The Bishop of Cork was a separate episcopal

Episcopal polity

Episcopal polity is a form of church governance that is hierarchical in structure with the chief authority over a local Christian church resting in a bishop...

 title which took its name after the city of Cork

Cork (city)

Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

 in southern Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

. The title is now united with other bishoprics. In the Church of Ireland

Church of Ireland

The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...

 it is held by the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

The Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross is the Church of Ireland Ordinary of the united Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross in the Province of Dublin....

, and in the Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 it is held by the Bishop of Cork and Ross

Bishop of Cork and Ross

The Bishop of Cork and Ross is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Cork and the town of Rosscarbery in Ireland. The title was first used by the Church of Ireland from 1638 to 1660 and again from 1679 to 1835...

.

Pre-Reformation bishops

The diocese of Cork was one of the twenty-four dioceses established at the Synod of Rathbreasail

Synod of Rathbreasail

The Synod of Ráth Breasail took place in Ireland in 1111. It marked the transition of the Irish church from a monastic to a diocesan and parish-based church...

 on an ancient bishopric founded by Saint Finbarr in the sixth-century.

On 30 July 1326, Pope John XXII

Pope John XXII

Pope John XXII , born Jacques Duèze , was pope from 1316 to 1334. He was the second Pope of the Avignon Papacy , elected by a conclave in Lyon assembled by Philip V of France...

, on the petition of King Edward II of England

Edward II of England

Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...

, issued a papal bull

Papal bull

A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....

 for the union of the bishoprics of Cork and Cloyne

Bishop of Cloyne

The Bishop of Cloyne is an episcopal title which takes its name after the small town of Cloyne in County Cork, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it is a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics....

, the union to take effect on the death of either bishop. The union should have taken effect on the death of Philip of Slane in 1327, however, bishops were still appointed to each separate bishopric. The union eventually took place with Jordan Purcell appointed bishop of the united see of Cork and Cloyne

Bishop of Cork and Cloyne

The Bishop of Cork and Cloyne was an episcopal title which took its name after the city of Cork and the town of Cloyne in southern Ireland.-History:The see was formed by the union of the bishoprics of Cork and Cloyne in 1429...

 in 1429.

