The Diocese of Killaloe (/ˌkɪləˈluː/ kil-ə-LOO; Irish: Deoise Chill Dalua) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in mid-western Ireland, one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and Emly.
Diocese of Killaloe Dioecesis Laoniensis Deoise Chill Dalua | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Territory | Parts of counties Clare, Laois, Limerick, Offaly and Tipperary |
| Ecclesiastical province | Cashel and Emly |
| Metropolitan | Cashel and Emly |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 1,747 sq mi (4,520 km2) |
| Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2016) 129,436 119,313 (92.2%) |
| Parishes | 58 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Latin |
| Established | 1111 |
| Cathedral | Ss Peter and Paul, Ennis |
| Patron saint | Flannan |
| Secular priests | 70 (as of 2020) |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Fintan Monahan, Bishop of Killaloe |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Kieran O'Reilly, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly |
| Vicar General | Fr. Desmond Hillery |
| Bishops emeritus | Willie Walsh, Bishop of Killaloe |
| Map | |
 | |
| Website | |
| killaloediocese.ie | |
The cathedral church of the diocese is the Cathedral of Ss Peter and Paul in Ennis, County Clare.
The incumbent bishop of the diocese is Fintan Monahan.
Geography
editThe diocese is divided into 58 parishes, which are spread across five counties: 38 in Clare, thirteen in Tipperary, five in Offaly, one in Limerick, and one group parish in Laois.[1]
The parishes are grouped into 15 Pastoral Areas, where groups of priests are appointed to cover a number of parishes between them.[2]
As of 2018, there were 90 priests in the diocese: 52 under and 38 over the mandatory retirement age of 75.[3] However, by 2020, this had decreased to 70: 36 under and 34 over 70.[4]
Aside from the cathedral town of Ennis, the main towns in the diocese are Birr, Kilrush, Nenagh, Roscrea and Shannon.
| Pastoral Area | Parishes or Group Parishes |
|---|---|
| Cois Fharraige | |
| Inis Cathaigh |
|
| Radharc na n-Oileán | |
| Críocha Callan | |
| Abbey |
|
| Tradaree |
|
| Ceantar na Lochanna | |
| Imeall Bóirne | |
| Inis Cealtra |
|
| Scáth na Sionnaine |
|
| Odhrán |
|
| Ollatrim | |
| Cois Deirige |
|
| Brendan | |
| Crónán |
|
Ordinaries
editThe following lists the ten most recent bishops:[5]
- Patrick Kennedy (1836–1851)
- Daniel Vaughan (1851–1859)
- Michael Flannery (1859–1891)
- Thomas J. McRedmond (1891–1904)
- Michael Fogarty (1904–1955)
- Joseph Rodgers (1955–1966)
- Michael Harty (1967–1994)
- Willie Walsh (1994–2010)
- Kieran O'Reilly (2010–2015)
- Fintan Monahan (2016–present)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Pastoral". Killaloe Diocese. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- ^ Lynch, Derrick (9 June 2018). "Widespread Changes In Line Up of Clergy In Killaloe Diocese". Clare FM. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- ^ McMahon, Páraic (11 June 2018). "Several changes announced for Killaloe Diocese". The Clare Echo. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- ^ Deegan, Gordon (31 March 2020). "Coronavirus in Ireland: 'Closing church broke my heart' - half of priests in one diocese are cocooning". Irish Independent. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- ^ Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology (Third Edition, reprinted 2003 ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 434–435. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
External links
edit
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Diocese of Killaloe". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.