The beginnings of the See of Emly

Walsh c. xx. p. 207

year See of Emly Saint Ailbe its founder already noticed Conaing O Daithil called abbot and comorban of St Ailbe died AD 661 Conamail MacCarthy successor of St Ailbe died AD 707 Cellach successor of Ailbe died AD 718 Senchair successor of Ailbe died in 778 Cuan died in 784 or 786 Sectabrat died in 819 Flan MacFamchellaic died in 825 Olchobar MacKinede king of Cashel and bishop of Emly died in 850 Maneus MacHuargusa died in 857 Caenfelad king of Cashel and bishop of Emly died in 872 Rudgall MacFingail died in 882 Concenmathair died in 887 Owen MacCenfeolad called prince of Imleach Ibair was slain in 889 Mffil Brigid son of Prolect a holy man and archbishop of Munster died in 895 Miscelus died in 898 Flan MacConail died in 903 Tibraid MacMaelpin prince of Imlioc Jubhair and bishop of Emly died in 912 Edchada MacScanlain died in 941 Huarach died in 953 MelKellach died in 957 Feolan MacKellaid died in 981 Caenfada died in 990 Columb MacLagenan died in 1003 Cormac O Fin the most learned bishop of Munster died AD 1020 Serbrethac died in 1027 Maelfinan died in 1040 O Flanchna died in 1047 Clothna Muimnech died in 1049 Maelmorda died in 1075 Moelisa O Harachtain died in 1093 O Ligbai died in 1122 Maelmorda Maclnclodnai succeeded While he governed the see Emly was plundered in the year 1123 and the mitre of St Ailbe preserved

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served with great care was burned by the robbers The bishop Mael morda escaped by flight Dcicola or Gilla an Comdeh O Ardmail assisted at the council of Kells held under Cardinal Paparo in 1152 Maelisa O Lagenan abbot of Emly and Bellagh Conglais Bishop of this see died in 1163 O Meicstia or O Meicselbe comorban or successor of Ailbe died in 1172 Charles O Buacalla abbot of Mellifont succeeded in 1177 and died at Emly in less than a month Isaac O Hamery succeeded Nothing more is known of this prelate Reginald O Flancea sat in 1192 and died in 1197 About this time the cathedral of Emly was destroyed by fire William a canon of Emly was elected AD 1210 his election was annulled by the Pope as he had by false suggestions obtained three orders in one day from the bishop of Ross under color of a command from the metropolitan of Cashel The archbishop having denied the matter William was suspended from the orders of deaconship and the priesthood and the bishop of Ross was deprived of the power of ordaining Henry an English Cistercian monk and abbot of Bindon in Dorsetshire was consecrated in 1212 King John granted this prelate and his successors the privilege of holding fairs and markets at Emly He died in 1227 having governed the see upwards of fourteen years John Collingham was elected by the dean and chapter ratified by the Pope in 1228 The king refused his approbation and withheld the temporalities because he was chosen without the king's previous license As the archbishop of Cashell on this account refused to consecrate him John appealed to Pope Gregory IX who appointed delegates to hear the cause The king instructed his proctor to defend the rights of his crown before those delegates The Pope issued a bull to the archbishops of Armagh and Dublin and to the bishop of Ferns to examine into the merits of the person and the election and to confirm and consecrate him if canonically elected and to inflict censures on all who should oppose The king was worsted in the contest John having enjoyed the see Christian succeeded in 1236 In 1245 he maintained a suit against Alan O Sullivan bishop of Cloyne for a tenement in Kilcomyr which he claimed in right of his see But the chief justice refused to give judgment without the king's direction because the bishop of Cloyne had threatened to excommunicate him if he did The king made acquainted with the affair issued a writ to the chief justice ordering him to give judgment and damages according to the verdict to amerce the disseisor

