The Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise (; ) is a

Latin Church The Latin Church () is the largest autonomous () particular church within the Catholic Church, whose members constitute the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Catholics. The Latin Church is one of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical ...

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 ...

of 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 ...

in Ireland.

Geography

The diocese is entirely within the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...

and contains most of counties

Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It had a population of 10,952 at the 2022 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meeting of ...

and Leitrim, with parts of counties

Cavan Cavan ( ; ) is the county town of County Cavan in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town lies in Ulster, near the border with County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. The town is bypassed by the main N3 road (Ireland), N3 road that links Dublin ( ...

, Offaly,

Roscommon Roscommon (; ; ) is the county town and the largest town in County Roscommon in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is roughly in the centre of Ireland, near the meeting of the N60 road (Ireland), N60, N61 road (Ireland), N61 and N63 road (Irelan ...

Sligo Sligo ( ; , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of 20,608 in 2022, it is the county's largest urban centre (constituting 2 ...

and

Westmeath County Westmeath (; or simply ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It formed part of the historic Kingdom of ...

. The main towns in the diocese are

Athlone Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midland Region, Ir ...

Ballymahon Ballymahon () on the River Inny (Leinster), River Inny is a town in the southern part of County Longford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is 19 km north-east of Athlone, at the junction of the N55 road, N55 and R392 road (Ireland), R392 ro ...

Carrick-on-Shannon Carrick-on-Shannon () is the county town of County Leitrim in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. A smaller part of the town located on the west bank of the River Shannon lies in County Roscommon and is home to th ...

, Edgeworthstown, Granard and

Ecclesiastical history

Lordship and Kingdom of Ireland

The union of the sees of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, which had been proposed in 1709, was carried into effect following the death of Stephen MacEgan, Bishop of Meath on 30 May 1756, who had been administering the see of Clonmacnoise., ''Handbook of British Chronology'', p. 414., ''A New History of Ireland'', vol. IX, p. 341. Augustine Cheevers, Bishop of Ardagh, was translated to the see of Meath on 7 August 1756, and Anthony Blake was appointed as the first bishop of united see of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise on 11 August 1756.

Modern times

On Christmas Day 2009,

St Mel's cathedral The Cathedral Church of St Mel is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, located in the town of Longford in Ireland. Built between 1840 and 1856, with the belfry and portico as later additions, it has b ...

in Longford was destroyed by fire. Bishop O'Reilly said that the building is "just a shell" and "burned out from end to end". The bishop said construction on the cathedral began in 1840 and he described it as a flagship Cathedrals of the midlands. After a long investigation the cause of the fire was traced back to a brick lined chimney at the rear of the cathedral. St Mel's was restored, reopening in 2014.

Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise

On 5 April 2023, Paul Connell was appointed the Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise by Pope Francis.

List of parishes

The following are the current parishes in the diocese (official names in italics where they differ from the currently-used names) * Abbeylara (County Longford) * Aghavas (County Leitrim) * Annaduff (County Leitrim) * Ardagh and Moydow (County Longford) * Athlone ''(St. Mary's)'' (County Westmeath) * Ballinahown, Boher and Pullagh ''(Lemanaghan)'' (County Offaly and County Westmeath) * Ballinalee ''(Clonbroney)'' (County Longford) * Ballymachugh ''(Ballymachugh and Drumlumman South)'' (County Cavan) * Ballymahon ''(Shrule)'' (County Longford) * Bornacoola (County Leitrim and County Longford) * Carrickedmond and Abbeyshrule ''(Taghshinny, Taghshinod and Abbeyshrule)'' (County Longford) *

Cashel Cashel (an Anglicised form of the Irish language word ''Caiseal'', meaning "stone fort") may refer to: Places in Ireland *Cashel, County Tipperary **The Rock of Cashel, an ancient, hilltop fortress complex for which Cashel is named ** Archbishop ...

(County Longford) * Carrick-on-Shannon ''(Kiltoghert)'' (County Leitrim) * Cloghan and Banagher ''(Gallen and Rynagh)'' (County Offaly) * Clonguish (County Longford) * Cloone (County Leitrim) * Colmcille ''(Columbkille)'' (County Longford) * Dromard (County Longford) * Drumlish (County Longford) * Drumshanbo ''(Murhaun)'' (County Leitrim) * Fenagh (County Leitrim) * Ferbane ''(Wheery and Tisaran)'' (County Offaly) * Gortletteragh (County Leitrim) * Granard (County Longford) * Keadue, Arigna and Ballyfarnon ''(Kilronan)'' (County Roscommon) * Kenagh ''(Kilcommock)'' (County Longford) * Killashee ''(Killashee and Clondra)'' (County Longford) * Killenummery and Ballintogher ''(Killanummery and Killery)'' (County Leitrim and County Sligo) * Killoe (County Longford) * Kiltubrid (County Leitrim) * Legan and Ballycloghan ''(Kilglass, Rathreagh and Agharra)'' (County Longford) * Longford ''(Templemichael and Ballymacormack)'' (County Longford) * Lough Gowna and Mullinalaghta ''(Scrabby and Columbkille East)'' (County Cavan and County Longford) * Moate and Mount Temple ''(Calry, Ballyloughloe and Kilcleagh)'' (County Westmeath) * Mohill ''(Mohill Manacháin)'' (County Leitrim) * Mostrim (County Longford) * Mullahoran ''(Drumlumman North and Loughduff)'' (County Cavan) * Rathcline (County Longford) * Rathowen ''(Rathaspic and Russagh)'' (County Westmeath) * Shannonbridge ''(Clonmacnois)'' (County Offaly) * Streete (County Longford and County Westmeath)

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

Official Diocesan website

Longford Parish (Templemichael & Ballymacormack) and St Mel's Cathedral

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ardagh Roman Catholic dioceses in Ireland Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 18th century 1756 establishments in Ireland Religion in County Cavan Religion in County Leitrim Religion in County Longford Religion in County Offaly Religion in County Roscommon Religion in County Sligo Religion in County Westmeath Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Armagh