Bishop of Ferns

{{Short description|Episcopal title of Ireland}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}} {{Infobox diocese | titleoverride = Bishop of | bishopric = Ferns | border = catholic | coat = File:Coat of arms of Denis Brennan.svg | coat_size = 200px | incumbent = [[Gerard Nash (bishop)|Gerard Nash]] | incumbent_note = Since 11 June 2021 | style = Your Grace  | country = [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]  | established = Early 12th century | cathedral = [[St. Aidan's Cathedral]], [[Enniscorthy]] | first_incumbent = Ceallach Ua Colmáin  | website = {{URL|ferns.ie}} }} {{Portal|Christianity}} The '''Bishop of Ferns''' ({{Langx|ga|Easpag Fhearna}})<ref name="ainm">{{cite web|url=http://www.ainm.ie/Bio.aspx?ID=1391|title=WADDING, Luke (1588–1657)|website=ainm.ie|access-date=10 September 2017|language=Irish}}</ref> is an [[Episcopal polity|episcopal]] title which takes its name after the village of [[Ferns, County Wexford|Ferns]] in [[County Wexford]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]. In the [[Roman Catholic Church]] it remains a separate title, but in the [[Church of Ireland]] it has been united with other bishoprics.

==History== The diocese of Ferns or Loch Garman was one of the twenty-four dioceses established at the [[Synod of Rathbreasail]] in 1111. Subsequently, the centre of the diocese was located at Ferns due to the influence of [[Diarmaid mac Murchadha]].{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} It comprised roughly the ancient territory of the [[Uí Cheinnselaig]] with the bishop's seat ([[cathedra]]) located at [[Ferns Cathedral]]. During the later medieval period the church at [[New Ross]] enjoyed quasi-cathedral status.<ref name=Fryde355/><ref name=cotton331/>

Following the [[Reformation in Ireland|Reformation]], there are parallel [[apostolic succession]]s. In the [[Church of Ireland]], Ferns was united with [[Bishop of Leighlin|Leighlin]] in 1597 to form the [[Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin|bishopric of Ferns and Leighlin]].<ref name=Fryde393/><ref name=cotton334/>

In the [[Roman Catholic Church]], the bishopric of Ferns continues as a separate title.<ref name=Fryde428/><ref name=cathhierferns/> The current Incumbent is the Most Reverend [[Gerard Nash (bishop)|Gerard Nash]], Bishop of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns]], who was [[Appointment of Catholic bishops|appointed]] by the [[Holy See]] on 11 June 2021 and was [[Bishop (Catholic Church)|ordained bishop]] on 5 September 2021.

