The Bishop of Glendalough () is an episcopal title in the

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...

, which takes its name after the monastery at

Glendalough Glendalough (; ) is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland, renowned for an Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin. From 1825 to 1957, the head of the Glendalough Valley was the site of a galena lead min ...

County Wicklow County Wicklow ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606 in Ireland, 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the Provinces ...

, Ireland. An Irish version of the place name, ''Glenndálocha'', is now used for a

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbi ...

in the Roman Catholic Church.

History

The diocese of Glendalough was one of the 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 Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...

, held in 1111. After the death of Bishop William Piro and the failed effort to get possession of the see by Bishop-elect Robert de Bedford, the dioceses of Glendalough and Dublin were united in 1214. The union of the two was confirmed by

Pope Innocent III Pope Innocent III (; born Lotario dei Conti di Segni; 22 February 1161 – 16 July 1216) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 until his death on 16 July 1216. Pope Innocent was one of the most power ...

on 25 February 1216, and confirmed again by

Pope Honorius III Pope Honorius III (c. 1150 – 18 March 1227), born Cencio Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 July 1216 to his death. A canon at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, he came to hold a number of importa ...

on 6 October 1216. During the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, a number of titular bishops were appointed, but none of them had effective possession of the see. After the

Reformation in Ireland The Reformation in Ireland was a movement for the reform of religious life and institutions that was introduced into Ireland by the English Crown at the behest of King Henry VIII of England. His desire for an annulment of his marriage was known ...

, the title ''Bishop of Glendalough'' was dropped by the Roman Catholic archbishops of Dublin, but is still used by the Church of Ireland archbishops of Dublin. In 1969, an Irish version of the place name, ''Glenndálocha'', is now used by

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

for a

which is currently vacant.

Diocesan bishops of Glendalough

Medieval titular bishops of Glendalough

Modern titular bishops and archbishops of Glenndálocha

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bishop Of Glendalough

Religion in County Wicklow Former Roman Catholic bishoprics in Ireland History of County Wicklow Glenndalocha