The diocese of Ferns or Loch Garman was one of the twenty-four dioceses established at the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111. Subsequently, the centre of the diocese was located at Ferns due to the influence of Diarmaid mac Murchadha.[citation needed] It comprised roughly the ancient territory of the Uí Cheinnselaig with the bishop's seat (cathedra) located at Ferns Cathedral. During the later medieval period the church at New Ross enjoyed quasi-cathedral status.[2][3]
Formerly Abbot of Baltinglass; elected bishop circa 1186; acted as a suffragan bishop in the diocese of Winchester in 1201 and 1214; died 1 January 1223; also known as Albinus, Albin O'Mooley and Alpin O'Moelmhuaidh
Formerly Treasurer of Limerick; elected before 6 July 1223 and consecrated before 2 April 1224; died before October 1253. He was Lord High Treasurer of Ireland for many years
Formerly Treasurer of Limerick; elected before March 1254; received possession of the temporalities after 16 March 1254; died before May 1258; he was possibly brother of the previous bishop
1258
1282
Hugh of Lamport
Formerly Treasurer of Ferns Cathedral; elected before 11 July 1258; received possession of the temporalities 27 September 1258; died 15 May 1282
Formerly a Canon of Killaloe and Dean of Ferns; elected 28 July 1282; received possession of the temporalities 13 October 1282; consecrated in 1283; died 13 January 1304 and buried in Ferns Cathedral
1304
Simon of Evesham
Elected after 12 March 1304; consecrated 22 June 1304; died 1 September 1304
1305
1311
Robert Walrand
Elected after 14 February 1305; consecrated after 13 April 1305; died 17 November 1311
1312
1346
Adam of Northampton
Elected before 14 March 1312; received possession of the temporalities 14 March 1312; consecrated 18 June 1312; died 29 October 1346
1347
Hugh of Saltu
Formerly a Canon of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin; elected before 10 March and consecrated 8 April 1347, but was deprived of the see later in the same year; also known as Hugh of Leixlip
1347
1348
Geoffrey Grandfield, O.E.S.A.
Appointed 5 March and consecrated at Avignon in June 1347; received possession of the temporalities 15 November 1347; died of the plague 22 October 1348; also known as Geoffrey Grosseld
1349
John Esmond
Elected and consecrated in 1349, but did not get possession of the see due to a prior papal reservation; deprived in the same year; later successively appointed Bishop of Emly on 28 February 1356
Formerly Archdeacon of Ferns; appointed bishop before 15 April and consecrated 18 June 1363; received possession of the temporalities 27 August 1363; died 27 August 1400
Formerly a Canon of Kells Priory; appointed 10 December 1400 and consecrated in the same month; received possession of the temporalities 11 April 1401; also was Lord Chancellor of Ireland; died 10 November 1415
Formerly Precentor of Ferns Cathedral; appointed 16 February 1418; excused from further attendance at the Irish Parliament or the Privy Council in 1450, on account of his great age and infirmity; resigned 5 October 1457; died 1458
1451
Tadhg O'Beirn, O.S.A.
Appointed 8 October 1451, but did not take effect
1457
1479
John Purcell I
Appointed 4 October 1457; died before October 1479
1479
1503
Laurence Neville
Formerly a Canon of Ferns; appointed 26 October 1479 and received possession of the temporalities 20 May 1480; died 1503
1505
1509
Edmund Comerford
Formerly Dean of Kilkenny; consecrated at Ferns Cathedral in 1505; died 15 April 1509
Appointed coadjutor bishop of Ferns on 12 May 1671, but did not accept the post until late 1672; consecrated bishop of Ferns, probably in June 1683; died 1687[9]
1687
1697
See vacant
1697
1709
Michael Rossiter
Appointed 1 July 1697; possibly died 1709
1709
1728
John Verdon
Appointed 14 September 1709; died circa 1728
1729
1744
Ambrose Ó Ceallacháin, O.F.M.
Appointed 26 September 1729; died 8 August 1744
1745
1786
Nicholas Sweetman
Appointed 25 January 1745; died 19 October 1786
1786
1814
James Caulfield
Appointed coadjutor bishop 26 February and consecrated 7 July 1782; succeeded 19 October 1786; died 14 January 1814
1814
1819
Patrick Ryan
Appointed coadjutor bishop 2 October 1804 and consecrated 2 February 1805; succeeded 14 January 1814; died 9 March 1819
1819
1849
James Keatinge
Appointed coadjutor bishop 6 December 1818; succeeded 9 March and consecrated 21 March 1819; died 7 September 1849
1849
1856
Myles Murphy
Appointed 19 November 1849 and consecrated 10 March 1850; died 13 August 1856
1857
1875
Thomas Furlong
Appointed 9 January and consecrated 22 March 1857; died 12 November 1875
1876
1884
Michael Warren
Appointed 13 or 14 March and consecrated 7 May 1876; resigned 22 April 1884; died 22 April 1885
^ abFryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 355–356. ISBN0-521-56350-X.
^ abCotton, Henry (1848). The Succession of the Prelates and Members of the Cathedral Bodies of Ireland. Fasti ecclesiae Hiberniae. Vol. 2, The Province of Leinster. Dublin: Hodges and Smith. pp. 331–334.