List of pre-Reformation Bishops of Cork
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
unknown	1147	Ua Menngoráin	Died in office
bef.1148	1172	Gilla Áedha Ua Maigín Gilla Áedha Ua Maigín Gilla Áedha Ua Maigín, Bishop of Cork, died 1172.Sub anno 1172, the Annals of the Four Masters state that:"Giolla Aedha O'Muidhin , Bishop of Cork, died...	Died in office; also known as Gregorius.
fl.1173-77	1182	Gregorius Ua h-Aedha	Died in office
c.1182	1187	Reginaldus I	Died in office
c.1187	1188	Aicher	Died in office
bef.1192	1206	Murchad Ua h-Áedha	Died in office
bef.1208	1224	Mairín Ua Briain, O.S.A.	Translated to Cashel Archbishop of Cashel The Archbishop of Cashel is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name after the town of Cashel, County Tipperary in Ireland. The title is still in use in the Roman Catholic Church, but in the Church of Ireland it was downgraded to a bishopric in 1838....  20 June 1224; also known as Marinus.
1225	aft.1237	Gilbertus	Elected before 5 June 1225; died after 1237.
1248	1265	Laurentius	Elected before 5 May 1248; died before 27 March 1265.
1265	1267	William of Jerpoint, O.Cist.	Elected after 27 March 1265; received possession of temporalities 28 November 1266; died after 8 July 1267.
1267	1276	Reginaldus II	Elected before 5 August 1267; died 16 December 1276.
1277	1302	Robert Mac Donnchada, O.Cist.	Elected before 8 May 1277; received possession of temporalities 11 June 1277; lib. 13 October 1277; died 6 March 1302.
1302	1321	Seoán Mac Cearbaill	Elected 30 April 1302; received possession of temporalities 12 June 1302; lib 20 July 1302; translated to Meath Bishop of Meath The Bishop of Meath is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.-History:...  20 February 1321.
1321	1327	Philip of Slane, O.P.	Appointed 20 February 1321; temp 16 July 1321; died after March 1327.
1327	1329	Walter le Rede	Appointed 20 March 1327; consecrated before 12 July 1327; temp 18 October 1327; translated to Cashel Archbishop of Cashel The Archbishop of Cashel is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name after the town of Cashel, County Tipperary in Ireland. The title is still in use in the Roman Catholic Church, but in the Church of Ireland it was downgraded to a bishopric in 1838....  20 October 1329.
1330	1347	John of Ballyconingham	Translated from Down Bishop of Down The Bishop of Down was a separate episcopal title which took its name after County Down in Northern Ireland. The see was in the town of Downpatrick where the bishop's seat was located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity....  before January 1329; received possession of temporalities 30 May 1330; died 29 May 1347.
1347	1358	John Roche	Elected before December 1347; consecrated December 1347; died 4 July 1358.
1359	1393	Gerald de Barri	Appointed before 14 February 1359 and consecrated irregularly soon afterwards; received possession of temporalities 2 February 1360; appointed again 8 November 1362 and confirmed 1 February 1365; died 4 January 1393.
1396	1406	Roger Ellesmere	Appointed 3 December 1395; received possession of temporalities 31 March 1396; died before 14 February 1406.
1406	1409	Richard Kynmoure	Appointed before 6 October 1406; died before June 1409.
1409	unknown	Milo fitzJohn	Appointed by Pope Gregory XII Pope Gregory XII Pope Gregory XII , born Angelo Correr or Corraro, Pope from 1406 to 1415, succeeded Pope Innocent VII on 30 November 1406....  July 1409; appointed again by Pope Martin V Pope Martin V Pope Martin V , born Odo Colonna, was Pope from 1417 to 1431. His election effectively ended the Western Schism .-Biography:...  11 January 1418; died mid-June 1431
1409	1417	Patrick Fox	Appointed by Antipope Alexander V Antipope Alexander V Alexander V was antipope during the Western Schism . He reigned from June 26, 1409, to his death in 1410 and is officially regarded by the Roman Catholic Church as an antipope....  14 October 1409; confirmed by Antipope John XXIII Antipope John XXIII Baldassarre Cossa was Pope John XXIII during the Western Schism. The Catholic Church regards him as an antipope.-Biography:...  25 May 1410; translated to Ossory Bishop of Ossory The Bishop of Ossory is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient of Kingdom of Ossory in the Province of Leinster, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.-History:The diocese of Ossory...  15 December 1417.
1425		John Paston, O.S.B.	Prior of Brownholm; appointed 23 May 1425 but did not possession of the see; died in Utrecht Utrecht (city) Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...  before 1459.
In 1429, the see united with Cloyne Bishop of Cloyne The Bishop of Cloyne is an episcopal title which takes its name after the small town of Cloyne in County Cork, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it is a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics....  to form the united see of Cork and Cloyne Bishop of Cork and Cloyne The Bishop of Cork and Cloyne was an episcopal title which took its name after the city of Cork and the town of Cloyne in southern Ireland.-History:The see was formed by the union of the bishoprics of Cork and Cloyne in 1429...

Post-Reformation bishops

Following the Reformation

English Reformation

The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....

, the united see of Cork and Cloyne

Bishop of Cork and Cloyne

The Bishop of Cork and Cloyne was an episcopal title which took its name after the city of Cork and the town of Cloyne in southern Ireland.-History:The see was formed by the union of the bishoprics of Cork and Cloyne in 1429...

 continued with parallel apostolic succession

Apostolic Succession

Apostolic succession is a doctrine, held by some Christian denominations, which asserts that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles, from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were...

s. In the Church of Ireland

Church of Ireland

The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...

, the title eventually became part of the current united bishopric of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

The Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross is the Church of Ireland Ordinary of the united Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross in the Province of Dublin....

