Roman Catholic Diocese of Raphoe

Catholic diocese in Ireland

See Diocese of Derry and Raphoe for the Anglican (Church of Ireland) counterpart

Diocese of Raphoe

Dioecesis Rapotensis

Deoise Ráth Bhoth

The Cathedral of St Eunan and St Columba, Letterkenny, the episcopal seat of the bishops of Raphoe

Location
Country| Ireland
Territory| Most of County Donegal
Ecclesiastical province| Province of Armagh
Metropolitan| Archdiocese of Armagh
Statistics
Area| 1,556 sq mi (4,030 km2)
Population
- Total
- Catholics| (as of 2014)
90,700
82,600 (91.1%)
Information
Denomination| Catholic Church
Sui iuris church| Latin Church
Rite| Roman Rite
Established| 1111
Cathedral| Cathedral of St Eunan and St Columba, Letterkenny
Patron saint| St Eunan and St Columba
Current leadership
Pope| Francis
Bishop| Sede Vacante

Metropolitan Archbishop| Eamon Martin
Apostolic Administrator| Monsignor Kevin Gillespie
Vicar General| Frs Michael McKeever, Francis McLoone
Bishops emeritus| Philip Boyce
Map
Website
raphoediocese.ie

The Diocese of Raphoe (/rəˈfoʊ/ rə-FOH; Latin: Dioecesis Rapotensis; Irish: Deoise Ráth Bhoth) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland. It is one of eight suffragan dioceses in the inter-Irish primatial ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Armagh.[1]

On 9 June 2017, Alan McGuckian was appointed Bishop of Raphoe and was ordained to the episcopate on 5 August 2017.

## History[edit]

* Established circa 700 as Abbacy nullius of Raphoe / Rapoten(sis) (Latin)
* Promoted in 1111 as Diocese of Raphoe / Rapoten(sis) (Latin).

## Statistics and geographic remit[edit]

The bishopric covers most of County Donegal apart from the Inishowen peninsula. The largest towns are Ballyshannon, Donegal, Letterkenny and Stranorlar. As per 2014 it pastorally served 82,600 Catholics (91.1% of 90,700 total) on 4,030 km² (1555 sq. mi.) in 33 parishes with 85 priests (83 diocesan, 2 religious), 48 lay religious (4 brothers, 44 sisters) and 5 seminarians.

The bishop's residence – Ard Adomnán – is in the town of Letterkenny. It is located beside the Parochial House, near the Cathedral of St Eunan and St Columba which is dedicated to the joint patrons of the diocese – Saints Eunan (also known as Adomnán) and Columba (also known as Columcille). The former Cathedral, once Cathedral of St Eunan, also in Raphoe, is now a Protestant church.

## Episcopal ordinaries[edit]

Main article: Bishop of Raphoe

Abbots Nullius of Raphoe
not available ?

Suffragan Bishops of Raphoe

* ... first incumbent(s) unavailable ?
* Gilla in Choimded Ua Caráin (Gilbert O’Caran) (1156?–1175), next Metropolitan Archbishop of Armagh (Northern Ireland) (1175 – death 1180)
* Máel Pátraic Ó Scannail (Patrick O’Scanlan), OP (1253.10 – 1261.11.05), next Metropolitan Archbishop of Armagh (Northern Ireland) (1261.11.05 – death 1270.03.16)
* Giovanni de Alneto, OFM (1263.12.03 – 1265.04.28)
* Cairpre Ó Scuapa (1265 – death 1274)
* Fergal Ó Firghil (Florentius O’Ferrell) (1275 – death 1299)
* Énri Mac in Chrossáin (Henricus) (1306 – death 1319)
* Tomás Mac Carmaic Uí Domnaill (1319 – death 1337)
* Pádraig Mac Maonghaill (? – death 1367)
* Conchobhar Mac Carmaic Uí Dhomhnaill (Cornelius) (1367.12.23 – retired 1397.02.21), died 1399
* Seoán Mac Meanmain, OCist (1397.02.21 – ?)
* Eóin Mac Carmaic (Johannes) (1400 – death 1419)
* Lochlainn Ó Gallchobhair (Laurentius) (1420.02.28 – death 1438)
* Cornelius Mac Giolla Bhrighde (1440.07.20 – death 1442)
* Lochlainn Ó Gallchobhair (Laurentius) (1442.06.18 – death 1479)
* Johannes de Rogeriis (1479.11.12 – death 1482)
* Meanma Mac Carmaic (Menelaus Mac Carmacáin) (1482.11.04 – retired 1514.02.06), died 1515
* Cornelius O’Cahan (Conn Ó Cathláin) (1514.02.06 – retired 1534), died ?1550
* Edmund O’Gallagher (Éamonn Ó Gallchobhair) (1534.05.11 – death 1543.02.26)
* Art O’Gallagher (1547.12.05 – death 1561.08.13)
* Donald MacGongail (Donald McGonagle) (1562.01.28 – death 1589.09.29)
* Niall O’Boyle (1591.08.09 – death 1611.02.06)
* John O’Cullenan (1625.06.09 – death 1661.03.24)
* Apostolic Administrator Fergus Laurence Lea (1694.02.18 – death 1696), while Bishop of Derry (Northern Ireland) (1694.02.08 – 1696 not possessed)
*   * ...
*   * James O'Gallagher (1725–1737)
* Daniel O'Gallagher, OFM (1737–1749)
* Anthony O'Donnell, OFM (1750–1755)
* Nathaniel O'Donnell (1755–1758)
* Philip O'Reilly (1759–1782)
* Anthony Coyle (1782–1801), previously Coadjutor Bishop: Anthony Coyle (1777.04.27 – 1782)
* Coadjutor Bishop: Fr. John McElvoy (1801.01.30 – 1801.09.20)
* Peter McLaughlin (1802–1819)
* Patrick McGettigan (1820–1861)
* Daniel McGettigan (1861–1870), previously Coadjutor Bishop: Daniel McGettigan (later Archbishop) (1856.02.29 – 1861.05.01)
* James McDevitt (1871–1879)
* Michael Logue (1879–1887)
* Patrick O'Donnell (1888–1922)
* William MacNeely (1923–1963)
* Anthony Columba McFeely (1965–1982)
* Séamus Hegarty (1982–1994)
* Philip Boyce, OCD (1995– 2017.06.09)
* Alan McGuckian, SJ (2017.06.09 – ...)

