The Bishops of Derry

Years	Begin	End	Name

1107-1122	1107	1122	Maol Coluim O Brolchain
-1139		1139	Maol Bride O Brolchain

*Post 12th Century Reform Bishops of Derry*
1152-1173	Before March 1152	d. 10 Feb. 1173	Muriach O Coffey
1173-1184	1173	d. 1185	Awley O Murray
1185-1230	1185	d. 1230	Florentius O Carolan
1230-1279	c. 1230	d. 1279	Germanus O Carolan
1294	Never consecrated		Michael
1294-1297	1294	d. 1297	Henry MacGarrity of Ardagh
1297-1315	26 June 1297	d. 1315	Geoffrey MacLochlainn
1316-1319	1319	d. 1319	Odo O'Neill (Hugh O'Neill)
1319-1349	19 Aug. 1319	d. 1349	Micheal MacLochlainn
1330-1350			Mauritius [may be the same as Micheal MacLochlainn]
1349-1380	18 Dec. 1349	d. after 1380	Simon
1391-1394	1391	translated to Down, 1394	John Dongan
1394	Never took possession		Eoin O Mohan
1397	[Vacant during Colton's visitation in Oct. 1397]
1398	Before 1398	resigned before Aug. 1401	Hugo (Aodh)
1401-1415	19 Aug. 1401	Before 1415	Sean O Flannery
1415-	Never consecrated		Domhnall Mac Cathmaoil
1419-1429	16 Oct. 1419	translated to Connor, 9 Dec. 1429	Domhnall O Meraigh
1429-1433	Translated to Derry, 9 Dec. 1429	d. before 1433	Eoghan O Domhnaill
1433-1455	18 Sept. 1433	d. or resigned	Sean O Gubuin
1458-1464	27 May 1458	resigned 1463	Bartholomew O Flanagain
1464-1466	c. 1464	d. or resigned before Apr. 1466	John
1466-1484	21 Feb. 1466	d. Dec. 1484	Nicolas Weston
1487-1500	after Jul. 1487	d. 1500	Domhnall o Fallon
1503-1519	1503	resigned before 1519; d. 1519	James Mac Mahon
1520-1550	11 Jan. 1520	d. 8 Oct. 1550	Rory O Domhnaill
1554-1569	25 Jun. 1554	d. or resigned 1569	Owen O Dochartaigh (brother of Sir John)
1659-1601	translated to Derry, 22 Jun. 1659	d. 15 Mar. 1601	Reamonn O Gallachair

*Vicars Apostolic of Derry 1622-1720*

[From 1601 to 1720, no bishop or vicar apostolic resided within the diocese of Derry. From 1601 to 1780, no bishop resided within the City of Derry. From 1601 to 1720, the see was vacant and ruled by vicars apostolic. See the following names below for the vicars apostolic:]

1622-1623	Mar. 1622	Aug. 1623	Luke Rochford
1626-1629	Sept. 1626	Sept. 1629 Bishop of Kilmore, 1629-1669	Eugene Sweeney
1629-1670	1629	d. before 1670	Terence O'Kelly
1671-1672	1671	1672; d. 1673	Eugene Conwell
1672-1678	1672	arrested 1678	Luke Plunkett
1681-1682	1681	1682	Brian MacGurk
1684-1711	1684	d. 1711	Bernard O'Cahan
1694-1697	8 Feb. 1694	d. 19 Jan. 1697	Fergus Laurence Lea
[never took possession of the see; Bernard O'Cahan remained in possession until his death.]

*Later Bishops of Derry*

1720-1727	27 Mar. 1720	d. or resigned before 1727	Terence O'Donnelly
1727-1738	7 Apr. 1727	d. 6 Jan. 1738	Neal Conway
1739-1749	24 Apr. 1739	Archbishop of Armagh, 1749-1758	Michael O'Reilly
1749	not consecrated		John O'Brolchain
1751-1752	29 Jan. 1751	resignation accepted Mar. 1752	Patrick O'Brolchain
1752-1765	4 May 1752	d. 21 Dec. 1765	John McColgan
1766-1797	14 Jan. 1766	d. 24 Nov. 1797	Philip McDevitt
1798-1823	9 Feb. 1798	d. 19 Jul. 1823	Charles O'Donnell
1824-1840	4 Apr. 1824 Bishop of Raphoe, 1802-1819	d. 18 Aug. 1840	Peter McLaughlin
1837-1840	16 Jul. 1847	d. 17 Jan. 1849	Edward Maginn
1849-1889	3 Aug. 1849	d. 1 Sept. 1889	Francis Kelly
1890-1907	1890	d. 25 Feb. 1907	John Keys O'Doherty
1907-1926	14 Jun. 1907	d. 12 Feb. 1926	Charles McHugh
1926-1939	21 Jun. 1926	d. 5 Jan. 1939	Bernard O'Kane
1939-1973	5 Aug. 1939	d. 7 May 1980	Neil Farren
1974-1993	31 Mar. 1974	retired 1993	Edward Daly
1988-	20 Mar. 1988		Francis Lagan

