Roman Catholic Diocese of Connor

History

• Established circa 500 as Abbacy nullius of Connor / Connoren. The origins of the Irish prelatures are generally fuzzy until the twelfth century as the monasteries were the stable institutions leading ecclesiastical jurisdictions, with some of their abbots were individually consecrated bishop, without raising their sees to permanently residential dioceses. Furthermore this allowed abbeys to function as 'minor sees' from time to time, in the case of the future diocese of Connor notably Kilroot, Drumtullagh, Culfeightrim, Coleraine, Inispollen, Armoy and Rashee, some of whose abbots were consecrated as full bishop or as auxiliary Chorepiscopus.
• Promoted in 1111 as Diocese of Connor / Connoren at the synod of Rathbreasail, which replaced the territorial abbeys with stable dioceses, including Down and Connor, unlike the extinct minor sees; Connor was assigned as canonical territory Dalriada, as confirmed at the synod of Kells in 1152, Conor having been in personal union with the Diocese of Down in between both councils in the person of Malachias O'Morgair, a major reformer of the 12th century Irish church.
• The invading Anglo-norman John de Courcy imposed on Down its own bishop in 1177 imprisoning the incumbent and in 1183 replaced its chapter with English Benedictines, renaming the Holy Trinity cathedral Saint Patrick, but left Connor intact.
• Fiscal lists from early 14th century indicate the diocese comprised 72 parishes, 13 vicariates and 3 more chapels
• Suppressed on July 29, 1439 by Pope Eugenius IV, conforming to a decree by King Henry VI of England from 1438, its territory being merged into the Roman Catholic Diocese of Down, another former abbey nullius, which shortly after absorbed its title, being in 1442 renamed as Diocese of Down and Connor / Dunen et Connoren ; however it did not retain a co-cathedral.

  Ordinaries

• Saint Abbot Mac Nisse
• Saint Abbot Lughadh
• Dioma, consulted by Rome in 640 concerning the Easter controversy
• Saint Abbot Duchonna
• Aegedcharus , scribe and copyist
• Flanagan MacAllchon
• Maëlbrigid
• Joseph
• Cuinden, erudite professor

• Flan O’Scula
• Saint Bishop Máel Máedóc Ua Morgair , also Bishop of Down ; next Metropolitan Archbishop of Armagh, died 1148.11.02
• Patrick O’Bainam
• Nehemiah
• Reginald
• Eustace
• Adam, Cistercian Order
• Isaac of Newcastle
• William
• William de Hay
• Robert il Fiammingo - from Flanders according to his name
• Peter of Donath
• John of Corriton
• Richard
• John de Egglescliffe, Dominican Order , next Bishop of Llandaff
• Robert Wirsop, Augustinian Order , previously Bishop of Ardagh
• Jacobus Ó Cethernaig , previously Bishop of Annaghdown
• William Mercier
• Paul
• John
• John O’Loughry
• Eoghan Ó Domhnaill, next Bishop of Derry
• Domhnall Ó Mearaich, previously Bishop of Derry
• John Fossade, next first Bishop of successor see Down , initially jointly with John Cely of Down, who was deposed for debauchery in 1441 but proved hard to actually dispossess.