Móenu, who died 1 March 572, was an Irish bishop.
Maeineann is the first recorded
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 ...
of
Clonfert
Clonfert () is a small village in east County Galway, Ireland, halfway between Ballinasloe and Portumna. The village gives its name to the Diocese of Clonfert (Roman Catholic), Diocese of Clonfert. Clonfert Cathedral is one of the eight cathedr ...
. At times, his successors would also be known as bishops of
Uí Maine
U, or u, is the twenty-first letter and the fifth vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet and the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''u'' (pronounced ), ...
, the kingdom within which Clonfert was located. The next known bishop was
Cumméne Fota
Cumméne Fota or Fada, anglicised Cummian (''fl''. ''c''. 591 – 12 November 661 or 662), was an Irish bishop and ''fer léignid'' ( lector) of ''Cluain Ferta Brénainn'' (Clonfert). He was an important theological writer in the early to mid ...
, who died in 661, so a number of holders of the office would appear to be unknown.
Maeineann was a nephew of
Brendan, and seems to have acted as his
Coadjutor The term "coadjutor" (literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence.
These include:
* Coadjutor bishop ...
and head of the monastic school. It is not known if he was at any time its abbot, or if this was an office exclusive to Brendan.
References
*
External links
* http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100005A/
* http://www.monasticireland.com/historicsites/clonfert.htm
Roman Catholic bishops of Clonfert
6th-century Irish bishops
People from County Kerry
{{Ireland-RC-bishop-stub