The Diocese of Cork was established in the seventh century.
/ref> The diocese of Cork was one of the twenty-four dioceses established at the

Synod of Rathbreasail A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin word mean ...

on an ancient bishopric founded by

Saint Finbarr Saint Finbar, Finbarr, Finnbar, or Finnbarr, in Irish language, Irish Fionnbharra, very often abbreviated to Barra, (c. 550 in Ireland, 550–620s in Ireland, 25 September 623) was Bishop of Cork and abbot of a monastery in what is now the ...

in the sixth-century. On 30 July 1326,

Pope John XXII Pope John XXII ( la, Ioannes PP. XXII; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death in December 1334. He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Pope, elected by ...

, on the petition of King Edward II of England, issued a papal bull for the union of the bishoprics of Cork and

Cloyne Cloyne () is a small town to the southeast of Midleton in eastern County Cork. It is also a see city of the Anglican (Church of Ireland) Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, while also giving its name to a Roman Catholic diocese. St Colman's Ca ...

, the union to take effect on the death of either bishop. The union should have taken effect on the death of Philip of Slane in 1327, however, bishops were still appointed to each separate bishopric. The union eventually took place with Jordan Purcell appointed bishop of the united see of Cork and Cloyne in 1429. In the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, the diocese was united with that of Ross on 19 April 1958 to form the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Cork and Ross The Diocese of Cork and Ross ( ga, Deoise Chorcaí agus Rosa) is a Roman Catholic diocese in southern Ireland, one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and Emly. The cathedral church of the diocese is Cathedral ...

. In the

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 ...

, the diocese is part of the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cork, Diocese of Religion in County Cork Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross Roman Catholic Diocese of Cork and Ross Dioceses established in the 17th century Former Roman Catholic dioceses in Ireland