The Archbishopric of Tuam existed from the mid twelfth century until 1839, with its seat at

Tuam Tuam ( ; ga, Tuaim , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. Humans have lived in the area since the Bron ...

. St Jarlath (''c.'' 445–540) is considered to have founded Tuam as the seat of a bishop in about 501, and he stands first in the list of bishops of Tuam. However, the names of only two other bishops are recorded before the eleventh century, Ferdomnach (died 781) and Eugene mac Clerig (died 969). Tuam achieved a new importance after it became the seat of the O'Connor

High Kings of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and later sometimes assigned ana ...

in the early 11th century. The O'Connors had previously been based at Cruachain,

County Roscommon "Steadfast Irish heart" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Roscommon.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Connacht , subdi ...

.Characteristics of Tuam & Recommendations
at heritagecouncil.ie The first St Mary's Cathedral on the present site was begun in the 12th century, when

Turlough O'Connor Toirdhealbhach Mór Ua Conchobhair (old spelling: Tairrdelbach Mór Ua Conchobair; 1088 – 1156) anglicised Turlough Mór O'Conor, was King of Connacht (1106–1156) and High King of Ireland (ca. 1120–1156). Family background and early life ...

(1088–1156) was High King. This marked Tuam's becoming the seat of an Archbishop, following the

Synod of Kells The Synod of Kells (, ) took place in 1152, under the presidency of Giovanni Cardinal Paparoni, and continued the process begun at the Synod of Ráth Breasail (1111) of reforming the Irish church. The sessions were divided between the abbeys of ...

of 1152.St Mary's Cathedral, Tuam
at County Galway Guide, tuam.galway-ireland.ie With the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

, the new

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the second ...

established its own archdiocese, which was separate from the authority of the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

. This archdiocese became the central part of the new Province of Tuam, an

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United State ...

of the

, so continuing until the nineteenth century. In 1839, on the death of the last archbishop, Dr Power Trench, Tuam lost its metropolitan status, as a consequence of the Church Temporalities Act, and united with the see of Killala and Achonry. At the same time, the diocese of Ardagh was separated from it and united with Kilmore. The former

Ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United State ...

of Tuam now forms part of the Church of Ireland

Diocese of Tuam, Killala and Achonry The Diocese of Tuam, Killala and Achonry (also known as the United Dioceses of Tuam, Killala and Achonry) is a former diocese in the Church of Ireland located in Connacht; the western province of Ireland. It was in the ecclesiastical province of ...

in the united Province of Armagh and Tuam.

Church of Ireland archbishops of Tuam

The following is a basic list of the Church of Ireland archbishops of Tuam. *1514-1536: Thomas O'Mullaly *1537-1572: Christopher Bodkin *1572-1595: William O'Mullally *1595-1609:

Nehemiah Donnellan Nehemiah Donnellan (a.k.a. Fearganainm Ó Domhnalláin) (fl. c. 1560-1609) was Archbishop of Tuam. Background Donellan was born in the county of Galway, a son of Mael Sechlainn Ó Dónalláin, by his wife Sisly, daughter of William Ó Cellaigh o ...

*1609-1628: William Daniel *1629-1638: Randolph Barlow *1638-1645: Richard Boyle *1645-1647: John Maxwell *1647-1660: ''See vacant'' *1660-1667:

Samuel Pullen Samuel Pullen (also Pullein and Pulleyne) (1598–1667) was the Church of Ireland archbishop of Tuam in Ireland. Biography Samuel Pullen was the son of William Pullein, rector of Ripley, Yorkshire. Born in Ripley in 1598, he commenced M.A. at P ...

*1667-1679: John Parker *1679-1716: John Vesey *1716-1741: Edward Synge *1742-1751:

Josiah Hort Josiah Hort (c. 1674 – 14 December 1751), was an English clergyman of the Church of Ireland who ended his career as archbishop of Tuam. Born in Marshfield, Gloucestershire, son of John Hort, and brought up as a Nonconformist, Hort went to scho ...

*1752-1775: John Ryder *1775-1782:

Jemmett Browne Jemmett Browne ( – 9 June 1782) was the Church of Ireland Bishop of Killaloe from 1743 to 1745, Bishop of Dromore for three months in the middle of 1745, Bishop of Cork and Ross from 1745 to 1772, Bishop of Elphin from 1772 to 1775, and finally ...

*1782-1794: Joseph Deane Bourke *1794-1819: William Beresford *1819-1839:

Power Le Poer Trench Power Le Poer Trench (1770–1839) was an Anglican clergyman who served in the Church of Ireland as firstly Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, then Bishop of Elphin and finally Archbishop of Tuam. Life He was the second son of William Trench, 1 ...

Loss of metropolitan status

The

Church Temporalities (Ireland) Act 1833 The Church Temporalities Act 1833 (3 & 4 Will. 4 c. 37), sometimes called the Church Temporalities (Ireland) Act 1833, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland which undertook a major reorganisation of the Ch ...

combined the

Archdiocese of Tuam with the Diocese of Killala and Achonry on 13 April 1834. However, Tuam retained its metropolitan status until the death of the incumbent Archbishop, Dr William Power Le Poer Trench, in 1839.

References

{{reflist Diocese of Tuam, Killala and Achonry

Church of Ireland archbishops of Tuam

Loss of metropolitan status

See also

References