts that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles, from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were...

s. In the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...

, the see of Ossory combined with Ferns and Leighlin
Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin
The Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Ferns and Leighlin in the Province of Dublin. The diocese comprised all of counties Wexford and Carlow and part of counties Wicklow and Laois in Ireland....

 to form the united bishopric of Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin
Bishop of Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin
The Bishop of Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin in the Ecclesiastical Province of Dublin...

 in 1835.

In the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

, the title continues as a separate bishopric. The bishop's seat (cathedra
Cathedra
A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...

) is located at St. Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny
St. Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny
St. Mary’s is the Roman Catholic cathedral for the Diocese of Ossory. It is situated on James’s Street, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Ireland. Kilkenny also has a second cathedral, Saint Canice’s which is Church of Ireland....

. The Ordinary
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...

 is the Most Reverend Séamus Freeman
Séamus Freeman
Séamus Freeman, S.A.C. is the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Ossory who was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on 14 September 2007.-Biography:...

, who was appointed by the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

 on 14 September 2007 and ordained bishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....

 on 2 December 2007.

Pre-Reformation bishops

Pre-Reformation Bishops of Ossory
From Until Ordinary Notes
bef.1152 1178 Domnall Ua Fogartaig Became bishop before March 1152; died 1178
bef.1180 1202 Felix Ua Duib Sláin, O.Cist. Became bishop before 1180; died 24 January 1202
c.1202 1218 Hugo de Rous, O.S.A.
Order of Saint Augustine
The Order of St. Augustine —historically Ordo Eremitarum Sancti Augustini", O.E.S.A.), generally called Augustinians is a Catholic Religious Order, which, although more ancient, was formally created in the thirteenth century and combined of several previous Augustinian eremetical Orders into one...

Became bishop circa 1202; died before December 1218; also recorded as Hugo Rufus
1218 1231 Peter Mauveisin, O.S.A. Elected before 8 December 1218; consecrated after 31 August 1220; died before March 1231
1231 1232 William of Kilkenny Elected after 16 March 1231; resigned before May 1232
1232 1243 Walter de Brackley Elected before 13 June 1232; consecrated before 15 July 1233; died before 12 October 1243
1244 1250 Geoffrey de Turville
Geoffrey de Turville
Geoffrey de Turville was an English-born cleric who was Bishop of Ossory and briefly Lord Chancellor of Ireland.He was probably a native of Turville in Buckinghamshire. He is first heard of in Ireland in 1218 in the entourage of Henry de Loundres, Archbishop of Dublin...

'
Elected after 5 February 1244; consecrated before 28 October 1245; died before 18 October 1250
1251 1260 Hugh de Malpilton Elected before 17 April 1251; consecrated after 20 August 1251; died before 4 June 1260
1260 1287 Geoffrey St Leger Elected before 29 June 1260; died 10 January 1287
1287 1289 Roger of Wexford Elected before 22 June 1287; consecrated 3 November 1287; died 28 June 1289
1289 1302 Michael d'Exeter Elected 28 September 1289; died 12 July 1302
1302 1317 William FitzJohn
William FitzJohn
William Fitzjohn was a leading prelate in early fourteenth century Ireland. He held the offices of Bishop of Ossory, Archbishop of Cashel, and Lord Chancellor of Ireland- Early Career :...

Elected 10 September 1302; consecrated after 6 January 1303; translated to Cashel
Archbishop of Cashel
The Archbishop of Cashel is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name after the town of Cashel, County Tipperary in Ireland. The title is still in use in the Roman Catholic Church, but in the Church of Ireland it was downgraded to a bishopric in 1838....

 26 March 1317
1317 1361 Richard Ledred, O.F.M.
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....

Appointed 24 April 1317; consecrated circa May 1317; died circa 1361
1361 1364 John de Tatenhale, O.P.
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...

