The Archdeacon of Tuam ( ) was a post held in the Diocese of Tuam, from the creation of the diocese at the

Synod of Rathbreasail A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...

in 1111.

Background

In the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, the post of archdeacon, generally a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

, was once one of great importance as a senior official of a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

. It has fallen into disuse, and its duties are now part of the work of such officials as the

auxiliary Auxiliary may refer to: In language * Auxiliary language (disambiguation) * Auxiliary verb In military and law enforcement * Auxiliary police * Auxiliaries, civilians or quasi-military personnel who provide support of some kind to a military se ...

and/or

coadjutor The term "coadjutor" (literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence. These include: * Coadjutor bishop ...

bishops, the

vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop or archbishop of a diocese or an archdiocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vica ...

, the

episcopal vicar Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United States ...

, and the

vicar forane A dean, in an ecclesiastical context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and many Lutheran denominations. A dean's assistant i ...

/ dean/

archpriest The ecclesiastical title of archpriest or archpresbyter belongs to certain priests with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Eastern Catholic Churches and may be somewhat analogo ...

. After the Reformation, there were parallel successions, one

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...

, the other

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Roman Catholic

* 1201–23: Alan. * 1231: Stephen Ó Breen. * 1233: Christian. * 1243:

Maol Eoin Ó Crechain Maol Eoin Ó Crechain, Archdeacon of Tuam and Doctor of Sacred Theology, died in 1243. ''The History of the Popes'' lists him as an Archdeacon of Tuam, stating that ''after his return from beyond the sea as a Professor, edied in Dublin.'' The ...

''Archdeacon of Tuam, after his return from beyond the sea as a

Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

, died in Dublin.'' * 1244: ''The Archdeacon of Tuam was drowned in Glass Linn in Cluain, near Tuam.'' * 1266: Thomas Ó Maol Chonaire. ''He was a member of the distinguished family of O'Malconry, who for many generations were hereditary historians and bards of the kingdom of Connacht.'' * 1289–1306: Phillip le Blount, or le Blond. ''In 1297 he was Commissary of the Archbishop; in which capacity he engaged in a fierce quarrel with the Dominican friars of Athenry, a full account of which may be seen in Harri's Ware, p. 609. He was still Archdeacon in 1306.'' * 13??:

Seoán Ó Leaáin Seoán Ó Leaáin, Bishop of Clonfert, 1322–1336. Ó Leaáin appears to have been a member of the same family as Mauricius Ó Leaáin (Bishop of Kilmacduagh 1254–1284), Nicol Ó Leaáin, (ditto, 1358–1393) and Gregorius Ó Leaáin (1394– ...

, in 1332 bip. clonfert. * c.1400: John Ó Ceallaigh. * 1499: William de Bermingham, Archdeacon, died 26 December 1499. * 1523: Phelim. * 1536–73: Vacant, ''the revenues been usurped by Thomas de Burgo.''

Church of Ireland

* 1615: Moriarty Hanyn, ''a man able to teach in Irish.'' Held the

prebend A prebendary is a member of the Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the choir ...

of Kilmeen. * 1622: Florence Kelly, M.A. Held prebend of Kilmoylan. * 16??-1662: John Woolhouse or Woodhouse, died 1662. * 1662-?: Dudley Persse, B.D., Dean of

Kilmacduagh Kilmacduagh () is a small village in south County Galway, Ireland, near Gort. The village is in a townland and civil parish of the same name, in Kiltartan barony. It is the site of Kilmacduagh monastery, seat of a diocese of the same name. Th ...

Prebend A prebendary is a member of the Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the choir ...

Clonfert Clonfert () is a small village in east County Galway, Ireland, halfway between Ballinasloe and Portumna. The village gives its name to the Diocese of Clonfert (Roman Catholic), Diocese of Clonfert. Clonfert Cathedral is one of the eight cathedr ...

, ''collated'' Archdeacon 2 October * 1662–1700?: In 1663 he obtained the Prebend of Tysaxon,

Athenry Athenry (; ) is a town in County Galway, Ireland, which lies east of Galway city. Some of the attractions of the medieval town are its town wall, Athenry Castle, its priory and its 13th-century street-plan. The town is also well known by virt ...

. Held all till his death in 1699 or 1700. * 1700–1703:

Sir Thomas Vesey, 1st Baronet Sir Thomas Vesey, 1st Baronet (1668?–1730), was an Anglo-Irish clergyman. He was Bishop of Ossory from 1714 to 1730. He was born at Cork, Ireland, when his father, John Vesey, later Archbishop of Tuam, was Dean of Cork. He was educated at Eton ...

, M.A. ''son of Dr. Vesey, Archbishop of Tuam'', born in

County Cork County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...

. (Archdeacon as of 25 June 1700, resigned in 1703. Later

Bishop of Killaloe The Bishop of Killaloe ( ) is an episcopal title which takes its name after the town of Killaloe in County Clare, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bis ...

, 1813) * 1703–1706: Edward Chichester, M.A. * 1706–1731: Theodore Maurice, M.A. * 1731–1743: Nicholas Synge, M.A. Son of Dr. E. Synge, Archbishop of Tuam. (afterwards Archdeacon of Dublin 1743 and, in 1745,

. * 1743–1745: Gabriel James Maturin D.D. (afterwards

Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral The Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral is the senior cleric of the Protestant St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, elected by the chapter of the cathedral. The office was created in 1219 or 1220, by one of several charters granted to the cathedral by ...

1745) * 1746–1771: John Crampton * 1771–1805: Edward Burton (afterwards

Dean of Killala The Dean of Killala is based at the Cathedral Church of St Patrick, Killala in the Diocese of Killala within the united bishopric of Tuam, Killala and Achonry of the Church of Ireland. The Cathedral Church of St Crumnathy, Achonry, was closed i ...

1805) * 1806: Thomas Vesey Dawson * 1806–1855: Charles Warburton * 1855–1888: John Cather * 1888–1890: James O'Sullivan (afterwards Bishop of Tuam, 1890) * 1890 * 1896–1898: Andrew Tait * 1898–1928: James Treanor * 1928–1939: William O'Connell * 1939–1950: George Nixon * 1950–1956: John Nash * 1956–1969: Rowland Blennerhassett * 1970–1980: Rupert Harris * 1980–1993: William Grant (also

Dean of Tuam The Dean of Tuam ( ) is a post held in the Diocese of Tuam, as head of the cathedral chapter from after the creation of the diocese at the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111. Background A dean is often the chief resident cleric of a cathedral or othe ...

, 1981–93) * 1996–2006:

Anthony Previté Anthony Michael Allen Previté (born 1941) was Dean of Tuam then Archdeacon of Tuam in the last quarter of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st. Previté was born in 1941, and ordained in 1989. After a curacy in Galway he was the i ...

* 2006–present: Gary Hastings

References

External links

The History of the Popes, from the Close of the Middle Ages (1898) Page 20/21 - Tuam
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tuam, Archdeacons of Lists of Anglican archdeacons in Ireland Diocese of Tuam, Killala and Achonry Religion in County Galway Religion in Tuam

Background

Roman Catholic

Church of Ireland

See also

References

External links