Roman Catholic Diocese of Clogher

The Diocese straddles the Irish border, consisting of County Monaghan, much of County Fermanagh and parts of Counties Tyrone and Donegal. The main towns are Clones, Enniskillen and Monaghan.[http://www.clogherdiocese.ie/macartan1500/macartan1500-stmacartan.html St Macartan – 1500 years of faith (Diocese of Clogher)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927003617/http://www.clogherdiocese.ie/macartan1500/macartan1500-stmacartan.html |date=27 September 2007 }}

{{main|Domnach Airgid}}

The shrine of the diocese, known as the Domnach Airgid originally housed a copy of the Gospels and the Cross of the Clogher Diocese. According to tradition, these were originally given to St. Macartan by St. Patrick, although the manuscript as it exists today dates from the eighth century.[http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/grants/04_lists/projects/2004_13251.html Repair of the Domhnach Airgid, Heritage Council Grants Programme] Today these relics of ecclesiastical art held are at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.Diringer, David. The Book Before Printing: Ancient, Medieval and Oriental. Dover Publications Inc., 1986. p. 464. {{ISBN|978-0-4862-4243-9}}

• St Macartan of Clogher
• St Tiarnach of Clones
• St Molaise of Devenish
• St Davóg of Lough Derg
• St Davnet of Sliabh Beagh
• St Maoldoid of Muckno
• St Fanchea of Rossory

In 2011 London-based law firm Jeff Anderson-Ann Olivarius Law (now [http://www.aoadvocates.com/ AO Advocates]) said they were to take action in Minnesota against a retired priest from the Clogher diocese who was moved to the US in the 1980s.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12171093 BBC News – Abuse inquiry panel moving to Armagh]. bbc.co.uk (12 January 2011). Retrieved on 23 July 2013. Also in 2011 a Nevada clerical abuse survivor sued the diocese, claiming that Father Francis Markey, who had been suspended three times by the diocese of Clogher between the years 1964 and 1974 due to allegations of sexually abusing children. According to the lawsuit he was sent for treatment each time and then reinstated into the priesthood, before eventually being moved to Nevada.[http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Nevada-clerical-abuse-survivor-sues-diocese-who-knew-Irish-priests-past-115271534.html Nevada clerical abuse survivor sues diocese who knew Irish priest’s past | Irish News]. IrishCentral. Retrieved on 23 July 2013.[http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Irish-priest-accused-of-rape-fights-extradition-wants-bail-84904337.html Irish priest accused of rape fights extradition, wants bail | Irish News]. IrishCentral. Retrieved on 23 July 2013. In that same year the Sunday Business Post newspaper reported that the Bishop, Joseph Duffy, had admitted both to failing to pass abuse claims to police in 1989, and to being party to victims and families being made to sign oaths of non-disclosure.[http://clericalwhispers.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/bishop-of-clogher-did-not-report-abuse.html Clerical Whispers: Bishop of Clogher did not report abuse to Gardai]. Clericalwhispers.blogspot.co.uk (21 March 2010). Retrieved on 23 July 2013. A separate case in the 1970s and 1980s involved Bishop Duffy's uncle, Canon Peter Joe Duffy, who abused at least three victims. The abuse came to light in 2013 and the diocese paid compensation.Fowler, Julian. (11 April 2013) [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-22113874 BBC News – Parish priest involved in Donagh abuse case]. Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved on 23 July 2013. Other priests of the diocese involved in abuse of children include Fr. Eugene Lewis (jailed for four years on eleven counts of indecent assault);[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11165242 BBC News – Abusing priest Fr Eugene Lewis jailed for four years]. bbc.co.uk (2 September 2010). Retrieved on 23 July 2013. Fr. John McCabe (20 months imprisonment on abuse charges)[http://www.catholicabusesurvivorsni.com/?p=1512 Fr. John McCabe]. Catholicabusesurvivorsni.com (1 September 2012). Retrieved on 23 July 2013. and Fr Jeremiah McGrath, described by the Belfast Telegraph as "the very antithesis of what a priest should be. A lying, manipulative facilitator for a vicious paedophile": jailed for five years in 2007 for indecently assaulting a 12-year-old girl and facilitating another person to rape her whilst working in North West England after spending time in the diocese of Clogher.[http://www.eurekaencyclopedia.com/index.php/Category:Diocese_of_Clogher Category:Diocese of Clogher – Eurêka]. Eurekaencyclopedia.com. Retrieved on 23 July 2013.[http://www.impartialreporter.com/news/roundup/articles/2009/12/17/390440-disgraced-priest-is-released-from-prison Disgraced priest is released from prison / Impartial Reporter / News / Roundup]. Impartialreporter.com. Retrieved on 23 July 2013.McKimm, Mike. (14 June 2007) [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6749967.stm UK | Northern Ireland | Priest who adored rapist friend]. BBC News. Retrieved on 23 July 2013.

