Ferns Diocese, county Wexford, Ireland, Lewis, 1837 description ©Jane Lyons

This page is part of an Irish genealogy web site 'From Ireland' ©Dr. Jane Lyons, Dublin, Ireland.

DIOCESES

FERNS

The DIOCESE of FERNS appears to have been founded by St. Edan, commonly called St. Maidoc or Mogue, a descendant of Colla Vais, King of Ireland, who, having left his country, resided for some years with St. David, bishop of Menevia, in Wales, by whom he was carefully instructed in the principles of the Christian religion. After his return to Ireland, St. Maidoc founded a church at Ferns, which soon after became the seat of a diocese. In a great synod held afterwards at Leinster, Brandubh decreed that the archbishopric of Leinster should forever remain in the chair and see of St. Maidoc; who, after presiding over it for nearly 50 years, died in 632 and was succeeded by St. Molin. The see was governed by a regular succession of bishops till 814, from which date there is a chasm of more than a hundred years, arising probably from the ravages of the Danes of Ulster. It was afterwards governed by Laidgnene, under the title of Comorban, who died in 987: of his successors little worthy of notice is recorded till after the arrival of the English in Ireland. On the refusal of Giraldus Cambrensis to accept the see, which, with that of Leighlin, had been offered to him by John, Earl of Morton, Albin O’Mulloy succeeded in 1186; and during his prelacy it was forcibly deprived of two manors by William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke. Adam de Northampton, who succeeded in 1282, was attainted of treason for his adherence to Edward Bruce, and for furnishing Robert Bruce with provisions, arms, and men during his invasion of Ireland.

The revenues of the see were greatly diminished during the prelacy of Alexander Devereux, who succeeded to it in 1539, and remained in undisturbed possession of it, notwithstanding the changes then taking place in religion, and the manor of Fethard was alienated by Hugh Allen, who succeeded in 1582, but it was subsequently recovered by Bishop Ram. During the prelacy of Bishop Graves, who was consecrated in 1600, the see of Leighlin, which had been for some time vacant, was united with Ferns; and his successors continued to be bishops of Leighlin and Ferns from that period till 1886, when, on the death of the last bishop, Dr. Elrington, both dioceses were annexed to the see of Ossory, and the temporalities of the latter became vested in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.

The diocese is one of the five which constitute the ecclesiastical province of Dublin: it comprises a small part of the county of Wicklow and of Queen's county (Laois), and nearly the whole of that of Wexford, extending 46 miles in length and 18 in breadth, and comprehending a superficies of 570,564 statute acres, of which 550,800 are in the county of Wexford, and 19,764 in that of Wicklow. The lands belonging to the see comprise 13,870 statute acres of profitable land; and the gross revenue of the bishopric amounts to £5882 15 shillings 8 pence The chapter consists of a dean, precentor, chancellor, treasurer, archdeacon, and the ten prebendaries of Kilrane, Coolstuffe, Fethard, Edermine, Taghmon, Kilrush, Tomb, Clone, Crosspatrick, and Whitechurch.

The consistory court, held at Enniscorthy, consists of a vicar-general, two surrogates, and a registrar who is also keeper of the records, of which the earliest are of the date of 1618. The total number of parishes is 142, which, with the exception of two without cure of souls, are comprised within 58 benefices, of which 34 are unions of two or more parishes, and 24 single parishes; of the benefices, one
(the deanery) is in the patronage of the Crown, 10 in lay patronage, and the remainder are in the patronage of the Bishop or the incumbents. The number of parish churches is 61, and there are also two other places in which divine service is performed; there are 31 glebe-houses, The diocesan school, the master of which is paid a salary by the bishop and beneficed clergy of the diocese, is at Wexford.

In the R. C: divisions this diocese, as originally constituted, forms a distinct bishopric, and is one of the three suffragan to the archiepiscopal see of Dublin: It comprises 36 parochial unions or districts, and, exclusively of the friary chapel at New Ross, contains 90 chapels, served by 36 parish priests and 54 coadjutors or curates; the Episcopal parishes or districts are Enniscorthy and Camolin: the Bishop resides at the former place.