This is a comprehensive list of Catholic

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, prov ...

s in the island of Ireland.

Catholicism in Ireland The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

only maintains a

Latin Church The Latin Church () is the largest autonomous () particular church within the Catholic Church, whose members constitute the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Catholics. The Latin Church is one of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical ...

hierarchy, encompassing both the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...

and

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

, having been unaffected by the

partition of Ireland The Partition of Ireland () was the process by which the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (UK) divided Ireland into two self-governing polities: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland (the area today known as the R ...

in 1920–22. There are no

Eastern Catholic The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also known as the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous ('' sui iuris'') particular churches of ...

jurisdictions, nor other exempt ordinariates. There are 26 dioceses in Ireland, each led by a diocesan

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

(including four Metropolitan Archdioceses). They are organised into a single all-island

Episcopal Conference An episcopal conference, often also called a bishops’ conference or conference of bishops, is an official assembly of the bishops of the Catholic Church in a given territory. Episcopal conferences have long existed as informal entities. The fir ...

that is based in the primatial see of Armagh. The Holy See is represented by the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland. A separate Apostolic Nunciature in London represents the Holy See in England, Wales and Scotland.

Structural changes over the years

The diocesan system of Christian church government in Ireland was set up by 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, ...

in 1111 and modified by 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 o ...

in 1152, replacing the earlier

Celtic Christian Celtic Christianity is a form of Christianity that was common, or held to be common, across the Celtic-speaking world during the Early Middle Ages. The term Celtic Church is deprecated by many historians as it implies a unified and identifiab ...

monastic model. The island of Ireland is divided into four

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian churches, including those of both Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity, that have traditional hierarchical structures. An ecclesiastical province consist ...

s each headed by a metropolitan

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

. The provinces were almost co-extensive with their contemporary civil counterparts. 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 ...

, both the Protestant

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 ...

and the Roman Catholic Church saw themselves as successors to the pre-Reformation church. Most bishops were non-resident during the enforcement of the

Penal Laws Penal law refers to criminal law. It may also refer to: * Penal law (British), laws to uphold the establishment of the Church of England against Catholicism * Penal laws (Ireland) In Ireland, the penal laws () were a series of Disabilities (C ...

, but the dioceses continued to exist. Whereas English Catholic dioceses were forbidden by law from having the same name as a diocese of the established

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

, no such prohibition was made for Irish dioceses. The Roman Catholic dioceses remained close to the original, with a few notable differences. Firstly, several dioceses with small populations were merged, and now have more than one name to represent their merger. Secondly, the Diocese of Galway was created in 1831 following the abolition of the

Wardenship of Galway The Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas () is a medieval church building in Galway, Ireland,. It is a collegiate church and the parish church of St. Nicholas Church of Ireland parish, which covers Galway City. It was founded in 1320 and dedicate ...

. James Butler 2nd, the Archbishop of Cashel and Emly (1774–91),Catholic Encyclopedia
/ref> on being appointed by Rome moved his residence and

cathedra A ''cathedra'' is the throne of a bishop in the early Christian basilica. When used with this meaning, it may also be called the bishop's throne. With time, the related term ''cathedral'' became synonymous with the "seat", or principa ...

from Cashel, favouring

Thurles Thurles (; ''Durlas Éile'') is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located in the civil parish of the same name in the barony of Eliogarty and in the ecclesiastical parish of Thurles. The cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Arch ...

instead, where his successors continue to reign today. Similarly, in the Diocese of Elphin, the

Cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

, which was originally established in the County Roscommon town of Elphin, is now in

Sligo Sligo ( ; , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of 20,608 in 2022, it is the county's largest urban centre (constituting 2 ...

. Another change is that the ancient see of Kilfenora has been administered by the Bishop of Galway in the province of Tuam since the late 19th Century. The correct title of the Bishop is now the Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and

Apostolic Administrator An apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...

of Kilfenora. More recently, the Diocese of Ross merged with the Diocese of Cork to form the Diocese of Cork and Ross in the 1950s.

Geographic boundaries

Unlike many (European) countries, the boundaries of the Roman Catholic dioceses in Ireland do not conform with the political border between the Republic of Ireland (independent) and Northern Ireland (part of the UK). One archdiocese and three dioceses straddle the international border; two dioceses are wholly in Northern Ireland. * Metropolitan Archdiocese of Armagh (includes parts of counties

Armagh Armagh ( ; , , " Macha's height") is a city and the county town of County Armagh, in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Primates of All ...