Appointed 8 November 1361; consecrated before 14 December 1361; died after March 1364
1366 unknown William Became bishop before February 1366
unknown 1370 John of Oxford, O.E.S.A.
Order of Saint Augustine
The Order of St. Augustine —historically Ordo Eremitarum Sancti Augustini", O.E.S.A.), generally called Augustinians is a Catholic Religious Order, which, although more ancient, was formally created in the thirteenth century and combined of several previous Augustinian eremetical Orders into one...

died circa 1370
1370 1386 Alexander de Balscot
Alexander de Balscot
Alexander de Balscot , also known as Alexander Petit was one of the leading Irish clerics of the late fourteenth century, holding the offices of Bishop of Ossory, Bishop of Meath, Treasurer of Ireland and Lord Chancellor of Ireland....

 or le Petit
Elected circa 1370 and appointed 9 February 1371; translated to Meath
Bishop of Meath
The Bishop of Meath is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.-History:...

 circa 10 March 1386
1386 1395 Richard Northalis
Richard Northalis
Richard Northalis was an Irish cleric and jurist who held the offices of Bishop of Ossory, Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland....

, O.Carm.
Carmelites
The Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Carmelites is a Catholic religious order perhaps founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel, hence its name. However, historical records about its origin remain uncertain...

Elected 1386, appointed before 17 February 1387 and consecrated 4 December 1387; translated to Dublin
Archbishop of Dublin (Roman Catholic)
The Archbishop of Dublin is the title of the senior cleric who presides over the Archdiocese of Dublin. The Church of Ireland has a similar role, heading the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough. In both cases, the Archbishop is also Primate of Ireland...

 25 October 1395
1395 1398 Thomas Peverell, O.Carm. Appointed 25 October 1395; translated to Llandaff
Bishop of Llandaff
The Bishop of Llandaff is the Ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff.-Area of authority:The diocese covers most of the County of Glamorgan. The Bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul , in the village of Llandaff, just north-west of the City of...

 2 July 1398
1398 1400 John Waltham, O.S.A. Appointed 1 February 1398; translated to Dromore
Bishop of Dromore
The Bishop of Dromore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the market town of Dromore in County Down, Northern Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church the title still continues as a separate bishopric, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.-History:The...

 14 May 1400
1399 1400 John Griffin Translated from Leighlin
Bishop of Leighlin
The Bishop of Leighlin was a separate episcopal title which took its name after the small town of Old Leighlin in County Carlow, Ireland.The title is now united with other bishoprics. In the Church of Ireland, it is held by the Bishop of Cashel and Ossory, whose full title is the Bishop of Cashel,...

 2 July 1399; died circa March 1400
1400 John Appointed before 14 May 1400; died after 8 June 1400
1400 1402 Roger Appleby, O.S.A. Appointed 26 September 1400; resigned October 1402
1402 1405 John Waltham, O.S.A. (again) Translated from Dromore
Bishop of Dromore
The Bishop of Dromore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the market town of Dromore in County Down, Northern Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church the title still continues as a separate bishopric, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.-History:The...

 9 or 11 October 1402; died 5 November 1405
1405 1407 See vacant
1407 1417 Thomas Snell Translated from Waterford and Lismore
Bishop of Waterford and Lismore
The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Waterford and town of Lismore in the Republic of Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1838, and is still used by the Catholic Church....

 11 March 1407; died 16 October 1417
1417 1421 Patrick Foxe Translated from Cork
Bishop of Cork
The Bishop of Cork was a separate episcopal title which took its name after the city of Cork in southern Ireland. The title is now united with other bishoprics...

 15 December 1417; died 20 April 1421
1421 1426 Dionysius Ó Deadhaidh Appointed 4 July 1421; died before 12 December 1426
1427 1460 Thomas Barry Appointed 19 February 1427; died 3 March 1460
1460 1478 David Hackett Appointed 4 July 1460; died 24 October 1478
1479 1487 Seaán Ó hÉidigheáin Appointed 15 January and consecrated 21 February 1479; died 6 January 1487
1487 1527 Oliver Cantwell, O.P. Appointed 26 March 1487; died 9 January 1527

Bishops during the Reformation

Bishops of Ossory during the Reformation
From Until Incumbent Notes
1528 1550 Milo Baron, O.S.A.
Order of Saint Augustine
The Order of St. Augustine —historically Ordo Eremitarum Sancti Augustini", O.E.S.A.), generally called Augustinians is a Catholic Religious Order, which, although more ancient, was formally created in the thirteenth century and combined of several previous Augustinian eremetical Orders into one...