Calendar of Entries in the Papal Registers
relating to Great Britain and Ireland

1306
6 Kal. Sept.
Bordeaux
(f.13)

"to John [Taaffe]. Appointment to the archbishopric of
Armagh void by the death of Nicolas, the election of Michael
Maglachlyn, of the order of Friars Minors by the chapter not
having been admitted by Benedict XI. and Denys, appointed
by that pontiff, having resigned.
Concurrent leters to the dean and chapter of Armagh, to
the clergy of the diocese, to the suffragans and to the King."
[Theiner, 174]

1310
13 Kal. Sept.
Groseau
(f.133)

"To Michael Maclachoyim, of the order of Friars Minors, of the
diocese of Armagh, the son of a nun. Dispensation to accept
offices in his order and any dignity, even that of archbishop."

1327
8 Kal. Mar.
Avignon
(f.44)

To the archbishop of Armagh. Mandate to decide the matter between
the bishop and chapter of Derry and the heirs of Richard de
Burgo, earl of Ulster. As appears by the petition of bishop
Michael, his predecessor, Geoffrey, and the chapter had a dispute
with Richard touching the right of patronage of certain churches
and lands and rights belonging to the bishopric, and the earl relying
on his temporal power got the better of the bishop and chapter, who
suffered heavily, but verbally agreed that the earl and his heirs
should hold the portion and temporal jurisdiction which they had
in the city of Derry, and also the advowson in certain places, and
divers tenements belonging to the church of Derry, paying a very
small yearly pension to the bishop. The said earl has held
these for twenty years, to the great injury of the see, and as he
is now dead, bishop Michael has petitioned the pope to compel the
earl's heirs to make restitution. Witnesses are to be summoned
and necessary orders made and enforced." [Theiner, 237]

1412
6 Id. March
St. Peter's, Rome
(f.4)

"To the bishop of Volterra, the archdeacon of Raphoe and the
official of Derry. Mandate to collate and assign to Robert
Makellais, clerk, of the diocese of Derry, who has lately had
papal dispensation, as the son of an unmarried man and an
unmarried woman, to be etc. as in the preceeding, the rectory,
of the patronage of laymen, value not exceeding 10 marks, of
Magerbili alias Norraborg in the said diocese, so long void by
the death of Donald Macglalacind that etc., as ibid. Vite
ac Morum. (Pro dec.)

1425
3 Kal. Feb.
SS. Apostoli, Rome
(f.6d)

"To the abbot of Cella Niara, Magonius Odroibelaig, canon of
Raphoe, and the official of Derry. Mandate to collate and
assign to Patrick Lochnonnach, priest, of the diocese
of Derry, the perpetual vicarage, value not exceeding 8 marks,
of Culdabtha in the said diocese, void by the death of Nemias
Odufaghy, although ARhalt Odufaghy, priest, of the same diocese,
who is to be removed, hassd detained possession for more than
ten years; whether it be voic as stated, or by the death of
Sitrag Obrolchan, or in any other way, notwithstanding that the
pope has recently ordered provision to be made to him
of the perpetual vicarage of Grelleach in the same diocese, value
not exceeding 2 marks. He is hereby dispensed to hold both together
for life.

1429
Non. Sept.
Ferentino
(f. 120d)

"To the dean of Derry. Mandate to collate and assign to
Henry Omuirgissan, clerk, of the diocese of Derry, who is of
noble race, the perpetual vicarage, value not exceeding 6 mark,
of Culldavcha in the same diocese, void and therefore reserved
by the death at the apostolic see of Patrick Lochlannach;
notwithstanding that the pope has lately ordered provision
to be made to him of a canonry of Derry, with reservation of a prebend
thereof and of a benefice with or without cure in the common
or several gift of the bishop and the [dean and] chapter etc. of
Derry, which latter mandate shall, upon his obtaining the said
vicarage, be null so far as regards such benefice with cure only.

1971/72 CLOGHER RECORD, in an article entitled "The Register of
Clogher" by K.W. Nicholls:

"....Then the church of Clogher was ruled by Nicholas MacCathassayth,
archdeacon of Clogher, who was elected in the monastery of SS. Peter
and Paul at Clones on the vigil of St. Matthew the Apostle 1319
[February 24, 1320, NS] and consecreted in the monastery of Lisgoole
by the venerable Fathers Michael [MacLachlainn], bishop of Derry,
Thomas, bishop of Raphoe, and Patrick, bishop of Tir Briun. ...."

(The Register was compiled between 1520 and 1525, and then updated
sporadically until about 1575. It disappeared in the 17th Century,
but numerous extracts of it survive, and Nicholls was able to
reconstruct most of it.)

Finnachta, son of Ceallach.	Bishop, comharba of Doire; d. 937
Cathasach, son of Ailche.	Bishop of Cenel Eogain; d. 947
Caencomhre, son of Maeluidhir.	Abbot and bishop of Doire Chalgaigh, d. 948
Maelfinnen	Bishop of Doire Chalgaigh, d. 948