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Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh
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Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh (Latin: "Archidioecesis Ardmachana"; Irish: "Ard-Deoise Ard Mhacha") is a Latin ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church situated in Northern Ireland. Its ordinary is the Archbishop of Armagh, who serves concurrently as the metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province of Armagh and holds the title of Primate of All Ireland, the highest-ranking prelate in the Irish Catholic hierarchy.
The mother church of the archdiocese is St Patrick's Cathedral, a site of profound historical and spiritual significance. The archdiocese’s claim to primatial status is rooted in its founding by Saint Patrick circa 445, establishing it as the principal see of Irish Christianity. Its recognition as a metropolitan province was formalized in 1152 by the Synod of Kells, affirming its ecclesial preeminence.
The current archbishop, Eamon Martin, has held office since 2024. He is assisted by auxiliary bishop Michael Router, appointed in 2019.
The Province of Armagh is one of the four ecclesiastical provinces that together form the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland; the others are Dublin, Tuam and Cashel. The geographical remit of the province straddles both political jurisdictions on the island of Ireland – the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland, the remit covers parts of the former administrative counties of Armagh, Londonderry and Tyrone. In the Republic of Ireland, the remit covers parts of County Louth and most of County Meath. It contains the city of Armagh and the large towns Ardee, Coalisland, Cookstown, Drogheda, Dundalk, Dungannon and Magherafelt.
The suffragan dioceses of the Metropolitan Province are:
St. Patrick, having received some grants of land from the chieftain Daire, on the hill called Ard-Macha (the Height of Macha), built a stone church on the summit and a monastery and some other religious edifices and fixed on this place for his metropolitan see.[when?] He also founded a school in the same place, which soon became famous and attracted thousands of scholars. In the course of time other religious bodies settled in Armagh, such as the Culdees, who built a monastery there in the 8th century.
The city of Armagh was thus until modern times a purely ecclesiastical establishment. About 448, St. Patrick, aided by Secundinus and Auxilius, two of his disciples, held a synod at Armagh, of which some of the canons are still extant. One of these expressly mentions that all difficult cases of conscience should be referred to the judgment of the Archbishop of Armagh, and that if too difficult to be disposed of by him with his counsellors they should be passed on to the Apostolic See of Rome. In Irish times, the primacy of Armagh was questioned only by the great southern centre of the Irish Church, at Cashel.
For many centuries the primates were accustomed to make circuits and visitations through various parts of the country for the collection of their dues. This was called the "Cattlecess", or the "Law of St. Patrick". Beginning in 734, during the incumbency of Primate Congus, it continued until long after the Cambro-Norman invasion, but ceased as soon as Norman prelates succeeded to the see. Two kings gave it their royal sanction: Felim, King of Munster, in 822, and Brian Boru, in 1006. The record of the latter's sanction is preserved in the Book of Armagh, in the handwriting of Brian Boru's chaplain. To add solemnity to their collecting tours, the primates were in the habit of carrying with them the shrine of St. Patrick, and as a rule their success was certain. These collections seem to have been made at irregular intervals and were probably for the purpose of keeping up the famous school of Armagh, said at one time to contain 7,000 students, as well as for the restoration, often needed, of the church and other ecclesiastical buildings when destroyed by fire or plundered in war. The Irish annals record no fewer than seventeen burnings of the city, either partial or total. It was plundered on numerous occasions by the Danes and the clergy driven out of it. It was also sacked during the conquest of Ulster by the Cambro-Normans.
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Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh (Latin: "Archidioecesis Ardmachana"; Irish: "Ard-Deoise Ard Mhacha") is a Latin ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church situated in Northern Ireland. Its ordinary is the Archbishop of Armagh, who serves concurrently as the metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province of Armagh and holds the title of Primate of All Ireland, the highest-ranking prelate in the Irish Catholic hierarchy.
The mother church of the archdiocese is St Patrick's Cathedral, a site of profound historical and spiritual significance. The archdiocese’s claim to primatial status is rooted in its founding by Saint Patrick circa 445, establishing it as the principal see of Irish Christianity. Its recognition as a metropolitan province was formalized in 1152 by the Synod of Kells, affirming its ecclesial preeminence.
The current archbishop, Eamon Martin, has held office since 2024. He is assisted by auxiliary bishop Michael Router, appointed in 2019.
The Province of Armagh is one of the four ecclesiastical provinces that together form the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland; the others are Dublin, Tuam and Cashel. The geographical remit of the province straddles both political jurisdictions on the island of Ireland – the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland, the remit covers parts of the former administrative counties of Armagh, Londonderry and Tyrone. In the Republic of Ireland, the remit covers parts of County Louth and most of County Meath. It contains the city of Armagh and the large towns Ardee, Coalisland, Cookstown, Drogheda, Dundalk, Dungannon and Magherafelt.
The suffragan dioceses of the Metropolitan Province are:
St. Patrick, having received some grants of land from the chieftain Daire, on the hill called Ard-Macha (the Height of Macha), built a stone church on the summit and a monastery and some other religious edifices and fixed on this place for his metropolitan see.[when?] He also founded a school in the same place, which soon became famous and attracted thousands of scholars. In the course of time other religious bodies settled in Armagh, such as the Culdees, who built a monastery there in the 8th century.
The city of Armagh was thus until modern times a purely ecclesiastical establishment. About 448, St. Patrick, aided by Secundinus and Auxilius, two of his disciples, held a synod at Armagh, of which some of the canons are still extant. One of these expressly mentions that all difficult cases of conscience should be referred to the judgment of the Archbishop of Armagh, and that if too difficult to be disposed of by him with his counsellors they should be passed on to the Apostolic See of Rome. In Irish times, the primacy of Armagh was questioned only by the great southern centre of the Irish Church, at Cashel.
For many centuries the primates were accustomed to make circuits and visitations through various parts of the country for the collection of their dues. This was called the "Cattlecess", or the "Law of St. Patrick". Beginning in 734, during the incumbency of Primate Congus, it continued until long after the Cambro-Norman invasion, but ceased as soon as Norman prelates succeeded to the see. Two kings gave it their royal sanction: Felim, King of Munster, in 822, and Brian Boru, in 1006. The record of the latter's sanction is preserved in the Book of Armagh, in the handwriting of Brian Boru's chaplain. To add solemnity to their collecting tours, the primates were in the habit of carrying with them the shrine of St. Patrick, and as a rule their success was certain. These collections seem to have been made at irregular intervals and were probably for the purpose of keeping up the famous school of Armagh, said at one time to contain 7,000 students, as well as for the restoration, often needed, of the church and other ecclesiastical buildings when destroyed by fire or plundered in war. The Irish annals record no fewer than seventeen burnings of the city, either partial or total. It was plundered on numerous occasions by the Danes and the clergy driven out of it. It was also sacked during the conquest of Ulster by the Cambro-Normans.