Appointed 8 June 1528; also held in commendam
In Commendam
In canon law, commendam was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice in trust to the custody of a patron...

 the priory of Inistioge
Inistioge
Inistioge is a small scenic village in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is situated on the River Nore, southeast of Kilkenny. Historically, the name has been spelt as Ennistioge, Ennisteage, and in other ways....

 until the dissolution of religious houses
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...

, when surrendered it to King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...

; died sometime between 1 July and 27 September 1550; also known Milo Fitzgerald
1552 1553 John Bale
John Bale
John Bale was an English churchman, historian and controversialist, and Bishop of Ossory. He wrote the oldest known historical verse drama in English , and developed and published a very extensive list of the works of British authors down to his own time, just as the monastic libraries were being...

Nominated by King Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...

 22 October 1552; consecrated 2 February 1553; compelled to flee under Queen Mary I
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...

 in September 1553; died November 1563
1553 1565 John Tonory, O.S.A. Nominated in December 1553 by Queen Mary I
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...

 and consecrated January 1554. Allegiance to the papacy was restored on 29 November 1554, but after the accession of Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...

 his position is uncertain. He died in 1565.

Church of Ireland succession

Church of Ireland Bishops of Ossory
From Until Incumbent Notes
1566 1576 Christopher Gaffney Nominated 4 December 1566 and consecrated May 1567; died 3 August 1576
1578 1585 Nicholas Walsh
Nicholas Walsh (Bishop of Ossory)
Nicholas Walsh was a bishop of the Church of Ireland who is noted for having introduced prayer-books and catechisms printed in the Irish language. He began the work of translating the Bible into Irish but was not able to complete this before his murder in 1585.The son of Patrick Walsh, bishop of...

Appointed by letters patent 23 January 1578 and consecrated February 1578; murdered 14 December 1585
1586 1610 John Horsfall Nominated 1 August 1586 and appointed by letters patent 15 September 1586; died 13 February 1610
1610 1613 Richard Deane Nominated 7 March 1610 and appointed by letters patent 18 April 1610; died 20 February 1613
1613 1640 Jonas Wheeler Nominated 14 March 1613 and consecrated 8 May 1613; died 19 April 1640
1641 1672 Griffith Williams
Griffith Williams (bishop)
Griffith Williams , was the Anglican bishop of Ossory. He was opposed to the puritans.-Life:He was born at Treveilian in the parish of Llanrug, near Carnarvon, in1589 or 1590, was the son of a freeholder in the parish. His mother was a descendant...

Nominated 19 July 1641 and consecrated 26 September 1641; died 29 March 1672
1672 1677 John Parry
John Parry
John Parry may refer to:*John Parry , Welsh harpist and composer, and father of John Orlando Parry*John Parry , Bishop of Ossory 1672–1677*John Parry Ddall John Parry may refer to:*John Parry (Bardd Alaw) (1776–1851), Welsh harpist and composer, and father of John Orlando Parry*John...

Nominated 5 April 1672 and consecrated 28 April 1672; died 21 December 1677
1677 1678 Benjamin Parry
Benjamin Parry
Benjamin Parry was Church of Ireland Bishop of Ossory from 27 January 1678 until his death later the same year.-Life:Parry was born in February 1634 in Dublin, the son of Edward Parry and Miss Price...

Nominated 29 December 1677 and consecrated 27 January 1678; died 4 October 1678
1678 1680 Michael Ward Nominated 25 October 1678 and consecrated 24 November 1678; translated to Derry
Bishop of Derry
The Bishop of Derry is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Derry in Northern 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:...

