MEATH, a diocese, in the county of MEATH, province of LEINSTER.
This diocese was originally formed by the union of several
small sees, of which the principal were Clonard, Duleek, Kells, Trim, Ardbraecan,
Dunshaughlin, Slane, and Foure, all of which, except Duleek and Kells,
were consolidated at the celebrated synod held by Cardinal Paparo in 1152,
and the episcopal seat fixed
at Clonard. The sees of Duleek and Kells were afterwards
annexed; and the united diocese, which took its
name from the ancient province of Meath, was placed
under the superintendence of Idunan, who flourished
towards the close of the 11th century. The first prelate
after the English invasion was Eugene, who was
advanced to the see in 1174, and a short time before
his death, in 1194, assumed the title of Bishop of
Meath, which has ever since been retained. Simon
Rochfort, his immediate successor, founded an abbey
for Augustinian canons at Newtown, near Trim, to
which he removed the episcopal see, where it remained
till the reign of Hen. VIII.; and Thos. St.
Leger, who was consecrated in 1287, extended the possessions
and the privileges of the diocese. Alexander de
Balscot, who was consecrated in 1386, was appointed
Lord High Treasurer of Ireland by Edw. III., and filled
many important stations under Rich II.; his immediate
successor, Edward Dantsey, was made Lord-Deputy to
Sir John de Grey, Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. John
Pain, who was made bishop in 1483, preached the sermon
and proclaimed the title of Lambert Simnel, at his
coronation in Christ-church, Dublin, for which he received
a pardon in 1488; and on the arrival of Sir
Richard Edgecombe to settle the country after Simnel's
defeat, he attended that officer on his landing at Malahide,
and was employed by him to proclaim the king's
pardon to all who should return to their allegiance. In
the reign of Hen. VIII., the episcopal seat was removed
to the church of St. Mary's abbey at Ballymore, near
Lough Seudy, in the county of Westmeath, but it appears
to have remained there for a short period only, and not
to have been subsequently established in any particular
locality, nor has there been for a long time either dean,
chapter, or cathedral church. In 1568, the see of
Clonmacnois was annexed to this diocese by act of parliament.
In 1621, the celebrated James Ussher was
consecrated Bishop of Meath, which dignity he held till
1624, when he was translated to the archbishoprick
of Armagh. The bishop of Meath ranks next to the
four archbishops; the other bishops, excepting only the
bishop of Kildare, take precedence according to the date
of their consecration.
The diocese is one of the ten which constitute the
ecclesiastical province of Armagh, and comprehends
part of the counties of Kildare, Longford, and Cavan, a
large portion of King's county, and the greater part
of the counties of Meath and Westmeath; extending
from the sea to the river Shannon, 80 miles in length
and 20 in breadth; comprising an estimated superficies
of 663,600 acres, of which 750 are in Kildare,
4300 in Longford, 9400 in Cavan, 102,000 in King's
county, 324,400 in Meath, and 222,750 in Westmeath.
The lands belonging to the see comprise 29,269 statute
acres, of which 20,266 are profitable land; and the
gross revenue of the bishop, on an average of three years,
ending Dec. 1st, 1831, amounted to £5220. 10. 6. The
bishop was anciently elected, and the affairs of the
diocese are still transacted, by a synod, consisting of an.
archdeacon and all the beneficed clergy of the diocese;
the common seal is annually deposited in the hands of
one of the members by vote of the majority; there is
also a dean of Clonmacnois, collated by the bishop.
The consistorial court is held at Navan, and consists of
a vicar general, two surrogates, a registrar, deputyregistrar,
a proctor of office, and three other proctors;
the registrar is keeper of the records, which are preserved
in the court-house of Navan, and of which the
earliest is dated in 1712. The total number of parishes
in the diocese is 220, comprised in 105 benefices, of
which 47 are unions of two or more parishes, and 58
single parishes; of these, 24 are in the patronage of the
Crown, 22 in lay patronage, and the remainder in that
of the bishop or incumbents. The total number of
churches is 100, and there are six other episcopal places
of worship, and 89 glebe-houses. The episcopal palace
is near Navan, in the parish of Ardbraccan.
In the R. C. divisions the diocese, with the exception
of one parish in that of Kilmore and a few in that of
Ardagh, is nearly co-extensive with the Protestant diocese;
and is one of the eight bishopricks suffragan to
the archiepiscopal see of Armagh. It comprises 64
parochial benefices or unions, and contains 156 chapels,
which are served by 124 clergymen, of whom 64 are
parish priests, and 60 coadjutors, or curates. The parochial
benefices of the bishop are Mullingar and Kells, in
the former of which he resides. The cathedral, at Mullingar,
is a handsome and spacious edifice, in the later
English style, and was consecrated Aug. 15th, 1836, by
the Rt. Rev. Dr. Cantwell, assisted by the R. C. Archbishop
of Tuam and the dignitaries and clergy of the diocese.