Louth Louth may refer to: Australia *Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia * Louth, New South Wales, a town * Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia ** Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality Canada * Louth, Ontario Ireland * Cou ...

, Londonderry and Tyrone) * Diocese of Clogher (includes parts of counties Tyrone,

Fermanagh Historically, Fermanagh (), as opposed to the modern County Fermanagh, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Fermanagh. ''Fir Manach'' originally referred to a distinct kin group of alleged Laigin or ...

and

Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It also provides the name of its Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish and Monaghan (barony), Monaghan barony. The population of the town as of the 2022 cen ...

) * Diocese of Derry (includes parts of counties Londonderry, Antrim, Donegal, and Tyrone) * Diocese of Kilmore (includes parts of County Fermanagh) * Diocese of Down and Connor (in Northern Ireland) * Diocese of Dromore (in Northern Ireland)

Current dioceses

Ecclesiastical province of Armagh

Approximating the civil

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

; mainly in Northern Ireland. * Metropolitan Archdiocese of Armagh,

primatial see Primate () is a title or rank bestowed on some important archbishops in certain Christian churches. Depending on the particular tradition, it can denote either jurisdictional authority (title of authority) or (usually) ceremonial precedence (tit ...

of all Ireland – seat Northern Ireland, part in Republic of Ireland ** Diocese of Ardagh (united with the titular bishopric Clonmacnois) – Republic of Ireland only ** Diocese of Clogher - seat in Republic of Ireland, part in Northern Ireland ** Diocese of Derry - seat Northern Ireland, part in Republic of Ireland ** Diocese of Down and Connor - Northern Ireland only ** Diocese of Dromore - Northern Ireland only ** Diocese of Kilmore - seat Republic of Ireland, part in Northern Ireland **

Diocese of Meath The Diocese of Meath () is an Irish diocese which took its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Roman Catholic Church it still exists as a separate diocese, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other dioceses. Histor ...

- Republic of Ireland only ** Diocese of Raphoe - Republic of Ireland only

Ecclesiastical province of Cashel

Approximating the civil province of

Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...

. * Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly ** Diocese of Cloyne ** Diocese of Cork and Ross ** Diocese of Kerry ** Diocese of Killaloe ** Diocese of Limerick ** Diocese of Waterford and Lismore

Ecclesiastical province of Dublin

Approximating the civil province of

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

. * Metropolitan

Archdiocese of Dublin The Archbishop of Dublin () is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name from Dublin, Ireland. Since the Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic successions to the title: one in the Catholic Church and the other in the Church of Ire ...

** Diocese of Ferns **

Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin The Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin (; ; ) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in eastern Ireland. It is one of three suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin and is subject to the Archdiocese of Dublin.

** Diocese of Ossory

Ecclesiastical province of Tuam

Approximating the civil province of

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

. * Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tuam ** Diocese of Achonry ** Diocese of Clonfert ** Diocese of Elphin ** Diocese of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora ** Diocese of Killala As the Diocese of Kilfenora is in the Ecclesiastical province of Cashel, the Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh is its apostolic administrator rather than bishop.

Former dioceses

There are seventeen titular sees in Ireland (of which two are united in personal union with current sees): Ardcarne, Ardmore, Ath Truim, Ceanannus Mór, Cell Ausaille, Cill Fhionnúrach (united with Galway and Kilmacduagh), Clonmacnoise (united with Diocese of Ardagh), Cluain Iraird, Cunga Féichin, Domnach Sechnaill, Duleek, Eanach Dúin, Glenndálocha, Inis Cathaig, Louth, Mageó, Roscrea, Slebte, Árd Sratha (formerly as Ardstraw an abbey nullius becoming a diocese, merged into Diocese of Cinél nEógain and Ardstraw; territory now in diocese Derry).

Notes and references

;Inline ;In general
Dioceses of Ireland

Sources and External links

Irish Bishops Conference - Map of the dioceses of Ireland

including

shapefile The shapefile format is a geospatial vector data format for geographic information system (GIS) software. It is developed and regulated by Esri as a mostly open specification for data interoperability among Esri and other GIS software product ...

s for Catholic dioceses; from the Central Statistics Office, Ireland
Catholic-Hierarchy entry
{{Catholic Church in Ireland Dioceses Dioceses, Roman Catholic

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

Structural changes over the years

Geographic boundaries

Current dioceses

Ecclesiastical province of Armagh

Ecclesiastical province of Cashel

Ecclesiastical province of Dublin

Ecclesiastical province of Tuam

Former dioceses

See also

Notes and references

Sources and External links