.

In the Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

, Cork and Cloyne remained united until 10 December 1747 when Pope Benedict XIV

Pope Benedict XIV

Pope Benedict XIV , born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was Pope from 17 August 1740 to 3 May 1758.-Life:...

 decreed them to be separated. Cloyne became part of the united bishopric of Cloyne and Ross until 24 November 1850 when they were separated. The see of Cork remained a separate bishopric until 19 April 1958 when it united with Ross to form the current united bishopric of Cork and Ross

Bishop of Cork and Ross

The Bishop of Cork and Ross is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Cork and the town of Rosscarbery in Ireland. The title was first used by the Church of Ireland from 1638 to 1660 and again from 1679 to 1835...

.

List of post-Reformation Roman Catholic Bishops of Cork
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1748	1763	Richard Walsh	Appointed 10 January 1748; died 7 January 1763
1763	1787	John Butler John Butler, 12th Baron Dunboyne John Butler, 12th Baron Dunboyne was an Irish clergyman and aristocrat, Roman Catholic Bishop of Cork. In order to advance his temporal title, he became, , the only authenticated apostate in the Catholic hierarchy in Ireland.-Early life:...	Appointed 16 April 1763; also became 12th Baron Dunboyne Baron Dunboyne The Barony of Dunboyne was created by patent in the Peerage of Ireland in 1541. The barons are alternately numbered from the early 14th century by numbers ten greater than the number dating to the patent...  in 1785; resigned as bishop 13 December 1787; died 8 May 1800.
1787	1815	Francis Moylan Francis Moylan Francis Moylan was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Cork.-Life:He was the son of a rich merchant. As the penal laws made it impossible for him to obtain a suitable education at home, he was sent to Paris, and educated there...	Translated from Ardfert and Aghadoe Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe The Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe was an episcopal title which took its name after the village of Ardfert and townland of Aghadoe, both in County Kerry, Ireland.-History:...  19 June 1787; died 10 February 1815
1815	1847	John Murphy	Appointed coadjutor bishop Coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...  25 January 1815; succeeded 10 February 1815; consecrated 23 April 1815; died 1 April 1847
1847	1886	William Delany	Appointed 9 July 1847; consecrated 15 August 1847; died 14 November 1886
1886	1916	Thomas Alphonsus O’Callaghan, O.P.	Appointed coadjutor bishop 29 June 1884; succeeded 14 November 1886; died 14 June 1916
1916	1952	Daniel Cohalan Daniel Cohalan (Bishop of Cork) The Most Reverend Daniel Cohalan was an Irish Roman Catholic clergyman who served as Bishop of Cork from 1916 to 1952.-Early life:...	Appointed an auxiliary bishop 25 May and consecrated 7 June 1914; appointed Bishop of Cork 29 August 1916; died 24 August 1952
1952	1958	Cornelius Lucey Cornelius Lucey -Youth and education:Cornelius Lucey was born into a farming family at Carrigrohane, near Cork City. He studied at St Finbarr's College, Farranferris, the diocesan college. He graduated from St Patrick's College, Maynooth with BC and BCL, and obtained MAs at Innsbruck University in 1927–29 and then...	Appointed coadjutor bishop Coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...  18 November 1950; consecrated 14 January 1951; succeeded 24 August 1952; also appointed Apostolic Administrator Apostolic Administrator An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...  of Ross 20 February 1954; subsequently bishop of Cork and Ross Bishop of Cork and Ross The Bishop of Cork and Ross is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Cork and the town of Rosscarbery in Ireland. The title was first used by the Church of Ireland from 1638 to 1660 and again from 1679 to 1835...  when the two dioceses were united in 1958
Since 1958, the see has been part of the united diocese of Cork and Ross Roman Catholic Diocese of Cork and Ross The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cork and Ross is a Roman Catholic diocese in southern Ireland. It is one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and is subject to the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. The diocese is in the secular province of Munster...