In 2013 a report from the Church's own investigatory body reported a total of 45 allegations against 13 priests in the diocese between 1975 and 2012, and identified unsatisfactory responses to complaints, failure to address risky behaviour and the missing of preventative opportunities. Retired bishop Joseph Duffy accepted the criticism.[http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/exbishop-accepts-mistakes-after-watchdog-criticises-poor-judgement-in-dealing-with-paedophile-priests-29220126.html Ex-bishop accepts mistakes after watchdog criticises poor judgement in dealing with paedophile priests]. BelfastTelegraph.co.uk (24 April 2013). Retrieved on 23 July 2013. However, the Report did acknowledge that current procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse in the diocese had improved significantly and it praised Bishop MacDaid's approach to the issue.

As with many Irish Catholic Dioceses, Clogher has suffered from a severe clerical shortage in the 21st-century. In December 2023 Bishop Duffy announced that the diocese would start training 40 laymen and laywomen to preside over funerals given the few number of priests. In 2022 the diocese had 72 priests and deacons but it is estimated that by 2040 that number could be as low as 10.{{cite web|title=Irish Diocese to Rely on Laity to Preside Over Funerals Amid Shortage of Priests|url=https://www.ncregister.com/cna/irish-diocese-to-rely-on-laity-to-preside-over-funerals-amid-shortage-of-priests|date=19 December 2023|access-date=22 December 2023|first=Joe|last=Bukuras|work=CNA|publisher=National Catholic Register}}

{{Main|Bishop of Clogher}}

The following is a list of the ten most recent appointments.

• Edward Kernan (1824–1844)
• Charles McNally (1844–1864)
• James Donnelly (1864–1893)
• Richard Owens (1894–1909)
• Patrick McKenna (1909–1942)
• Eugene O'Callaghan (1943–1969)
• Patrick Mulligan (1969–1979)
• Joseph Duffy (1979–2010)
• Liam MacDaid (2010–2016)
• Lawrence Duffy (2018– )

• Roman Catholicism in Ireland
• List of Roman Catholic dioceses in Northern Ireland
• Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland

{{Reflist}}

Bibliography

• {{cite book|last=Jefferies|first=Henry A. |title=History of the Diocese of Clogher|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5Z_YAAAAMAAJ|year=2005|publisher=Four Courts Press|location=Dublin|isbn=978-1-85182-886-9}}

• [http://www.clogherdiocese.ie/ Official website for the diocese]
• [http://ahd.exis.net/monaghan/monaghan.htm Information of Monaghan County]
• [http://catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dclog.html Catholic-Hierarchy.org – Diocese Profile] Wikipedia:Verifiability#Reliable sources
• {{CathEncy|wstitle=Clogher}}

{{Roman Catholic dioceses in Ireland|state=collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}

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Clogher

Category:454 establishments

Category:Dioceses established in the 5th century

Category:5th-century establishments in Ireland

Category:Religion in County Cavan

Category:Religion in County Donegal

Category:Religion in County Fermanagh

Category:Religion in County Louth

Category:Religion in County Monaghan

Category:Religion in County Tyrone

Category:Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Armagh