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and to give seisin to the disseised bishop and to attach and imprison the ecclesiastical judges for holding plea against his prohibition He also ordered him to imprison the bishop of Cloyne for prosecuting such suit in the spiritual court after his prohibition and to hold him in restraint until he should make ample amends for his contemptuous proceedings Christian is said to have been a great benefactor to his church of Emly His motto was O Lord show me thy ways Christian died in 1249 Gilbert O Doverty dean of Emly was elected by the general voice of the chapter in the year 1249 and was consecrated in 1251 He also obtained the temporals in that year Gilbert died in October 1265 Florence of Emly so called because born there was canon of the cathedral of Emly succeeded and was consecrated about Whitsuntide 1266 the election of Lawrence of Dunlac chancellor of Emly being rejected The Bishop Florence died about the end of the year 1271 and was buried in his own cathedral Mathew MacGorman archdeacon of Emly was elected in June 1272 and consecrated the year following He sat two years and a few months having died in 1275 David O Cussey a Cistercian and abbot of Holy cross in Tipperary succeeded in June 1275 and obtained the temporals He died in June 1281 William de Clifford escheator of England succeeded in 1282 and was consecrated in this year In the year 1299 the temporals of the see were sequestrated for debts which he contracted while escheator The custody of the see was granted hereupon to John Cantock but John did not account either to the king or to the bishop They were then by the justice treasurer and barons of the exchequer committed to the custody of Bartholomew de Sutton in trust for the king and the archbishop and who was made responsible to the exchequer Bartholomew de Sutton was as bad a trustee as John Cantock The bishop died in 1306 Thomas Cantock a native of England and a chancellor of Ireland canon of Emly was elected in 1306 obtained the temporals in the same year He still retained the chancellorship was consecrated in Christ church Dublin in presence of great numbers of the nobility clergy and others all of whom he feasted with unusual magnificence While he was chancellor some records of the chancery which were deposited in Mary's Abbey near Dublin were destroyed by fire Thomas sat but a short time having died on the 3d of February 1308 William Rogened dean of Emly succeeded in 1309 William lived until the year 1335 and was buried in his own church Richard Walsh was elected and consecrated bishop of Emly in the year 1335 He sat about twenty years and died in October 1355 He

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joined Ralph Kelly archbishop of Cashel in opposing the subsidy to the king for which they were indicted John Esmond archdeacon of Ferns succeeded by provision of the Pope and obtained the temporals on the 27th of April 1356 He sat six years and died in April 1362 William archdeacon of Emly succeeded in 1363 by provision of the Pope and was restored to the temporals It seems that the see became vacant by the death of one David who was not restored to the temporals or if consecrated lived but a very short time William governed the see of Cashel a great while as he was living in 1393 He was fined 100 marks for non attendance at a parliament held AD 1377 in Castle Dermot William was vicar general to Philip de Torrington archbishop of Cashel during his absence in foreign parts Nicholas bishop of Emly died in 1422 John Rishberry an Au gustin hermit was declared his successor by Pope Martin V who delayed in expediting his provisional letters whereupon Robert Windell a Franciscan friar was appointed to succeed but it seems he never was consecrated Thomas Burgh an Augustin canon was elected bishop of Emly but he also was slow in expediting his letters Robert Portland a Franciscan friar was appointed to the see by the Pope's provision nor does it appear that he was consecrated or ever saw the see of Emly Thomas bishop of Emly was at length consecrated in the year 1431 Perhaps he was Thomas de Burgh already mentioned He sat twelve years and died in 1443 During the widowhood of the see the temporals were returned into the king's exchequer Cornelius O Cunlis a Franciscan friar was advanced to the see in October 1444 When consecrated he was sent as nuncio to Ireland to collect aid against the Turks Cornelius was translated to the see of Clonfert Cornelius O Mulledy a Franciscan friar bishop of Clonfert was translated to the see of Emly by Pope Nicholas V on the 6th of April 1448 or in the August of this year William O Hedian succeeded by provision of the Pope about the year 1459 and in 1468 was appointed prior commendatory of the con vent of the blessed virgin of Kenlis in Ossory an appointment which excited contests between him and prior Nicholas Philip bishop of Emly died in 1494 Charles MacBrien canon of Emly was advanced to the see in April 1498 the year of his death is unknown Donatus O Brien who was doctor of laws obtained a provision to the see from the Pope in No vember 1494 but it was either annulled or he was not consecrated

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Thomas O Hurley a canonist of great reputation succeeded and died in an advanced age AD 1542 and was buried in his own church He erected a college for secular priests Oeneas O Heffernan an hospitaller and preceptor of Any in the county of Limerick succeeded 1543 he sat about ten years having died AD 1553 Reymund de Burgh an Observantine friar succeeded and died in July 1562 and was buried in a Franciscan monastery at Adare He is said to have apostatized but there is not sufficient proof for the accusation Cashel and Emly united in 1569