 22 January 1680
1680 1693 Thomas Otway Translated from Killala and Achonry
Bishop of Killala and Achonry
The Bishop of Killala and Achonry was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Killala and Achonry in the Ecclesiastical Province of Tuam. The diocese comprised part of Counties Mayo and Sligo in Ireland....

; nominated 6 January 1680 and appointed by letters patent 7 February 1680; died 6 March 1693
1693 1714 John Hartstonge
John Hartstonge
John Hartstonge of Hartstongue was an English-born prelate of the Church of Ireland who became Bishop of Ossory and then Bishop of Derry.- Family and education :...

Nominated 16 March 1693 and consecrated 2 July 1693; translated to Derry
Bishop of Derry
The Bishop of Derry is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Derry in Northern 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:...

 3 March 1714
1714 1730 Sir Thomas Vesey, Bt. Translated from Killaloe; nominated 18 February and appointed by letters patent 28 April 1714; died 6 August 1730
1730 1735 Edward Tennison Nominated 11 September 1730 and consecrated 4 July 1731; died 29 November 1735
1735 1740 Charles Este
Charles Este
Charles Este, , was bishop of Ossory and subsequently of Waterford and Lismore .Born at Whitehall, the son of Michael Este, and educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, he distinguished the latter as joint editor of Carmina quadragesimalia ab aedis Christi alumnis composita…, 1723...

Nominated 17 December 1735 and consecrated 1 February 1736; translated to Waterford and Lismore
Bishop of Waterford and Lismore
The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Waterford and town of Lismore in the Republic of Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1838, and is still used by the Catholic Church....

 4 October 1740
1741 1743 Anthony Dopping Nominated 19 June 1741 and consecrated 19 July 1741; died 1 February 1743
1743 1754 Michael Cox Nominated 15 February and consecrated 29 May 1743; translated to Cashel
Archbishop of Cashel
The Archbishop of Cashel is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name after the town of Cashel, County Tipperary in Ireland. The title is still in use in the Roman Catholic Church, but in the Church of Ireland it was downgraded to a bishopric in 1838....

 22 January 1754
1754 1756 Edward Maurice Nominated 3 January and consecrated 27 January 1754; died 10 February 1756
1756 1765 Richard Pococke
Richard Pococke
Richard Pococke was an English prelate and anthropologist. He was Protestant Bishop of Ossory and Meath , both dioceses of the Church of Ireland...

Nominated 5 March and consecrated 21 March 1756; translated to Meath
Bishop of Meath
The Bishop of Meath is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.-History:...

 16 July 1765
1765 1775 Charles Dodgson Nominated 22 June and consecrated 11 August 1765; translated to Elphin 12 April 1775
1775 1779 William Newcome
William Newcome
William Newcome was an Englishman and cleric of the Church of Ireland who was appointed to the bishoprics of Dromore , Ossory , Waterford and Lismore , and lastly to the Primatial See of Armagh .-Life:...

Translated from Dromore
Bishop of Dromore
The Bishop of Dromore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the market town of Dromore in County Down, Northern Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church the title still continues as a separate bishopric, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.-History:The...

; nominated 23 March and appointed by letters patent 13 April 1775; translated to Waterford and Lismore
Bishop of Waterford and Lismore
The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Waterford and town of Lismore in the Republic of Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1838, and is still used by the Catholic Church....

 5 November 1779
1779 1782 John Hotham Nominated 22 October and consecrated 14 November 1779; translated to Clogher
Bishop of Clogher
The Bishop of Clogher is an episcopal title which takes its name after the village of Clogher in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Following the Reformation, there are now parallel apostolic successions: one of the Church of Ireland and the other of the Roman Catholic Church.-History:Clogher is one...

 17 May 1782
1782 1794 Hon.
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...

 William Beresford
William Beresford, 1st Baron Decies
William Beresford, 1st Baron Decies was an Anglo-Irish clergyman.Decies was the third son of Marcus Beresford, 1st Earl of Tyrone, and Catherine Poer, 1st Baroness de la Poer. George de la Poer Beresford, 1st Marquess of Waterford, was his elder brother...