==Pre-Reformation bishops== {| class="wikitable" style="width:95%;" !style="background-color:#FABE60" colspan="4"|List of pre-Reformation Bishops of Ferns<ref name=Fryde355>{{cite book |author1=Fryde, E. B. |author2=Greenway, D. E. |author3=Porter, S. |author4=Roy, I. |title=Handbook of British Chronology |edition=3rd |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |year=1986 |isbn=0-521-56350-X |pages=355–356}}</ref><ref name=cotton331>{{cite book |last=Cotton |first=Henry |title=The Succession of the Prelates and Members of the Cathedral Bodies of Ireland |series= Fasti ecclesiae Hiberniae |volume=2, The Province of Leinster |year=1848 |publisher=Hodges and Smith |location=Dublin |pages=331–334}}</ref> |- ! style="background-color:#ffffec" width="10%"|From ! style="background-color:#ffffec" width="10%"|Until ! style="background-color:#ffffec" width="30%"|Incumbent ! style="background-color:#ffffec" width="45%"|Notes |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|''unknown'' |align=center|1117 |'''Ceallach Ua Colmáin''' |Died in office |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|''unknown'' |align=center|1125 |'''Máel Eoin Ua Dúnacaín''' |May have been bishop of Ferns or [[Bishop of Leighlin|Leighlin]], but was called ''bishop of [[Uí Cheinnselaig|Uí Chennselaig]]'' in the [[Annals of the Four Masters]]; died in office at [[Old Leighlin|Leighlin]] |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|[[Floruit|fl.]] 1161–62 |align=center|1182 |'''Joseph Ua h-Áeda''' |Known to be bishop around 1160 and 1161; died in office |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|c.1186 |align=center|1223 |'''[[Ailbe Ua Maíl Mhuaidh]]''', O.Cist. |Formerly Abbot of [[Baltinglass]]; elected bishop circa 1186; acted as a suffragan bishop in the [[diocese of Winchester]] in 1201 and 1214; died 1 January 1223; also known as Albinus, Albin O'Mooley and Alpin O'Moelmhuaidh |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1223 |align=center|1253 |'''[[John of St John]]''' |Formerly Treasurer of [[St Mary's Cathedral, Limerick|Limerick]]; elected before 6 July 1223 and consecrated before 2 April 1224; died before October 1253. He was [[Lord High Treasurer of Ireland]] for many years |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1254 |align=center|1258 |'''[[Geoffrey of St John]]''' |Formerly Treasurer of [[St Mary's Cathedral, Limerick|Limerick]]; elected before March 1254; received possession of the [[temporalities]] after 16 March 1254; died before May 1258; he was possibly brother of the previous bishop |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1258 |align=center|1282 |'''Hugh of Lamport''' |Formerly Treasurer of [[Ferns Cathedral]]; elected before 11 July 1258; received possession of the [[temporalities]] 27 September 1258; died 15 May 1282 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1282 |align=center|1304 |'''[[Richard of Northampton]]''' |Formerly a [[Canon (priest)|Canon]] of [[Killaloe Cathedral|Killaloe]] and [[Dean of Ferns]]; elected 28 July 1282; received possession of the [[temporalities]] 13 October 1282; consecrated in 1283; died 13 January 1304 and buried in Ferns Cathedral |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |colspan=2 align=center|1304 |'''Simon of Evesham''' |Elected after 12 March 1304; consecrated 22 June 1304; died 1 September 1304 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1305 |align=center|1311 |'''Robert Walrand''' |Elected after 14 February 1305; consecrated after 13 April 1305; died 17 November 1311 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1312 |align=center|1346 |'''Adam of Northampton''' |Elected before 14 March 1312; received possession of the [[temporalities]] 14 March 1312; consecrated 18 June 1312; died 29 October 1346 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |colspan=2 align=center|1347 |'''Hugh of Saltu''' |Formerly a [[Canon (priest)|Canon]] of [[St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin]]; elected before 10 March and consecrated 8 April 1347, but was deprived of the see later in the same year; also known as Hugh of Leixlip |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1347 |align=center|1348 |'''Geoffrey Grandfield''', O.E.S.A. |Appointed 5 March and consecrated at [[Avignon]] in June 1347; received possession of the [[temporalities]] 15 November 1347; died of the [[Black Death|plague]] 22 October 1348; also known as Geoffrey Grosseld |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |colspan=2 align=center|1349 |'''John Esmond''' |Elected and consecrated in 1349, but did not get possession of the see due to a prior papal reservation; deprived in the same year; later successively appointed [[Bishop of Emly]] on 28 February 1356 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1350 |align=center|1362 |'''William Carnells''', O.P. |Appointed 19 April and consecrated 1350; received possession of the [[temporalities]] 15 October 1350; also was [[Lord High Treasurer of Ireland]]; died in July 1362 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1363 |align=center|1400 |'''[[Thomas Dene]]''' |Formerly Archdeacon of Ferns; appointed bishop before 15 April and consecrated 18 June 1363; received possession of the temporalities 27 August 1363; died 27 August 1400 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1400 |align=center|1415 |'''[[Patrick Barrett]]''', O.S.A. |Formerly a [[Canon (priest)|Canon]] of [[Kells Priory]]; appointed 10 December 1400 and consecrated in the same month; received possession of the temporalities 11 April 1401; also was [[Lord Chancellor of Ireland]]; died 10 November 1415 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1418 |align=center|1457 |'''[[Robert Whittey]]''' |Formerly [[Precentor]] of [[Ferns Cathedral]]; appointed 16 February 1418; excused from further attendance at the Irish Parliament or the Privy Council in 1450, on account of his great age and infirmity; resigned 5 October 1457; died 1458 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |colspan=2 align=center|1451 |'''Tadhg O'Beirn''', O.S.A. |Appointed 8 October 1451, but did not take effect |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1457 |align=center|1479 |'''John Purcell I''' |Appointed 4 October 1457; died before October 1479 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1479 |align=center|1503 |'''Laurence Neville''' |Formerly a [[Canon (priest)|Canon]] of [[Ferns Cathedral|Ferns]]; appointed 26 October 1479 and received possession of the [[temporalities]] 20 May 1480; died 1503 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1505 |align=center|1509 |'''Edmund Comerford''' |Formerly Dean of [[St Canice's Cathedral|Kilkenny]]; consecrated at Ferns Cathedral in 1505; died 15 April 1509 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1510 |align=center|1519 |'''Nicholas Comyn''' |Appointed bishop before 20 January 1510 and consecrated at [[Old St Paul's Cathedral|St Paul's Cathedral, London]] on that date; translated to [[Bishop of Waterford and Lismore|Waterford and Lismore]] in 1519 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1519 |align=center|1539 |'''John Purcell II''' |Appointed 13 April and consecrated at Rome 6 May 1519; died 20 July 1539 |}

