Dean of Elphin and Ardagh

The Dean of Elphin and Ardagh is based in St John the Baptist Cathedral, Sligo in the Diocese of Elphin and Ardagh within the united bishopric of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh of the Church of Ireland. The dioceses of Elphin and Ardagh were merged in 1841. The original cathedral of Ardagh, Co Longford had been destroyed by military action in 1496 and the original diocesan cathedral of Saint Mary’s, Elphin, Co Roscommon was damaged by a storm in 1957 and abandoned in 1961.

St John the Baptist Cathedral, Sligo

The current incumbent is The Very Reverend A Williams.

Deans of Elphin

• ?–1587 Malachi O'Flanagan [1]
• 1587 Thomas O'Heidegein [1]
• 1591–1603 Thomas Burke [1]
• 1603 Edward King (?later Bishop of Elphin 1611) [1]
• 1606 Eriell O'Higgin [1]
• 1613/–1633 John Evatt [1]
• 1634 Richard Jones [1]
• 1642–1648 Joseph Ware [1]
• ?–1661 Edward Synge (afterwards Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe, 1661) [1]
• 1661–1664 Clement Paman [1] (Poet)
• 1664 Daniel Neyland [1]
• 1665 Thomas Crofton [1]
• 1683–1700 Anthony Cope (afterwards Dean of Connor, 1700) [1]
• 1700–1723 Edward Goldsmith [1]
• 1723–1739 Peter Mahon [1]
• 1739–1757 Christopher Lloyd [1]
• 1757–1768 James Dickson (afterwards Dean of Down)[1]
• 1768–1778 Robert Bligh [1]
• 1778–1794 John Barry [1]
• 1794–1797 Francis Browne [1]
• 1797–1848 John French [1]
• 1848–1894 William Warburton [1]
• 1894–1900 Francis Burke
• 1904–1912 Alexander Major Kearney

Deans of Ardagh

• 1552 John Bowerman [2]
• 1563 William Brady [2]
• 1595 Robert Richardson [2]
• 1606–1625 Lewis Jones (also Dean of Cashel, 1607) [2] (but possibly the son of Archbishop Jones)
• 1625–1637 Henry Jones (son of above) (afterwards Dean of Kilmore 1637) [2]
• 1637–? Nicholas Bernard (fled to England 1641-later chaplain to Oliver Cromwell) [2]
• 1661–1701 John Kerb or Carr [2]
• 1701 John Barton[2]
• 1718–1720 Charles Cobbe (afterwards Bishop of Killala and Achonry 1720) [2]
• 1720–1721 Josiah Hort (afterwards Bishop of Ferns 1721) [2]
• 1721 Robert Howard (later Bishop of Killala and Achonry 1726) [2]
• 1727–?1749 Lewis Saurin (died 1749)[2]
• 1749–1757 George Sandford [2]
• 1757–1769 Thomas White [2]
• 1769–1785 William French [2]
• 1785–1790 Lilly Butler [2]
• 1790–1800 Charles Mongan (Warburton) (afterwards Dean of Clonmacnoise, later Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe 1806) [2]
• 1800-1813 Hon Richard Bourke (afterwards Bishop of Waterford and Lismore 1813) [2]
• 1814–1829 Richard Graves [2]
• 1829–1854 Richard Murray [2]
• 1854–1860 Hugh Usher Tighe (afterwards Dean of Derry, 1860)
• 1860–1880 Augustus William West
• 1880–1896 Alexander Orme
• 1896-1912 Frederic Potterton (died 1912)
• 1913–1921 Thomas Reilly

Deans of Elphin and Ardagh

• 1933-1944 John Ardill
• 1944-1954 John Beresford
• 1954-1963 James Wilson
• 1963-1967 George Bolton
• 1967-1983 Cecil Wyndham Browne
• 1983–1991 Hugh Mortimer
• 1992–1999 Stuart McGee
• 1999–2004 David Griscome
• 2004– now Arfon Williams

References

1. Cotton, Henry (1801). Fasti ecclesiæ hibernicæ: the succession of the prelates and members of the cathedral boodies in Ireland Volume 4. Retrieved 2012-02-07.
2. "Fasti ecclesiae Hibernicae : the succession of the prelates and members of the Cathedral bodies of Ireland". Retrieved 2012-02-07.