Seaán Ó hEidhin
Encyclopedia
Seaán Ó hEidhin, Franciscan
Bishop of Clonfert, fl. 1437-1459.
Ó hEidhin was a descendant of Eidhean mac Cléireach
of the Uí Fiachrach Aidhne
dynasty. He was a suffragan bishop
, first noted as an attendant of King Henry VI
in 1437. A native of Clonfert
, he acted as the king’s messenger between the rebellious clergy assembled at Basel
who were eager to prove that the Pope
was subordinate to the General Council; to the Holy Roman Emperor
; Sigismund, Archduke of Austria
; and to Pope Eugenius IV.
He never took actual possession of his office, it been taken by Tomás mac Muircheartaigh Ó Cellaigh, son of Bishop Muircheartaigh Ó Cellaigh. At the time of Ó Cellaigh's death in 1441, John White, provincial minister of the Friars Minor was deposed from his position for bad government. He traveled to Rome
and was appointed to Ó Cellaigh’s position, which he held till his death in 1447, leaving Ó hEidhin a bishop without a diocese. He worked as a suffragan or auxiliary bishop
in Worcester
(1443), London
, (1443-1448), Exter (1447), and was at the time of his death vicar of West Thurrock
, near London
.
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
Bishop of Clonfert, fl. 1437-1459.
Ó hEidhin was a descendant of Eidhean mac Cléireach
Eidhean mac Cléireach
Eidhean mac Cléireach, ancestor of the Ó hEidhin/Hynes family of County Galway, fl. 800.Eidhean was a member of the dynasty of Uí Fiachrach Aidhne, and a descendant of Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin , Fiachrae mac Eochaid Mugmedon and thus distantly related to the dynasty of Uí Néill...
of the Uí Fiachrach Aidhne
Uí Fiachrach Aidhne
Uí Fhiachrach Aidhne was a kingdom located in what is now the south of Co. Galway.-Legendary origins and geography:...
dynasty. He was a suffragan bishop
Suffragan bishop
A suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop. He or she may be assigned to an area which does not have a cathedral of its own.-Anglican Communion:...
, first noted as an attendant of King Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
in 1437. A native of Clonfert
Clonfert
Clonfert is a small village in east County Galway, Ireland. It is half way between Ballinasloe and Portumna.Clonfert Cathedral is situated in the village, which is the see of the Diocese of Clonfert.-See also:* List of towns and villages in Ireland...
, he acted as the king’s messenger between the rebellious clergy assembled at Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
who were eager to prove that the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
was subordinate to the General Council; to the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
; Sigismund, Archduke of Austria
Sigismund, Archduke of Austria
Sigismund of Austria, Duke, then Archduke of Further Austria was a Habsburg archduke of Austria and ruler of Tirol from 1446 to 1490....
; and to Pope Eugenius IV.
He never took actual possession of his office, it been taken by Tomás mac Muircheartaigh Ó Cellaigh, son of Bishop Muircheartaigh Ó Cellaigh. At the time of Ó Cellaigh's death in 1441, John White, provincial minister of the Friars Minor was deposed from his position for bad government. He traveled to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and was appointed to Ó Cellaigh’s position, which he held till his death in 1447, leaving Ó hEidhin a bishop without a diocese. He worked as a suffragan or auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
in Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
(1443), London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, (1443-1448), Exter (1447), and was at the time of his death vicar of West Thurrock
West Thurrock
West Thurrock is a traditional Church of England parish and town in Thurrock, Essex, England, located 17.5 miles east south-east of Charing Cross, London.-Location:...
, near London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Reference
- ’’The History of Galway’’, Sean Spillessy, 2000.