==Post-Reformation bishops== ===Church of Ireland succession=== {| class="wikitable" style="width:95%;" !style="background-color:#FABE60" colspan="4"|List of Church of Ireland Bishops of Ferns<ref name=Fryde393>Fryde, ibid., p. 393.</ref><ref name=cotton334>Cotton, ibid., pp. 334–335.</ref> |- ! style="background-color:#ffffec" width="10%"|From ! style="background-color:#ffffec" width="10%"|Until ! style="background-color:#ffffec" width="30%"|Incumbent ! style="background-color:#ffffec" width="45%"|Notes |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1539 |align=center|1566 |'''[[Alexander Devereux]]''' {{Ref label|Note1|A|A}} |Last [[Dunbrody Abbey|Abbot of Dunbrody]]; elected bishop by the dean and chapter in 1539 and confirmed by [[Henry VIII|King Henry VIII]]; consecrated at [[St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin]] 14 December 1539; died in [[Fethard-on-Sea]] before 19 August 1566 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1566 |align=center|1578 |'''[[John Devereux (bishop)|John Devereux]]''' |[[Dean of Ferns]]; nominated 10 October and appointed by [[letters patent]] 19 October 1566; died in 1578 and was buried at St Mary's Church in Wexford |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |colspan=2 align=center|1579 |('''''James Proctor''''') |Appointed by letters patent 11 April 1579, but died before consecration |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1579 |align=center|1582 |colspan=2|''See vacant'' |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1582 |align=center|''1597'' |'''[[Hugh Allen (bishop)|Hugh Allen]]''' |Translated from [[Bishop of Down and Connor|Down and Connor]]; appointed by letters patent 24 May 1582; became [[Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin]] when the two dioceses where united in 1597. |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |colspan=4|''In 1597, the Church of Ireland see became part of the united [[Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin|bishopric of Ferns and Leighlin]]'' |}

