Killmacduagh Diocese

Galway

This SEE of KILMACDUAGH was founded by St. Colman, son of Duach, of the noble family of Hy Fiacrii of Connaught, distinguished from other Colmans, his cotemporaries, by the appellation of Mac Duach, and who, after seven years strict seclusion, about the year 620 fixed his residence at this place, where he built a monastery and church, called after him 'Killmac-Duach', whence the diocese has taken its name. It was amply endowed by Guair, then King of Connaught, and subsequently by his successors. Mac Duach presided over the diocese till his death, and of his successors previously to the arrival of the English, the name of one only, Indrect, occurs, who died in 814. Maurice, bishop of this see, who died in 1283, erected on the site of the original foundation, at a short distance from the present cathedral church, a monastery for Ausustinian canons, which subsisted till the Reformation, when it was granted to the Earl of Clanrickarde. Stephen Kerovan, who was consecrated in 1573, was translated to the see of Clonfert. in 1582, from which time this see remained vacant till 1587, when Roland Linch succeeded to the prelacy ; and he being, in 1602, translated to the see of Clonfert, obtained permission to hold this diocese with it in commended, since which period the two sees continued to be always held together, till the recent death of the Right Rev. Dr. Butson, when both were annexed to the see of Killaloe, and the temporalities vested in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, under the provisions of the Church Temporalities Act of the 3rd and 4th of Wm. IV.

It is one of the six that constitute the Ecclesiastical province of Tuam, and is wholly within the county of Galway, comprising an estimated superficies of 64,000 acres.The lands belonging to the see comprise 3950 .50 statute acres, and the gross revenue, on an average of three years ending Dec. 3lst, 1831, amounted to £875. The 'Quarta Pars' still prevails in this diocese, the bishop receiving one-fourth part of the tithes of every parish.

The chapter consists of a dean, archdeacon, treasurer, precentor, and provost, with the two prebendaries of Kinvarra and Island-Eddy: there are neither minor canons nor vicars choral, and there is no economy fund. The total number of parishes in the diocese is 21, comprised in four unions or benefices, of which one is in the patronage of the Crown, one in that of the Marquess of Clanrickarde, one in that of the Bishop, and one in the alternate patronage of the Bishop and the Marquess of Clanrickarde. There are four churches, and one other building in which divine service is performed, and four glebe-houses. The cathedral, which is also the parish church, is a neat modern edifice, situated in the town of Gort.

In the Roman Catholic divisions the diocese is united with that of Kilfenora, and comprises 11 parochial benefices or unions, containing 14 chapels, which are served by 15 clergymen, of whom 11 are parish priests and 4 coadjutors or curates. The parochial benifice of the bishop is Kinvarra, where he resides.