Ancient ruins of 12th Century Cathedral of St. Fachanan and Parish Church of St. Fachanan, all in our diocese, in Kilfenora.
The following post is a combination of information to be found on the Catholic Ireland Website and our own diocesan website. You'll get the links to both in the sidebar menu.
Fachtna founded a monastery and scripture school at Ross Carbery in west Cork and, also, a monastery in our diocese in Kilfenora. He is the patron of Kilfenora, now integrated into our diocese, as well as the diocese of Ross, now integrated into the combined diocese of Cork and Ross. Patrick Duffy explains.
Scripture school
Toward the end of the sixth century Fachtna founded a monastery and school in the area now known as Rosscarbery (Ros Ailithir – “the wooded headland of the pilgrims”). The School of Ross became a celebrated seat of learning and gained an international reputation for study of sacred scripture and learning until the ninth century when it was besieged and destroyed by the Danes.
Diocese of
Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora
The Diocese of Kilfenora and the Diocese of Kilmacduagh were both erected and had their territories defined by the Synod of Kells in 1132. In 1751 the two dioceses were united but because Kilfenora was in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and Kilmacduagh in the province of Tuam, the Bishop of Kilmacduagh was made the Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora, and it was decreed that the next person holding episcopal jurisdiction in Kilmacduagh-Kilfenora would be Bishop of Kilfenora and Apostolic Administrator of Kilmacduagh. This system of alternation continued down to the last bishop, Patrick Fallon, who resigned in 1866.
Diocese of Galway,
Kilmacduagh & Kilfenora
In 1866 the Bishop of Galway, John McEvilly, was made administrator of Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora. In 1883, Thomas Carr was appointed bishop, the first to be appointed with the title of Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora.
You can see a mosaic to St. Fachtna in The Cathedral Bookshop.
