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 EILLARNEY

642

EILMORE

historical foundation. The abbeys at Ennis and Quin are striking illustrations of the piety and munifi- cence of the foremost cliieftains of the Dalgais.

About 1240 Donogh Cairbreach O'Brien built the monastery for Conventual Franciscan friars. It was considered one of the finest houses of the order in Ire- land, and ultimately it became the occasion of Ennis being made the capital of County Clare. Even in ruin it is beautiful; the east window especially is much admired for its size, grace, and symmetry. Here are buried some of the Kings of Thomond and their chieftains. The Abbey of Quin is one of the noblest remains of monastic antiquity in Ireland, and is in so perfect a state of preservation that little more than a roof is required to make it fit to house the monks and have their chant daily re-echo within its walls. It was founded by Sheda McNamara in 1402. In 1641 a college was opened at the abbey, which soon had eight hundred students. But the most interest- ing historical remains are to be found at the pictur- esque little town of Ivillaloe, the ancient seat of the bishop, which is built on a ridge commanding a fine view of Lough Derg. For here we have the oratory of St. Lua in Friar's Island, the very per- fect stone-roofed or- atory of St. Flannan, and St. Flannan's ca- thedral, built in 1 160 by Donald O'Brien, King of Limer- ick, near the site of Brian Boroimhe's royal palace of Ivin- cora. St. Flannan's cathedral was, till the early years of Elizabeth's reign, the Catholic cathedral of the Diocese of Ivillaloe. Since then it has been in Prot- estant hands. Owing to the cruel persecution of the Catholic religion and its bishops and priests, and the suppression of the monasteries in Clare at the opening of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the churches and monasteries fell into decay and ruin, the Holy

QriN Abbey Founded in the XV Century

and her minions as a most formidable opponent When the Desmond insurrection ended in disaster, he escaped to the Continent, and died at Lisbon in 1617. John O'Moloney was another eminent Bishop of Killaloe. He was born in Kiltanon, County Clare, in 1617, was a doctor of the Sorbonne and, before his appointment to Killaloe, had been canon of Rouen, in France. He was named bishop by Propaganda in 1671, at the urgent request of the Catholics of the diocese, his qualifications for the exalted office being set forth in various testimonials from the doctors of the LTniversity of Paris, and several French bishops and archbishops. In 1673 he was deputed by the Irish bishops to visit France and endeavour to induce the French king and his minister to found an Irish ecclesiastical college in Paris. He succeeded in his mission, and a few years later the Irish college, of which he is regarded as the founder, was opened. In 1689 he was named Bishop of Limerick, retaining Killaloe in administration, but he was soon forced to flee to France, where he died in 1702 at the Sulpician house at Issy, near Paris. The present bishop is the Most Reverend Dr. Fogarty, born in 1S59 nearNenagh, County Tipperary. Before his elevation to the episcopate he was vice-president of Maynooth College, where he had been for fifteen years pre- V i o u s 1 y a distin- guished professor of dogmatic and moral theology. His con- secration took place in 1904, at the pro- cathedral at Ennis, the seat of the bishop and also of a well-equipped dioc- esan college.

The diocesan chapter, including dean, archdeacon, and canons, was re-established by papal decree on 11 February, 1903. Catholic population, 137,574, ac- cording to census of 1901; non-Catholic population, 8329; parishes, 57; secular clergy, 142; parochial and

Sacrifice of the Mass being offered up on some rock on district churches, 143; houses of regular clergy, 2, viz.

a mountain-side, or some lowly "Mass house". It is only since the time of Catholic Emancipation, a glori- ous era in the annals of Killaloe when the priests of Clare gave powerful aid to O'Connell to win the Clare election, that a " second spring " has come, and that Thomond has been again covered with handsome and commodious churches.

The first successor of St. Flannan in the Diocese of Killaloe whose name has come down to us, is Corma- can O'Mulcaishel, who died in 1019; and from the death of St. Flannan to the time of the learned O'Lon- ergain in 1150, the names of only five prelates have been recorded. But from this period the succession becomes regular and complete. In 1179, Constantine O'Brien, fifth in descent from Brian Boroimhe, was Bishop of Killaloe; he attended the Council of Lat- eran. Conor O'Heney, another Bishop of Killaloe, also attended the Council of Lateran in 1215. Corne- lius Ryan, a Franciscan friar, and brother of a chief- tain, was con.secrated Bishop of Killaloe in 1576. He had a remarkable career. From the time of his ap- pointment he used his marked ability and great organizing power in aid of the Earl of Desmond, who championed the Catholic cause, and succeeded in obtaining for him the support of Gregory XIII and Philip of Si)ain. For years he shared in all the perils of the insurrection, and he was regarded by Elizabeth

Franciscans at Ennis, Cistercians at Roscrea; con- vents of Sisters of Mercy, 12; Convent of Sacred Heart, 1; number in community, 198; monastic houses, 6; number in community, 63.

Annals of Four Masters (Dublin, 1846): Lanigan, Ecclesias- tical History of Ireland (Dublin. 1829); Healy, Ancient Schools and Scholars (Dublin, 1897); Dwter. Diocese of Killaloe (Dub- lin. 1878); Frost, History of Clare (Dublin, 1893); Malone. Life of St. Flannan (Dublin, 1902); MEacALL, Story of Innis- cathy (Dublin, 1902); Stokes, Early Christian Art in Ireland (London).

Michael Breen.

Eillarney. See Kerry and Aghadoe, Diocese of.

Kilmacduagh. See Galway and Kilmacduagh, Diocese of.

Eilmore, Diocese op (Kilmorensis), Ireland, in- cludes almost all Cavan and about half of Leitrim. It also extends into Fermanagh, and has half a parish in both Meath (Kilmainham Wood) and Sligo (Ballintril- lick). It is accordingly seen to be roughly coincident with ancient Breffney, embracing both Breffney O'Rourke and Breffney O'Reilly. St. Fedlemid, or Felim, who flourished in the early part of the sixth cen- tury, is the first known Bishop of Kilmore. He is pa- tron of the diocese, and his feast is celebrated on 9 Augu.st, the day of his death. A holy well near the old Catholic cathedral of Kilmore still l>ears his name.