Translated from Dromore
Bishop of Dromore
The Bishop of Dromore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the market town of Dromore in County Down, Northern Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church the title still continues as a separate bishopric, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.-History:The...

; nominated 11 April and appointed by letters patent 21 May 1782; translated Tuam
Archbishop of Tuam
The Archbishop of Tuam is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name after the town of Tuam in County Galway, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1839, and is still in use by the Roman Catholic Church.-History:...

 10 October 1794
1795 1798 Thomas Lewis O'Beirne Nominated 17 January and consecrated 1 February 1795; translated to Meath
Bishop of Meath
The Bishop of Meath is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.-History:...

 18 December 1798
1799 1805 Hugh Hamilton
Hugh Hamilton (bishop)
Hugh Hamilton FRS was a Irish clergyman.He was dean of Armagh, from 1768 to 1796, Bishop of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh, from 1796 to 1799, and Bishop of Ossory, from 1799 to 1805.His portrait was painted by Gilbert Stuart....

Translated from Clonfert; nominated 15 January and appointed by letters patent 24 January 1799; died 1 December 1805
1806 1813 John Kearney
John Kearney (bishop)
John Kearney, D.D. was the Church of Ireland Bishop of Ossory from 1806 to 1813.Born circa 1742 in Dublin, the son of a barber-surgeon, Kearney was elected a Scholar of Trinity College, Dublin in 1760 and a Fellow in 1764. He held the Chair of Oratory from 1781 until his appointment as Provost in...

Nominated 4 January and consecrated 2 February 1806; died 22 May 1813
1813 1841 Robert Fowler Nominated 7 January and consecrated 20 June 1813; became bishop of Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin
Bishop of Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin
The Bishop of Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin in the Ecclesiastical Province of Dublin...

 when the dioceses were united on 12 July 1835; died 31 December 1841
In 1835, the Church of Ireland see became part of the united bishopric of Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin
Bishop of Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin
The Bishop of Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin in the Ecclesiastical Province of Dublin...


Roman Catholic succession

Roman Catholic Bishops of Ossory
From Until Incumbent Notes
1565 1582 See vacant
Sede vacante
Sede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church...

1582 1602 Thomas Strong Appointed 28 March and consecrated 5 April 1582; appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...

 of Santiago de Compostela 20 January 1597; died 20 January 1602
1603 1609 William Brenan, O.F.M.
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....

Appointed vicar apostolic by papal brief
Papal brief
The Papal Brief is a formal document emanating from the Pope, in a somewhat simpler and more modern form than a Papal Bull.-History:The introduction of briefs, which occurred at the beginning of the pontificate of Pope Eugenius IV , was clearly prompted for the same desire for greater simplicity...

 13 November 1603; died in Flanders circa 1609
1609 1620 See vacant During this period there were no bishops or vicars apostolic. Laurence Reneghan was vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...

 of Ossory 1609–1613; followed by Luke Archer, O.Cist., who was also vicar apostolic of Leighlin
Bishop of Leighlin
The Bishop of Leighlin was a separate episcopal title which took its name after the small town of Old Leighlin in County Carlow, Ireland.The title is now united with other bishoprics. In the Church of Ireland, it is held by the Bishop of Cashel and Ossory, whose full title is the Bishop of Cashel,...

 and titular abbot of Holy Cross
1620 1650 David Rothe
David Rothe
David Rothe was a Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossory, central Ireland.-Life:He was born at Kilkenny, of a distinguished family. Having studied at the Irish College, Douai, and at the University of Salamanca, where he graduated doctor in civil and canon law, he was ordained in 1600, and proceeded to...

Appointed 1 October 1618 and consecrated 1620; died 20 April 1650
1657 1668 Terence Fitzpatrick Appointed vicar apostolic by papal 17 April 1657; died circa 1668
1669 1695 James Phelan Appointed 11 January and consecrated 1 August 1669; died January 1695
1696 1712 William Daton Appointed 20 February 1696; ded 26 January 1712; also recorded as William Dalton
1713 1731 Malachy Dulany Appointed 20 September 1713 and consecrated 17 February 1714; died May 1731
1731 1736 Patrick Shee Appointed 28 July 1731; died June. 1736
1736 1748 Colman O'Shaughnessy
Colman O'Shaughnessy
Colman O'Shaughnessy, O.P. was an Irish Roman Catholic clergyman who served as Bishop of Ossory from 1736 until his death in 1748....

