Bernard Adams (15661626) was an

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

during the first half of the 17th century. Adams was born in

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

, and was educated at

Trinity College, Oxford Trinity College (full name: The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope (Knight)) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in E ...

, being made scholar in 1583 and fellow in 1588. He was consecrated

Bishop of Limerick The Bishop of Limerick is an Episcopal polity, episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Limerick in the Province of Munster, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church, Catholic Church it still continues as a sepa ...

in 1604. He also held the Bishopric of Kilfenora

in commendam In canon law, commenda (or ''in commendam'') was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice ''in trust'' to the ''custody'' of a patron. The phrase ''in commendam'' was originally applied to the provisional occupation of an ecclesiastica ...

from 1606 until 1617. He died on 22 March 1626, and was buried in

St Mary's Cathedral, Limerick Saint Mary's Cathedral, Limerick, is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Limerick (city), Limerick, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Blessed Virgin Mary. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Province o ...

, which he had done much to improve and beautify; he gave the Cathedral its first

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

in 1624. As a man he was praised as being liberal and pious. He seems to have been on friendly terms with the

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

Anne Southwell Anne Southwell (1574 – 1636) ée Harris later called Anne, Lady Southwell, was a poet. Her commonplace book includes a variety of works including political poems, sonnets, occasional verse, and letters to friends. Life Southwell was born to ...

, another English native who had settled in Ireland; her poem "Letter to Doctor Adam" is addressed to him.

Notes

Bishops of Limerick (Church of Ireland) 1566 births 1626 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford {{Ireland-Anglican-bishop-stub