Parish of Kilfenora
Situation and Name; St. Factna’s Well; His festival formerly kept in the Ph. on 14th August; Cathedral Church at present partly occupied by the Protestant one; Family monument in the interior; Chapel projecting from N.E. angle of Church; Stone Cross inside of do. with the figure of a Bishop in his canonicals sculptured on it; Mitred head over the pointed doorway of the newly repaired Church; Monument & stone with arms of Mac Donogh & an inscription in Church.
Stone Cross near W. Side of burial ground; Cross standing in a field W. of Church sculptured on all sides & exhibiting a representation of the Crucifixion; Extract from Gough’s Camden relative to the See of Kilfenora, Fenebore, or Cullumbrach.
Of its Bishops from Harris’s Ware; St. Fachtna supposed to have been founder of the Bishoprick; The See called Cellumabrach in Book of Valuations of the Apostolick Chamber published by Centius Camerarius (afterwards Pope Honorius III); Was made a Suffragan See to the Archbishoprick of Cashel in the ancient distribution of the Bishopricks of Ireland made by Cardinal Paparo in 1152; Has been annexed to the Archbishoprick of Tuam since the restoration of King Chas. II; Its situation The Bishop of the See said by John Clynn in his division of the Episcopal Sees to have been also called Episcopus Coreumrothensis, Bishop of Corcumra (& so it is in Annals of Innisfallen); List of its Bishops; Christian died in 1254 and was buried at Limerick in the Conventual Church of the Dominicans; Henry (rather Maurice) succ. 1265 ob. 1273; Florence O’Tigernach - Abbot of Kilsane or Kilsonna, Co. Limerick (succ. 1273 ob. 1281); Charles Dean of Kilfenora in 1281; Congal O’Loughlin, called Bishop of Corcumroe in Annals of Lough Kee, died in 1300; Simon O’Currin his succr. died in 1300 and was buried at Limerick in Conventual Church of the Dominicans; Maurice O’Brien succ. 1303 ob. 1321 and was buried in same Church; Inscription in Monkish ryhme fixed near the place where he and his predecessors, Simon O’Currin & Christian as also Hubert de Burgh, Bishop of Limerick, Donald O’Kennedy & Matthew O’Hogain, Bishops of Killaloe were interred; Was transcribed into the Calendar of the Dominicans at Limerick; Translation of do.; Richard O’Loyghlain (succ. 1323 ob. 1359); Patrick (sed. 1394); Denis O’Cane or O’Cahan resigned 1491; Maurice O’Brien, Canon of Killaloe, (succ. 1491); John O’Hinalan (sed. 1552); Daniel (sed. 1585); Was a subscriber to an Indenture of Composition for Co. Clare (1585); Conditions in the Indenture agreed to by the inhabitants of Thomond; Cess & Cutting (nature of the taxes so called explained); Bernard Adams consecrated Bishop of Limerick in 1604 and together with that See held this of Kilfenora by Dispensation from 1606 to 1617 in which year he resigned; John Steere (succ. 1617 resigned 1622); Was translated to Ardfert 20th July 1622; Obtained a grant to him and his successors to hold at Kilfenoragh a market and two fairs; Wm. Murray (succ. 1622, resigned 1627); Was translated in 1627 to the See of Landaffe in Wales; Richard Bates D.D. appointed to succeed him by Charles 1st; but having learned the poverty of the See declined the appointment; James Highate (succ. 1630 ob. 1638); Robt. Sibthorp D.B., Treasurer of Killaloe & Prebendary of Maynooth (succ. 1638, resigned 1642); Was translated to the See of Limerick, 11th November 1642; Saml. Pullen D.D., Dean of Clonfert (succ. 1660); Was consecrated Archbishop of Tuam, 27th January 1660 and obtained the See of Kilfenoragh also in Commendam; The See from that time went always with the Archbishop of Tuam; Was on death of Edward Synge, Archbishop of Tuam, given in Commendam to John Whitcombe, Bishop of Clonfert; On translation of Dr. Whitecombe, to Down & Connor in January 1752 was given in Commendam to Dr. Nicholas Synge, Bishop of Killaloe by Letters Patent dated March 26th 1752.
Extract relative to Kilfenora from Lanigan’s Eccl. Hist.
Tobar Fachtna (Well of St. Fachtna) north of the Church, having a small stone roofed building over it; Commonly called Bullán Fachtna, Bullan being a general name throughout the upper part of Co. Clare for all those circular small springs that issue from the lime stone rocks; Stone inserted in E. side of the small buildings, stating its erection by Donald Mac Donogh in 1687 by the leave & permission of the Bishop of Kilfenora; Notices of Kilfenora from Annals of IV. Masters; & from Archdall’s Mon. Hib.; Portcroise (Bridge of) on the Shannon erected in 1506 by O’Brien, Donnell his brother, the Bishop of Killaloe & the Bishop of Kilfenora.
Kill-Cathrach Church & burial ground (site of); Archdall’s notice of an “Hospital or Monastery” at Kill-Cathrach (Kilcaurah); Old Castle (remains of foundation of) N. of do., called by the natives Caislen-an-Mhaga, i.e., the Funny or Foolish Castle; Set down by some writers as the site of an ecclesiastical edifice; Cill-Tonachta old Church and burial ground (site of) in Ballynacarra; Cill-Chaimin, site of an old Church and burial ground so called by the natives, within the Caher of Caherminane; Saint Caimin’s Well at which Stations were formerly performed near do.; Caherminane old Castle (site of) in which, according to Annals of IV. Masters, Morogh O’Brien, its lord, died in 1591; Fanta old Castle (remains of) within which is a dwelling house; Ballyshanny old Castle (remains of); Tullacha old Castle; Inchoveigh old Castle in Toormore.
Baile-Cinn-Marga (the Town of the Market) mentioned in Hardiman’s Irish Deeds; Large Cahir in do. around which there was formerly a circle of upright stones; Cromleach lying prostate south of do.; Sliabh-na-nGroidhd, i.e., Mountain of the Studs (of horses) mentioned in Annals of IV. Masters; Carn-Mic-Tail (mentioned in same Annals); Bel-Atha-an-Ghobhann; Baile-Ui-Ghamhuain now Ballygoun. Baile-Ui-Rheabhachain & Baile-Ui-Sheanuigh Townlands mentioned in Hardiman’s Irish Deeds;
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