, O.P.
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...

Appointed 5 October 1736; died 2 September 1748
1748 1758 James Bernard Dunne Appointed 17 December 1748; died 30 April 1758
1759 1776 Thomas Burke
Thomas Burke (bishop)
Thomas Burke was an Irish Dominican and Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossory.-Life:...

, O.P.
Appointed 9 January and consecrated 22 April 1759; died 25 September 1776; also recorded as Thomas de Burgo
1776 1786 John Thomas Troy
John Thomas Troy
John Thomas Troy was an Irish Dominican and Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin....

, O.P.
Appointed 16 December 1776 and consecrated 8 June 1777; translated to Dublin
Archbishop of Dublin (Roman Catholic)
The Archbishop of Dublin is the title of the senior cleric who presides over the Archdiocese of Dublin. The Church of Ireland has a similar role, heading the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough. In both cases, the Archbishop is also Primate of Ireland...

 3 December 1786
1787 1789 John Dunne Appointed 13 July and consecrated 16 September 1787; died 15 March 1789
1789 1812 James Lanigan Appointed 10 July and consecrated 21 September 1789; died 11 February 1812
1812 1814 See vacant
1814 1827 Kyran Marum Appointed 4 October 1814 and consecrated 5 March 1815; died 22 December 1827
1827 1829 See vacant
(1829) (Miles Murphy) Appointed 8 June 1828 and by papal brief 5 March 1829, however, the appointment was not accepted
1829 1845 William Kinsella Appointed 15 May and consecrated 26 July 1829; died 12 December 1845
1846 1872 Edward Walsh Appointed 24 April and consecrated 26 July 1846; died 11 August 1872
1872 1884 Patrick Francis Moran Appointed coadjutor bishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...

 28 December 1871 and consecrated 5 March 1872; succeeded 11 August 1872; translated to Sydney
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Erected in 1842 and directly responsible to the Holy See, the Archdiocese is responsible for the suffragan dioceses of Armidale, Bathurst, Broken Bay, Lismore,...

 14 March 1884
1884 1928 Abraham Brownrigg, S.S.S.
Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament
The Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament is a Catholic religious congregation of priests, deacons, and Brothers whose ideal of life is to become living witnesses of the Eucharist, the source and summit of Christian life. By their life and activities, they assist the Church in her efforts to form...

Appointed 28 October and consecrated 14 December 1884; died 1 October 1928
1928 1964 Patrick Collier Appointed coadjutor bishop 18 May and consecrated 5 August 1928; succeeded 1 October 1928; died 10 January 1964
1964 1981 Peter Birch Appointed coadjutor bishop 24 July and consecrated 23 September 1962; succeeded 10 January 1964; died 7 March 1981
1981 2007 Laurence Forristal Previously Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...

 of Dublin
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dublin, , is a Roman Catholic archdiocese in eastern Ireland centred around the republic's capital city – Dublin. The see of Dublin was raised to the status of a Metropolitan Province by the Synod of Kells in 1152. Its jurisdiction includes much of the Province of...

 1979-1981; appointed Bishop of Ossory 30 June 1981; retired 14 September 2007
2007 present Séamus Freeman
Séamus Freeman
Séamus Freeman, S.A.C. is the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Ossory who was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on 14 September 2007.-Biography:...

, S.A.C.
Pallottines
The Society of the Catholic Apostolate , better known as the Pallottines, are a Society of Apostolic Life within the Roman Catholic Church, founded in 1835 by the Roman priest Saint Vincent Pallotti. Pallottines are part of the Union of Catholic Apostolate and are present in 45 countries on six...

Appointed 14 September and consecrated 2 December 2007
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