The Abbot of Emly ( ga, Imleach Iubhair; la, Imilicensis) was the head of the

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

in Emly, which is in modern-day

County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

., ''Maps, Genealogies, Lists'', pp. 252–253. The monastery was founded by Saint Ailbe in the early 6th century. After the death of Saint Ailbe, the

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...

s bore the title " Comarbai Ailbi" (i.e. "successor of Saint Ailbe "). A few of the abbots and others at the monastery were

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

bishops A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

. Abbot Diarmait Ua Flainn Chua probably became the first

diocesan In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

bishop of Emly The Bishop of Emly ( ga, Imleach Iubhair; la, Imilicensis) was a separate episcopal title which took its name after the village of Emly in County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland. In both the Church of Ireland and the Roman Catholic Church, it has ...

when the

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

of Emly was established at the Synod of Ráth Breasail in 1111., ''Handbook of British Chronology'', p. 353.

List of abbots

The following is a list of abbots and monastic bishops. (Those who were consecrated as bishops, but did not hold the office of abbot are indicated in italics and brackets): * Saint Ailbe, d. 527/28, 534, or 542, and his

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...

is celebrated on 12 September. * ''Names and dates of the abbots from the first half of the 6th century to the mid 7th century are unknown.'' * Conaing ua Daint, d. 661. * Cuán, d. 686. * Díbléne Elnai, fl. 696/97. * Conamail mac Carthaig, d. 708. * Cellach, d. 720. * Fer dá Chrích, also abbot of Leighlin, d. 742. * Abnér, d. 760. * Cennselach mac Con Bairnne, d. 768. * Senchán, d. 774. * Senchán, d. 781. * Senchán, also consecrated as a bishop, d. 11 December 785. * Cuán, d. 787. * Rechtabrae mac Mugthigirn, of the Éoganacht Airthair Chliach, d. 819. * Fland mac Faircellaig, also

abbot of Lismore The Abbot of Lismore ( ga, Lios Mór; la, Lismorensis) was the head of Lismore Abbey, which is in modern-day County Waterford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland., ''Maps, Genealogies, Lists'', pp. 263–264. The abbey was founded by Saint Mo Chutu o ...

and

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

, d. 21 December 825. *

Ólchobar mac Cináeda Ólchobar mac Cináeda (died 851) was King of Munster from 847 until his death. He may be the "king of the Irish" who sent an embassy to Frankish Emperor Charles the Bald announcing a series of victories over Vikings in Ireland in 848. Origins � ...

king of Munster The kings of Munster ( ga, Rí Mumhan), ruled from the establishment of Munster during the Irish Iron Age, until the High Middle Ages. According to Gaelic traditional history, laid out in works such as the '' Book of Invasions'', the earliest ...

, d. 851. * Fínán, d. 852. * Máel Tuili, d. 858. * Maine mac Uargusso, d. 858. *

Cenn Fáelad hua Mugthigirn Cenn Fáelad hua Mugthigirn (died 872) was a King of Munster of the Eoganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster. He ruled from 861-872. He was also abbot of Emly from 851-872, an important monastery in County Tipperary where he succeeded a previous ...

, king of Munster, d. 872. * Rudgal (Ruidgel) mac Fingaile, also consecrated as a bishop, d. 882. * Cú cen Máthair, d. 887. * Eógan mac Cinn Fáclad, son of King-abbot

, d. 890. * Mescill mac Cummascaig, d. 899. * Flann mac Conail, d. 904. * Tipraite mac Máel Finn, also consecrated as a bishop, d. 913. * Mac Lenna, also abbot of Liath Mór Mo Cháemóc (Leighmore, County Tipperary), d. 935. * Eochu mac Scannláin, d. 942. * ''(Uarach, consecrated as a bishop, but was not abbot of Emly, d. 954).'' * Máel Cellaig mac Áeda, d. 957. * Fáelán mac Cáellaide, also consecrated as a bishop, d. 980. * Tipraite, deposed 986. * Cétfaid dalta Riata, d. 989. * Marcán mac Cennéitig, also abbot of

Inis Cealtra Inis Cealtra, also known in English as Inishcaltra or Holy Island, is an island off the western shore of Lough Derg in Ireland. Now uninhabited, it was once a monastic settlement. It has an Irish round tower, and the ruins of several small chur ...

, Killaloe and Terryglass, and brother of High-King

Brian Boru Brian Boru ( mga, Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig; modern ga, Brian Bóramha; 23 April 1014) was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High King of Ireland, High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill and probably ended Viking invasion/domi ...

. Resigned 995, d. 1010. * Colum ua Laigenáin, became abbot in 995, d. 1002. * Dub Sláine ua Lorcáin, d. 1004. Probably was first cousin of High-King

. * Sáerbrethach, d. 1025. Probably Sáerbrethach mac Donnchada, father of King Carthach of Eóganacht Chaisil. * ''(Máel Finnia, consecrated as a bishop, but was not abbot of Emly, d. 1039).'' * Máel Ísu Ua Flainn Chua, resigned 1046, d. 1058. * Clothna Muimnech, d. 1048. * Cairpre Ua Lígda, also ''fer léigind'' (i.e. Lector), deposed 1052, killed in battle, by which time he seems to have regained the abbacy. * Muiredach mac Carthaig, king of Eóganacht Chaisil and son of Carthach mac Sáerbrethach, and possibly grandson of Abbot Sáerbrethach of Emly. Seized the abbacy in 1052, possibly deposed, d. 1096. * Máel Mórda, d. 1074. * Máel Ísu Ua hÁrrachtáin, d. 1092. * Diarmait Ua Flainn Chua, also ''fer léigind'' (i.e. Lector), and probably the first diocesan

, d. 1114. * Conchobar Ua Ligda, d. 1122. * Máel Mórda Ua Clothna, also abbot of

Baltinglass Baltinglass, historically known as Baltinglas (), is a town in south-west County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located on the River Slaney near the border with County Carlow and County Kildare, on the N81 road. Etymology The town's Irish name, ''Be ...

and consecrated as a bishop, d. 1164.

Notes

* It is not known that there were three successive abbots of same name. Only the first and third appear in the

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...

, while the second is recorded in the Annals of Inisfallen., ''Maps, Genealogies, Lists'', p. 253, fn 5.

References

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Abbot Of Emly Emly Emly Religion in County Tipperary