Roman Catholic Diocese of Raphoe

• Established circa 700 as Abbacy nullius of Raphoe / Rapoten(sis) (Latin)
• Promoted in 1111 as Diocese of Raphoe / Rapoten(sis) (Latin).

The bishopric covers most of County Donegal apart from the Inishowen peninsula in the north of the county and Bundoran in the South. The largest towns are Ballyshannon, Donegal, Letterkenny and Stranorlar. As per 2014 it pastorally served 82,600 Catholics (91.1% of 90,700 total) on 4,030 km² (1555 sq. mi.) in 33 parishes with 85 priests (83 diocesan, 2 religious), 48 lay religious (4 brothers, 44 sisters) and 5 seminarians.

The bishop's residence – Ard Adomnán – is in the town of Letterkenny. It is located beside the Parochial House, near the Cathedral of St Eunan and St Columba which is dedicated to the joint patrons of the diocese – Saints Eunan (also known as Adomnán) and Columba (also known as Columcille). The former Cathedral, once Cathedral of St Eunan, also in Raphoe, is now a Protestant church.

Abbots Nullius of Raphoe

not available ?

Suffragan Bishops of Raphoe

• ... first incumbent(s) unavailable ?
• Gilla in Choimded Ua Caráin (Gilbert O’Caran) (1156?–1175), next Metropolitan Archbishop of Armagh (Northern Ireland) (1175 – death 1180)
• Máel Pátraic Ó Scannail (Patrick O’Scanlan), OP (1253.10 – 1261.11.05), next Metropolitan Archbishop of Armagh (Northern Ireland) (1261.11.05 – death 1270.03.16)
• Giovanni de Alneto, OFM (1263.12.03 – 1265.04.28)
• Cairpre Ó Scuapa (1265 – death 1274)
• Fergal Ó Firghil (Florentius O’Ferrell) (1275 – death 1299)
• Énri Mac in Chrossáin (Henricus) (1306 – death 1319)
• Tomás Mac Carmaic Uí Domnaill (1319 – death 1337)
• Pádraig Mac Maonghaill (? – death 1367)
• Conchobhar Mac Carmaic Uí Dhomhnaill (Cornelius) (1367.12.23 – retired 1397.02.21), died 1399
• Seoán Mac Meanmain, OCist (1397.02.21 – ?)
• Eóin Mac Carmaic (Johannes) (1400 – death 1419)
• Lochlainn Ó Gallchobhair (Laurentius) (1420.02.28 – death 1438)
• Cornelius Mac Giolla Bhrighde (1440.07.20 – death 1442)
• Lochlainn Ó Gallchobhair (Laurentius) (1442.06.18 – death 1479)
• Johannes de Rogeriis (1479.11.12 – death 1482)
• Meanma Mac Carmaic (Menelaus Mac Carmacáin) (1482.11.04 – retired 1514.02.06), died 1515
• Cornelius O’Cahan (Conn Ó Cathláin) (1514.02.06 – retired 1534), died ?1550
• Edmund O’Gallagher (Éamonn Ó Gallchobhair) (1534.05.11 – death 1543.02.26)
• Art O’Gallagher (1547.12.05 – death 1561.08.13)
• Donald MacGongail (Donald McGonagle) (1562.01.28 – death 1589.09.29)
• Niall O’Boyle (1591.08.09 – death 1611.02.06)
• John O’Cullenan (1625.06.09 – death 1661.03.24)
  • Apostolic Administrator Fergus Laurence Lea (1694.02.18 – death 1696), while Bishop of Derry (Northern Ireland) (1694.02.08 – 1696 not possessed)
• ...
• James O'Gallagher (1725–1737)
• Daniel O'Gallagher, OFM (1737–1749)
• Anthony O'Donnell, OFM (1750–1755)
• Nathaniel O'Donnell (1755–1758)
• Philip O'Reilly (1759–1782)
• Anthony Coyle (1782–1801), previously Coadjutor Bishop: Anthony Coyle (1777.04.27 – 1782)
  • Coadjutor Bishop: Fr. John McElvoy (1801.01.30 – 1801.09.20)
• Peter McLaughlin (1802–1819)
• Patrick McGettigan (1820–1861)
• Daniel McGettigan (1861–1870), previously Coadjutor Bishop: Daniel McGettigan (later Archbishop) (1856.02.29 – 1861.05.01)
• James McDevitt (1871–1879)
• Michael Logue (1879–1887)
• Patrick O'Donnell (1888–1922)
• William MacNeely (1923–1963)
• Anthony Columba McFeely (1965–1982)
• Séamus Hegarty (1982–1994)
• Philip Boyce, OCD (1995– 2017.06.09)
• Alan McGuckian, SJ (2017.06.09 – ...)

• Catholic Church in Ireland
• List of Catholic dioceses in Ireland
• Sexual abuse scandal in Raphoe diocese
• Anglican counterpart Diocese of Derry and Raphoe (Church of Ireland)

• Diocese of Raphoe (Official website)
• GCatholic.org, with Google map – data for all sections
• Diocese of Raphoe (Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference)
• Diocese of Raphoe (Catholic-Hierarchy website)
• Raphoe: Profile of the diocese (CatholicCity.com, from Catholic Encyclopedia)