Diocese of Down and Connor

Historical Details

• Diocese of Down
  • Latin Name: Dunensis
  • Erected: 6th Century
  • Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Armagh
  • Country: Ireland

Past and Present Ordinaries

• St. Malachia O’Morgair † ( 1124 Appointed - )
• Ralph † ( 1202 Appointed - 1213 Died)
• Thomas † ( 1213 Appointed - 1237 Died)
• Randal † ( 1251 Appointed - 1253 Died)
• Reginald † ( 1258 Appointed - 13 Apr 1265 Appointed, Bishop of Cloyne)
• Thomas Liddell † (5 Jul 1266 Appointed - 1276 Died)
• Nicholas † ( 1276 Appointed - 4 Mar 1304 Died)
• Thomas Kittell † (Jul 1305 Appointed - 1313 Died)
• Thomas Bright † ( 1314 Appointed - 1327 Died)
• John de Ballyconingham † ( 1328 Ordained Bishop - 5 Jan 1330 Appointed, Bishop of Cork)
• Ralph de Kilmessan, O.F.M. † (12 Dec 1328 Appointed - 1353 Died)
• Gregory † (29 Jan 1353 Appointed - 27 Feb 1357 Appointed, Bishop of Elphin)
• Richard Calf † (4 Dec 1353 Appointed - Oct 1365 Died)
• William , C.R.S.A. † (8 Jun 1366 Appointed - Aug 1368 Died)
• Richard Calf † (19 Feb 1369 Appointed - 16 May 1386 Died)
• John Ross † (8 Nov 1386 Appointed - 1394 Died)
• John Donegan, O.S.B. † (16 Sep 1394 Appointed - 1412 Died)
• John Cely, O.S.B. † (28 Jul 1413 Appointed - 1441 Resigned)
• John de Fossade † ( 1441 Appointed - 1450 Died)
• Ralph Aderle, O.E.S.A. † (26 Apr 1445 Appointed - )
• Thomas Pollart † (21 Jun 1447 Appointed - 1451 Died)
• Richard Wolsey, O.P. † (21 Jun 1451 Appointed - Aug 1453 Resigned)
• Thomas Knight, O.S.B. † (24 Aug 1453 Appointed - 1468 Died)
• Thaddeus Morisey † (10 Jul 1469 Appointed - Jul 1480 Died)
• Tiberius Ugolini † (1 Sep 1485 Appointed - Apr 1519 Died)
• Robert Blyth, O.S.B. † (16 Apr 1520 Appointed - 1539 Removed)
• Eugene Magennis † (16 Jun 1539 Appointed - 1562 Died)
• Miler Magrath, O.F.M. Conv. † (12 Oct 1565 Appointed - 14 Mar 1580 Resigned)
• Donat O’Gallagher, O.F.M. Obs. † (23 Mar 1580 Appointed - 1581 Died)
• Bl. Conor O’Devany, O.F.M. † (27 Apr 1582 Appointed - 1 Feb 1612 Died)
• Patrick Hanratty † ( 1614 Appointed - 1624 Resigned)
• Edmund Dungan † (9 Jun 1625 Appointed - 1629 Died)
• Bonaventure Magennis, O.F.M. Obs. † (22 Apr 1630 Appointed - 24 Apr 1640 Died)
• Heber MacMahon (McMahon) † (10 Mar 1642 Appointed - Jun 1643 Ordained Bishop, Bishop of Clogher)
• Arthur Magennis, O. Cist. † (11 Mar 1647 Appointed - 24 Mar 1653 Died)
• Nicholas O’Bern † (17 Apr 1657 Appointed - Jun 1658 Died)
• Daniel Mackey † (4 May 1671 Appointed - 1673 Appointed, Bishop of Dromore)