===Roman Catholic succession=== {| class="wikitable" style="width:95%;" !style="background-color:#FABE60" colspan="4"|List of Roman Catholic Bishops of Ferns<ref name=Fryde428>Fryde, ibid., pp. 428–429.</ref><ref name=cathhierferns>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dfern.html "Diocese of Ferns"] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 12 September 2016.</ref><ref name=GCathFerns>[http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/fern0.htm "Diocese of Ferns"] ''GCatholic.org''. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved 5 September 2016.</ref> |- ! style="background-color:#ffffec" width="10%"|From ! style="background-color:#ffffec" width="10%"|Until ! style="background-color:#ffffec" width="30%"|Incumbent ! style="background-color:#ffffec" width="45%"|Notes |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1539 |align=center|1541 |colspan=2|''See vacant'' |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |colspan=2 align=center|1541 |'''Bernard Ó Dónaill''', O.F.M |Appointed 30 March 1541; translated to [[Bishop of Elphin|Elphin]] 3 June 1541 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1541 |align=center|1542 |'''Gabriel de S. Serio''', O.S.B. |Translated from [[Bishop of Elphin|Elphin]] 3 June 1541; died 5 May 1542 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|''unknown'' |align=center|1566 |'''Alexander Devereux''' {{Ref label|Note1|B|B}} |Appointed by [[Henry VIII|King Henry VIII]] in 1539, but was not deprived in the reign of [[Mary I of England|Queen Mary I]]; died in [[Fethard-on-Sea]] before 19 August 1566 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1566 |align=center|1582 |colspan=2|''See vacant'' |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1582 |align=center|1587 |'''[[Peter Power (bishop)|Peter Power]]''' |Appointed 27 April 1582; died 1587 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1587 |align=center|1607 |colspan=2|''See vacant'' |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1607 |align=center|''unknown'' |'''''Daniel Drihin''''' |Appointed [[vicar apostolic]] by [[papal brief]] 17 November 1607 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1624 |align=center|1636 |'''[[John Roche (bishop)]]''' |Appointed 29 April 1624; died 9 April 1636 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1636 |align=center|1645 |colspan=2|''See vacant'' |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1645 |align=center|1678 |'''[[Nicholas French]]''' |Appointed 6 February and consecrated 23 November 1645; also appointed [[auxiliary bishop]] of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela|Santiago de Compostela]] 1652–1666, [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Paris|Paris]] 1666–1668, and [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Ghent|Ghent]] 1668–1678; died 23 August 1678 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1678 |align=center|1683/84 |colspan=2|''See vacant'' |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1683/84 |align=center|1687 |'''Luke Wadding''' |Appointed [[coadjutor bishop]] of Ferns on 12 May 1671, but did not accept the post until late 1672; consecrated bishop of Ferns, probably in June 1683; died 1687<ref>{{cite web |last1=Crosbie |first1=Barry |title=Wadding, Luke |url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/wadding-luke-a8830 |website=Dictionary of Irish Biography |date=October 2009}}</ref> |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1687 |align=center|1697 |colspan=2|''See vacant'' |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1697 |align=center|''1709'' |'''Michael Rossiter''' |Appointed 1 July 1697; possibly died 1709 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1709 |align=center|1728 |'''John Verdon''' |Appointed 14 September 1709; died circa 1728 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1729 |align=center|1744 |'''Ambrose Ó Ceallacháin''', O.F.M. |Appointed 26 September 1729; died 8 August 1744 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1745 |align=center|1786 |'''Nicholas Sweetman''' |Appointed 25 January 1745; died 19 October 1786 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1786 |align=center|1814 |'''James Caulfield''' |Appointed coadjutor bishop 26 February and consecrated 7 July 1782; succeeded 19 October 1786; died 14 January 1814 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1814 |align=center|1819 |'''Patrick Ryan''' |Appointed coadjutor bishop 2 October 1804 and consecrated 2 February 1805; succeeded 14 January 1814; died 9 March 1819 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1819 |align=center|1849 |'''James Keatinge''' |Appointed coadjutor bishop 6 December 1818; succeeded 9 March and consecrated 21 March 1819; died 7 September 1849 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1849 |align=center|1856 |'''Myles Murphy''' |Appointed 19 November 1849 and consecrated 10 March 1850; died 13 August 1856 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1857 |align=center|1875 |'''Thomas Furlong''' |Appointed 9 January and consecrated 22 March 1857; died 12 November 1875 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1876 |align=center|1884 |'''Michael Warren''' |Appointed 13 or 14 March and consecrated 7 May 1876; resigned 22 April 1884; died 22 April 1885 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1884 |align=center|1917 |'''[[James Browne (Bishop of Ferns)|James Browne]]''' |Appointed 6 or 8 July and consecrated 14 September 1884; died 21 June 1917 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1917 |align=center|1938 |'''[[William Codd]]''' |Appointed 7 December 1917 and consecrated 25 February 1918; died 12 March 1938 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1938 |align=center|1963 |'''[[James Staunton]]''' |Appointed 10 December 1938 and consecrated 5 February 1939; died 26 or 27 June 1963 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1964 |align=center|1983 |'''[[Donal Herlihy]]''' |Appointed 30 October and consecrated 15 November 1964; died 2 April 1983 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|1984 |align=center|2002 |'''[[Brendan Comiskey|Brendan Oliver Comiskey]]''', SS.CC. |Formerly [[auxiliary bishop]] of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin|Dublin]] 1979–1984; appointed bishop of Ferns 4 or 11 April 1984; resigned 6 April 2002 |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|2006 |align=center|2021 |'''[[Denis Brennan]]''' |Appointed 1 March and consecrated 23 April 2006; retired 11 June 2021.<ref name=bpbrennan>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bbrend.html Bishop Denis Brennan]. ''Catholic Hierarchy''. Retrieved 7 September 2009.</ref><ref name="HSPO">{{cite web|title=Resignations and Appointments|url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2021/06/11/0376/00826.html|date=11 June 2021|accessdate=11 June 2021|work=Holy See Press Office|publisher=Holy See}} {{in lang|it}}</ref> |-valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center|2021 |align=center|present |'''[[Gerard Nash (bishop)|Gerard Nash]]''' |Appointed 11 June and consecrated 5 September 2021.<ref name="HSPO"/> |}

==Notes== <div style="font-size: 95%"> * {{note label|Note1|A|A}}{{note label|Note1|B|B}} Alexander Devereux was bishop of both successions. </div>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferns, Bishop of}} [[Category:Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns]] [[Category:Religion in County Wexford]] [[Category:Lists of Irish bishops and archbishops]] [[Category:Bishops of Ferns| Bishop]] [[Category:Bishops of Kildare or Ferns or Leighlin or of Ossory|Bishop of Ferns]] [[Category:Lists of bishops and archbishops of former Anglican dioceses in Ireland]]