Archbishop of Cashel

Archbishop of Cashel

Bishopric
catholic

Incumbent: Kieran O'Reilly since 26 January 2015
Style	His grace
Country	Republic of Ireland
Cathedral	Cathedral of the Assumption, Thurles
First incumbent	Máel Ísu Ua hAinmere
Formation	1111
Website	cashel-emly.ie

The Archbishop of Cashel (Irish: Ard-Easpag Chaiseal Mumhan) is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name after the town of Cashel, County Tipperary in Ireland. The title is still used by the Roman Catholic Church, but in the Church of Ireland it was downgraded to a bishopric in 1838 and united with other sees.

In 1118, the metropolitan archbishoprics of Armagh and Cashel were established at the Synod of Ráth Breasail. The archbishop of Cashel had metropolitan jurisdiction over the southern half of Ireland, known as Leth Moga. At the Synod of Kells in 1152, the metropolitan see of Cashel lost territory on the creation of the metropolitan archbishoprics of Dublin and Tuam. The pre-Reformation archbishops' episcopal seat was located at the Rock of Cashel, the traditional royal seat of the kings of Munster.

Following the Reformation, two parallel episcopal successions ensued: one of the Church of Ireland and the other of the Roman Catholic Church.

In the Church of Ireland, the bishopric of Emly was united to the archbishopric of Cashel by an act of the Parliament of Ireland. Under the Church Temporalities (Ireland) Act 1833, the bishopric of Waterford and Lismore was united to the archbishopric of Cashel and Emly on 14 August 1833. On the death of Archbishop Laurence in 1838, the archiepiscopal see lost its metropolitan status and became the bishopric of Cashel and Waterford in the Anglican Province of Dublin. Through reorganisation in the Church of Ireland in 1976, the bishopric of Emly was transferred to the bishopric of Limerick and Killaloe; the remainder was united with other sees to become the bishopric of Cashel and Ossory.