• Terence O’Donnelly † (22 Aug 1711 Appointed - 1717 Resigned)
• James O’Shielt, O.F.M. † (2 Oct 1717 Appointed - 13 Aug 1724 Died)
• John Armstrong † (7 Apr 1727 Confirmed - Dec 1739 Died)
• Francis Stuart, O.F.M. † (19 Sep 1740 Confirmed - 6 Jun 1750 Died)
• Edmund O’Doran † (30 Jan 1751 Confirmed - 18 Jun 1760 Died)
• Theophilus MacCartan † (10 Sep 1760 Confirmed - 10 Dec 1778 Died)
• Hugh MacMullan † (11 Aug 1779 Appointed - 8 Oct 1794 Died)
• Patrick MacMullan † (8 Oct 1794 Succeeded - 25 Oct 1824 Died)
• William Crolly † (22 Feb 1825 Appointed - 8 May 1835 Appointed, Archbishop of Armagh)
• Cornelius Denvir † (22 Sep 1835 Appointed - 4 May 1865 Resigned)
• Patrick Dorrian † (4 May 1865 Succeeded - 3 Nov 1885 Died)
• Patrick MacAlister † (26 Feb 1886 Appointed - 26 Mar 1895 Died)
• Henry Henry † (6 Aug 1895 Appointed - 8 Mar 1908 Died)
• John Tohill † (9 Jun 1908 Appointed - 4 Jul 1914 Died)
• Joseph MacRory † (9 Aug 1915 Appointed - 22 Jun 1928 Appointed, Archbishop of Armagh)
• Daniel Mageean † (31 May 1929 Appointed - 17 Jan 1962 Died)
• William J. Philbin † (5 Jun 1962 Appointed - 24 Aug 1982 Retired)
• Cahal Brendan Daly † (24 Aug 1982 Appointed - 6 Nov 1990 Appointed, Archbishop of Armagh)
• Patrick Joseph Walsh † (18 Mar 1991 Appointed - 22 Feb 2008 Retired)
• Noël Treanor † (22 Feb 2008 Appointed - 26 Nov 2022 Appointed, Apostolic Nuncio to European Union)
• Alexander Aloysius (Alan) McGuckian, S.J. (2 Feb 2024 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Diocese of Down and Connor
1950	182,186	755,382	24.1%	213	51	264	690		112	514	62	ap1951
1970	259,006	985,748	26.3%	257	84	341	759		245	2	73	ap1971
1980	297,000	1,060,000	28.0%	207	70	277	1,072		217	389	76	ap1981
1990	298,000	1,162,000	25.6%	213	69	282	1,056		149	437	84	ap1991
1999	307,394	1,000,000	30.7%	208	67	275	1,117		118	335	88	ap2000
2000	310,513	1,000,000	31.1%	205	67	272	1,141		114	327	88	ap2001
2001	312,056	1,000,000	31.2%	201	71	272	1,147		113	310	88	ap2002
2002	315,381	1,000,000	31.5%	196	71	267	1,181		111	305	88	ap2003
2003	313,093	1,000,000	31.3%	190	61	251	1,247		99	293	88	ap2004
2004	317,622	1,000,000	31.8%	189	64	253	1,255		101	289	88	ap2005
2006	321,021	1,000,000	32.1%	183	60	243	1,321		93	266	88	ap2007
2013	464,429	1,017,000	45.7%	167	52	219	2,120		79	192	87	ap2014
2016	467,500	1,022,000	45.7%	164	54	218	2,144		77	157	87	ap2017
2019	402,470	977,600	41.2%	153	55	208	1,934	8	77	132	87	ap2020
2021	403,000	977,370	41.2%	141	49	190	2,121	8	71	111	87	ap2022