## See also[edit]

* Catholic Church in Ireland
* List of Catholic dioceses in Ireland
* Sexual abuse scandal in Raphoe diocese
* Anglican counterpart Diocese of Derry and Raphoe (Church of Ireland)

## References[edit]

1. ^ Archdiocese of Armagh. Retrieved on 16 January 2009.

## External links[edit]

* Diocese of Raphoe (Official website)
* GCatholic.org, with Google map – data for all sections
* Diocese of Raphoe (Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference)
* Diocese of Raphoe (Catholic-Hierarchy website)
* Raphoe: Profile of the diocese (CatholicCity.com, from Catholic Encyclopedia)

* v
* t
* e

Catholic Church in Ireland

Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference

Dioceses|

* Province of Armagh:
* Archdiocese of Armagh
* Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise
* Diocese of Clogher
* Diocese of Derry
* Diocese of Down and Connor
* Diocese of Dromore
* Diocese of Kilmore
* Diocese of Meath
* Diocese of Raphoe
* Province of Cashel:
* Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly
* Diocese of Cloyne
* Cork and Ross
* Diocese of Kerry
* Diocese of Killaloe
* Diocese of Limerick
* Diocese of Waterford and Lismore
* Diocese of Kilfenora
* Province of Dublin:
* Archdiocese of Dublin
* Diocese of Ferns
* Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin
* Diocese of Ossory
* Province of Tuam:
* Archdiocese of Tuam
* Diocese of Achonry
* Diocese of Clonfert
* Diocese of Galway and Kilmacduagh
* Diocese of Elphin
* Diocese of Killala

Bishops|

* Archbishop of Armagh (Eamon Martin)
* Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise (Paul Connell)
* Bishop of Clogher (Lawrence Duffy)
* Bishop of Derry (Donal McKeown)
* Bishop of Down and Connor (Noel Treanor)
* Bishop of Dromore (sede vacante)
* Bishop of Kilmore (Martin Hayes)
* Bishop of Meath (Thomas Deenihan)
* Bishop of Raphoe (Alan McGuckian)
* Archbishop of Cashel and Emly (Kieran O'Reilly)
* Bishop of Cloyne (William Crean)
* Bishop of Cork and Ross (Fintan Gavin)
* Bishop of Kerry (Raymond Browne)
* Bishop of Killaloe (Fintan Monahan)
* Bishop of Limerick (Brendan Leahy)
* Bishop of Waterford and Lismore (Alphonsus Cullinan)
* Archbishop of Dublin (Dermot Farrell)
* Bishop of Ferns (Gerard Nash)
* Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin (Denis Nulty)
* Bishop of Ossory (Niall Coll)
* Archbishop of Tuam and Bishop of Killala (Francis Duffy)
* Bishop of Clonfert and Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora (Michael Duignan)
* Bishop of Achonry and Bishop of Elphin (Kevin Doran)
* Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Apostolic Visitor (Kenneth Nowakowski)

Churches|

* Armagh Cathedral
* Belfast Cathedral
* Cavan Cathedral
* Derry Cathedral
* Letterkenny Cathedral
* Longford Cathedral
* Monaghan Cathedral
* Mullingar Cathedral
* Newry Cathedral
* Cobh Cathedral
* Cork Cathedral
* Ennis Cathedral
* Killarney Cathedral
* Limerick Cathedral
* Skibbereen Cathedral
* Thurles Cathedral
* Waterford Cathedral
* Carlow Cathedral
* Dublin Pro-Cathedral
* Enniscorthy Cathedral
* Kilkenny Cathedral
* Ballaghaderreen Cathedral
* Ballina Cathedral
* Galway Cathedral
* Loughrea Cathedral
* Sligo Cathedral
* Tuam Cathedral
* List of Catholic churches in Ireland

See also|

* Knock Shrine
* St Patrick's Purgatory
* St Patrick's College, Maynooth
* List of monastic houses in Ireland
* List of Catholic schools in Ireland by religious order
* List of saints of Ireland
* Apostolic Nunciature to Ireland
* Holy See–Ireland relations

* Catholicism portal
* Ireland portal

* v
* t
* e

Roman Catholic bishops of Raphoe

* Dónal Mag Congail
* Niall Ó Baoighill
* Eóin Ó Cuileannáin
* James Ó Gallchobhair
* Bonaventure O'Gallagher
* Anthony Ó Dónaill
* Nathaniel Ó Dónaill
* Philip Ó Raghallaigh
* Anthony Coyle
* Patrick McGettigan
* Daniel McGettigan
* James McDevitt
* Michael Logue
* Patrick Joseph O'Donnell
* William MacNeely
* Anthony McFeely
* Séamus Hegarty
* Philip Boyce
* Alan McGuckian

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