Roman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne - History

History

The diocese has its beginnings in the monastic settlement of Saint Colman of Cloyne in east Cork. A round tower and pre-reformation cathedral still stand at this site. The bishopric was erected in A.D. 580. Colman, son of Lenin, lived from 522 to 604 A.D. He had been a poet and bard at the court of Caomh, King of Munster at Cashel. It was St. Brendan of Clonfert that induced Colman to become Christian. He embraced his new faith eagerly and studied at the monastery of St. Jarleth in Tuam. He later preached in East Cork and established his own monastic settlement at Cloyne about 560 A.D. His Feast Day is celebrated on November 24. Cloyne was later to become the centre of an extensive diocese in Munster. For eight centuries it was the residence of the Bishops of Cloyne and the setting for the Cathedral. As the metropolitan archdiocese of Cashel was co-extensive with the over-kingdom of Munster, so many of the dioceses were co-extensive with petty kingdoms that owed their loyalty to Cashel. At the Synod of Kells the territories of the MacCarthy dynasty in north west Cork, together with the kingdoms of Fermoy and Imokilly, came to make up the new diocese of Cloyne. Neighbouring Lismore diocese was severely pruned at Kells. It lost all jurisdiction in present day County Cork (excepting Kilworth parish) to Cloyne.