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Thomas Matthew Burns, S.M.
• Michael Gregory Campbell, O.S.A.
• Paul McAleenan
• Alexander Aloysius (Alan) McGuckian, S.J. (Bishop: 2 Feb 2024 - )
• Donal McKeown (Priest: 3 Jul 1977; Auxiliary Bishop: 22 Feb 2001 to 25 Feb 2014; Apostolic Administrator: 21 Jan 2023 to 19 Mar 2024)

  ---

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• Ralph Aderle, O.E.S.A. † (Bishop: 26 Apr 1445)
• John Armstrong † (Bishop: 7 Apr 1727 to Dec 1739)
• John de Ballyconingham † (Bishop: 1328 to 5 Jan 1330)
• Robert Blyth, O.S.B. † (Bishop: 16 Apr 1520 to 1539)
• Thomas Bright † (Bishop: 1314 to 1327)
• Eugene Joseph Butler, C.S.Sp. †
• Richard Calf † (Bishop: 4 Dec 1353 to Oct 1365)
• Richard Calf † (Bishop: 19 Feb 1369 to 16 May 1386)
• John Cely, O.S.B. † (Bishop: 28 Jul 1413 to 1441)
• William John Conway †
• William Crolly † (Bishop: 22 Feb 1825 to 8 May 1835)
• Michael Dallat † (Priest: 10 Mar 1951; Auxiliary Bishop: 15 Dec 1993 to 31 Mar 2000)
• Cahal Brendan Daly † (Bishop: 24 Aug 1982 to 6 Nov 1990)
• Cornelius Denvir † (Bishop: 22 Sep 1835 to 4 May 1865)
• John Donegan, O.S.B. † (Bishop: 16 Sep 1394 to 1412)
• Patrick Dorrian † (Priest: 23 Sep 1837; Coadjutor Bishop: 22 Jun 1860; Bishop: 4 May 1865 to 3 Nov 1885)
• Edmund Dungan † (Bishop: 9 Jun 1625 to 1629)
• Anthony J. Farquhar † (Priest: 13 Mar 1965; Auxiliary Bishop: 6 Apr 1983 to 3 Dec 2015)
• John de Fossade † (Bishop: 1441 to 1450)
• Patrick Hanratty † (Vicar Apostolic: 1614 to 1624)
• Henry Henry † (Priest: 7 Jun 1870; Bishop: 6 Aug 1895 to 8 Mar 1908)
• Ralph de Kilmessan, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 12 Dec 1328 to 1353)
• Thomas Kittell † (Bishop: Jul 1305 to 1313)
• Thomas Knight, O.S.B. † (Bishop: 24 Aug 1453 to 1468)
• Donal Raymond Lamont, O. Carm. †
• Thomas Liddell † (Bishop: 5 Jul 1266 to 1276)
• John Loughlin †
• Patrick MacAlister † (Bishop: 26 Feb 1886 to 26 Mar 1895)
• Theophilus MacCartan † (Priest: 1730; Bishop: 10 Sep 1760 to 10 Dec 1778)
• Daniel Mackey † (Bishop: 4 May 1671 to 1673)
• Heber MacMahon (McMahon) † (Bishop: 10 Mar 1642 to Jun 1643)
• Hugh MacMullan † (Priest: 1760; Bishop: 11 Aug 1779 to 8 Oct 1794)
• Patrick MacMullan † (Priest: 1775; Coadjutor Bishop: 19 Jul 1793; Bishop: 8 Oct 1794 to 25 Oct 1824)
• Joseph MacRory † (Bishop: 9 Aug 1915 to 22 Jun 1928)
• Daniel Mageean † (Priest: 17 Jun 1906; Bishop: 31 May 1929 to 17 Jan 1962)
• Arthur Magennis, O. Cist. † (Bishop: 11 Mar 1647 to 24 Mar 1653)
• Bonaventure Magennis, O.F.M. Obs. † (Bishop: 22 Apr 1630 to 24 Apr 1640)
• Eugene Magennis † (Bishop: 16 Jun 1539 to 1562)
• Miler Magrath, O.F.M. Conv. † (Bishop: 12 Oct 1565 to 14 Mar 1580)
• Hugh McCaughwell, O.F.M. Obs. †
• Thomas McDonnell †
• Thaddeus Morisey † (Bishop: 10 Jul 1469 to Jul 1480)
• Nicholas O’Bern † (Vicar Apostolic: 17 Apr 1657 to Jun 1658)
• Keith Michael Patrick O’Brien †
• Bl. Conor O’Devany, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 27 Apr 1582 to 1 Feb 1612)
• Terence O’Donnelly † (Vicar Apostolic: 22 Aug 1711 to 1717)
• Edmund O’Doran † (Bishop: 30 Jan 1751 to 18 Jun 1760)
• Donat O’Gallagher, O.F.M. Obs. † (Bishop: 23 Mar 1580 to 1581)
• St. Malachia O’Morgair † (Bishop: 1124)
• James O’Shielt, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 2 Oct 1717 to 13 Aug 1724)
• William J. Philbin † (Bishop: 5 Jun 1962 to 24 Aug 1982)
• Thomas Pollart † (Bishop: 21 Jun 1447 to 1451)
• John Ross † (Bishop: 8 Nov 1386 to 1394)
• Francis Stuart, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 19 Sep 1740 to 6 Jun 1750)
• John Tohill † (Bishop: 9 Jun 1908 to 4 Jul 1914)
• Noël Treanor † (Bishop: 22 Feb 2008 to 26 Nov 2022)
• Tiberius Ugolini † (Bishop: 1 Sep 1485 to Apr 1519)
• Patrick Joseph Walsh † (Auxiliary Bishop: 6 Apr 1983; Bishop: 18 Mar 1991 to 22 Feb 2008)
• Richard Wolsey, O.P. † (Bishop: 21 Jun 1451 to Aug 1453)
• Gregory † (Bishop: 29 Jan 1353 to 27 Feb 1357)
• Nicholas † (Bishop: 1276 to 4 Mar 1304)
• Ralph † (Bishop: 1202 to 1213)
• Randal † (Bishop: 1251 to 1253)
• Reginald † (Bishop: 1258 to 13 Apr 1265)
• Thomas † (Bishop: 1213 to 1237)
• William , C.R.S.A. † (Bishop: 8 Jun 1366 to Aug 1368)

Source(s)

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