CHURCH REFORM, TWELFTH CENTURYThe Introduction of a Diocesan System to
the Irish Church
At this synod a scheme was prepared for the introduc-
tion of a new hierarchical structure into the church.
Following a plan believed to have been set out originally
for the English church, whereby there would be two
provinces, each with a metropolitan and twelve suf-
fragans, it was decided that Ireland would be divided
into two metropolitan provinces, one at Armagh, the
other at Cashel—Armagh holding the primacy. The sees
and boundaries were set out for all the dioceses; however,
while twelve suffragans were assigned to the Armagh
province, Cashel only got eleven. Most significantly of
all, there was no mention of Dublin, but it seems fairly
clear that in assigning only eleven suffragans to Cashel,
room was being left for Dublin’s subsequent inclusion.
However, considerable effort would be needed to get it
to join in, given the nature of its relationship with
Canterbury. Evidence that such an effort was being made
may be seen in the action of Cellach of Armagh, who
took over the Dublin see after the death of its bishop,
Samuel, in 1121. There was resistance to this in Dublin,
and a subdeacon called Gréine was quickly elected and
sent to the archbishop of Canterbury for consecration.
He failed, however, to gain possession of the see on his
return, although he did so some years later. Dublin now
stood apart from the newly organized Irish church.
In 1129, Cellach died, and his chosen successor was
Malachy (Máel-Máedóic). This represented a further
break in tradition at Armagh in that, unlike Cellach,
Malachy did not belong to the family that had provided
abbots since the middle of the tenth century. There was
strong resistance to Malachy’s appointment from this
family. However, since it was essential that Armagh,
the seat of the primate, be retained within the fold of
the reformers, Malachy had to be installed there. This
explains why secular forces, particularly those in Mun-
ster who favored reform, took such an active part in
Malachy’s installation. However, his position there
remained difficult, and a man who was acceptable both
to the reformers and to local secular rulers—Gilla-
Meic-Liac—was chosen in his stead, and Malachy
resigned. He now pursued the interests of reform on a
larger stage.
Papal Approval for the New Structure
Although the new diocesan system had been set out in
1111, papal approval for the two incumbents of its
archbishoprics—by the granting of pallia—had not
been sought, as far as is known, before Malachy did
so in 1140. Although unsuccessful in this bid to get
thepallia, Malachy’s journey to Rome was not in vain.
It brought him to Clairvaux (France) and to Arrouaise
(Flanders) and resulted in the introduction of the
Cistercian order and the rule of the canons of Arrouaise
into Ireland. In addition, Pope Innocent II appointed
Malachy as his legate in Ireland in place of the ailing
Gille and told him to re-apply for the palliaafter he
had gained the agreement of all in Ireland. The obstacle
here was Dublin, and this was Malachy’s main task on
his return home. Little in detail is known about how
Malachy now pursued this task, but it can be inferred
that agreement was reached with Dublin at some point
thereafter and was approved at a synod held in 1148
at Inis Pádraig. The agreement involved the recognition
of Dublin as a metropolitan see gaining suffragans
that had previously been part of the province of
Cashel, as set out at Ráith Bressail. Also approved
there was a new province of Connacht (carved out
from that of Armagh), with its metropolitan see at
Tuam; this reflected the current status of Tairrdelbach
Ua Conchobair, now king of Ireland as well as king
of Connacht.
Immediately after the synod, Malachy went to meet
the pope to get his approval for the synod’s decisions,
but he died on the way at Clairvaux. The request was
transmitted by others, and this time it was successful.
Pope Eugenius III sent his legate, Cardinal John Paparo,
to Ireland bearing pallia for the four new archbishops.
After some difficulties put in his way by King Stephen
of England, motivated perhaps by a desire to prevent
Canterbury’s interests in Ireland being jeopardized, he
eventually arrived in Ireland. He convened a synod in
March 1152 that met at two locations, Kells and
Mellifont. As well as the enactment of decrees, the
consecration of archbishops and bishops, and arrange-
ments regarding what dioceses should belong to the
various metropolitans, Cardinal Paparo formally pre-
sentedpalliaon behalf of the pope to the four new
archbishops at the synod. With this, Ireland had come
into line with the rest of the western church. It now
had a hierarchy of bishops within a canonically con-
stituted, territorially defined diocesan system by which
the church would henceforward be administered.
MARTIN HOLLANDReferences and Further Reading
Gwynn, A. The Irish Church in the Eleventh and Twelfth Cen-
turies, edited by Gerard O’ Brien. Dublin: Four Courts Press,
1992.
Gwynn, A. The Twelfth-Century Reform, A History of Irish
CatholicismII. Dublin & Sydney: Gill and Son, 1968.
Hughes, K. The church in early Irish society.London: Methuen,
1966.
Holland, Martin. “Dublin and the Reform of the Irish Church
in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries.” Peritia: Journal of
the Medieval Academy of Ireland14 (2000): 111–160.
Watt, J. The church in medieval Ireland, 2nd ed. Dublin:
University College Dublin Press, 1998.