Roman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne

Robbery of church property by nobles impoverished the Sees of Cloyne and Cork, which were united in 1429, by papal authority, under Bishop Purcell. Blessed Thaddeus MacCarthy was bishop from 1490 to 1492. The bishops of penal times were ruthlessly persecuted, and some suffered cruel imprisonment or died in exile.[5]

John O'Brien author of an Irish dictionary, poems, and tracts, was Bishop of Cloyne and Ross from 1748 to 1769. He died in exile in Lyons.[6] Since 1769 the Bishops of Cloyne, with the exception of Dr. Timothy Murphy, resided at Cobh (formerly Queenstown) on the north side of Cork Harbour.

The Dioceses of Cloyne and Ross were separated in 1850. Following the relaxation of the worst elements of the Penal laws,"...the diocese, despoiled of all its ancient churches, schools, and religious houses, had to be fully equipped anew. About 100 plain churches were erected between 1800 and 1850."[5] Following the separation of Ross, Bishop William Keane planned a cathedral for Cobh to replace the inadequate parish Church of the time.

The diocese consists of five deaneries, which are in turn divided into parishes.

The Cathedral Parish of the Diocese of Cloyne is Cobh. This consists of the entire Great Island in Cork Harbour, including Rushbrooke & Ballymore. The second mensal parish is Fermoy.

The other parishes of the diocese in alphabetical order are as follows:

The distinguished Catholic novelist Patrick Augustine Sheehan better known as Canon Sheehan of Doneraile produced and extraordinary literary oeuvre of essays, short stories, poems and novels between 1881 and 1913.

Archbishop Daniel Mannix of Melbourne was born in Charleville in 1864 and ordained for the diocese of Cloyne in 1890. Nominated Professor of Moral Theology in Maynooth in 1895, he was promoted to President of St. Patrick's College, Maynooth in 1903. In 1912 he was nominated Coadjutor of Archbishop Carr of Melbourne and succeeded him in 1917.

Archbishop Thomas Croke was born in 1824 at Castlecor and ordained for the diocese of Cloyne at Paris in 1824. Having been Professor in the Irish College in Paris for almost twelve years, he returned to Ireland and was appointed President of St. Colman's College, Fermoy in 1858. In 1865, he became Parish Priest of Doneraile. Nominated Bishop of Auckland, New Zealand, in 1870, he was translated to the Archdiocese of Cashel in Ireland in 1875. He died in 1902.

Bishop Robert Browne born in Charleville in 1844; he was ordained for the diocese of Cloyne in 1869. Following a brief period as Professor in St. Colman's College, Fermoy, he was appointed Dean and Professor of Greek at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, in 1870. In 1885, he succeeded as President of the College. During his tenure he completed the building of the College Chapel. Nominated Bishop of Cloyne in 1894, his principal task was to complete the building of Cobh Cathedral which he consecrated in 1919. He died in 1935.

The Very Reverend Dr. Bartholomew MacCarthy, Celtic scholar and editor of the Stowe Missal, born at Conna, Ballynoe, Co. Cork, 12, Dec., 1843; died at Inniscarra, Co. Cork, 6 March., 1904. He was educated at Mount Melleray Seminary, Co. Waterford, and at St. Colman's College, Fermoy, Co. Cork, afterwards studying at Rome, where he was ordained in 1869. On his return to Ireland he was appointed professor of Classics at St. Colman's, where he remained about three years. He then went as curate to Mitchelstown and afterwards to Macroom and Youghal. In 1895 he was appointed parish priest of Inniscarra, near Cork, where he died.

The Very Reverend Canon Richard Smiddy, archaeologist and antiquarianist, was born in 1811 at Ballymakea, Killeagh. He was the son of Hanora (née Kennedy) and Pierse Smiddy. His siblings were John, Michael, Mary (Ahern), Laurence and Pierse Smiddy. He became parish priest of Aghada in 1854. He published extensively on theological subjects and on archaeology. His earliest book, The Holy Bible and the manner in which it is used by Catholics, was published in 1850. He was responsible for the revision of the Irish language catechism for use in the diocese of Cloyne which was published as An tagasc Chriostaidhe, de réir ceist is freagara. His best known work, Essays on Druids, Ancient Churches, and the Round Towers of Ireland, was published in 1871, reprinted in abbreviated form in 1976 and reprinted in 2010. Canon Smiddy kept a diary and wrote about life in East Cork from 1840 to 1875. His diary is kept in the Diocesan Archives in Cobh, however many copies have been made. His family are buried in Killeagh Old Cemetery, Co. Cork. He died on 11 June 1878 and was interred in Aghada Church graveyard.

Bishop John O'Brien, Celtic scholar, antiquarian and lexicographer, born Ballyovoddy, Kildorrery, Co. Cork in 1701, Doctor of Laws of the University of Toulouse, ordained in 1727, chaplain to the Spanish Embassy in London 1737, appointed Bishop of Cloyne and Ross on 10 January 1748. Published the Focaloir Gaodhilge-Sax-Bhéarlain 1768. John O'Brien died in exile at Lyon in France on 13 March 1769 and was buried in the Church of St-Martin-d'Ainay.

The Very Reverend Dr. Thady O'Brien, Regius Professor of Theology of the University of Toulouse and Rector of the Irish College Toulouse, born 12 March 1671 at Robertstown, Gortroe, in the diocese of Cloyne; ordained at Toulouse on 2 June 1703; Rector of the Irish College Toulouse 1706-1715; Parish Priest of Castlelyons 1715-1747; died 10 October 1747 at Castlelyons where he was interred. Dr. O'Brien published several theological tracts including An Historical Account of the Waldensians and Albigensians; A Defence of the Perpetual Virginity of the Blessed Mother of God; The Real Presence proved in the Eucharist; Animadversions on a Sermon treating of the Character of Oppressive Obedience; An Abstract of the Reasons Exhibited by the Very Learned Father Edmond Campion, Martyr, of the Society of Jesus, for his Challenge to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; On the Jubilee Year of 1700.

The diocese was the subject of a report on child sexual abuse and cover-up. According to a Health Service Executive (HSE) audit, the then Vicar General Msgr Denis O’Callaghan as the person responsible and the Diocese had put children at risk of harm through an "inability" to respond appropriately to abuse allegations and "had taken a fairly minimalistic role in terms of sharing information with the Board". The Diocese of Cloyne said it accepted the findings.[13]

On 4 February 2010, Bishop John Magee requested Pope Benedict to relieve him of his duties, saying that he would use the time to "devote the necessary time and energy to cooperating fully with the government Commission of Inquiry into child protection practices and procedures in the diocese of Cloyne" which up to this point had been handled by Monsignor Denis O’Callaghan. In accordance with canon law, an apostolic administrator was named for an open-ended interim period. Bishop Magee resigned on 24 March 2010 upon learning of the full gravity of the revelations of the report. Bishop Magee now resides in a North Cork town and is frequently invited to presided at various religious and Eucharistic celebrations overseas, particularly in Italy.[14]