Roman Catholic Diocese of Killala

Diocese of Killala Dioecesis Alladensis
St. Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina, the episcopal seat of the bishops of Killala.
Location
Country	Republic of Ireland
Territory	Parts of counties Mayo and Sligo
Ecclesiastical province	Province of Tuam
Metropolitan	Archdiocese of Tuam
Statistics
Area	1,449 sq mi (3,750 km2)
Population - Catholics	38,715
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	1111
Cathedral	St. Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina
Patron saint	St Muredach
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	John Fleming, Bishop of Killala
Metropolitan Archbishop	Michael Neary, Archbishop of Tuam
Map
The Diocese of Killala within the Province of Tuam
Website
killaladiocese.org

The Diocese of Killala (Irish: Deoise Chill Ala) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Connacht; the western province of Ireland. It is in the Metropolitan Province of Tuam and is subject to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tuam. The current Bishop is Dr. John Fleming DD who was appointed on 7 April 2002.

The Killala diocese covers the northernmost parts of County Mayo and County Sligo. The largest towns are Ballina, Belmullet and Crossmolina.

In the year 1111 the Diocese of Killala was created and its boundaries delineated by the Synod of Rathbreasail. Later, at the Synod of Kells in 1152 the boundaries were revised and confirmed within the Province of Tuam.

The first bishop of Killala mentioned in Roman records was Donatus O'Bechdha: his possession of the diocese was confirmed in a rescript dated March 30, 1198 by Pope Innocent III. This records the transfer of ancient churches, monasteries and church properties to the jurisdiction of the diocesan bishop. In the process it provides a record of place names in the diocese. Insula Gedig, for example, is Iniskea, an island in Blacksod Bay. Inisgluairibrandani is Inisglora of Brendan. The original monastery on this island was said to be founded by St. Brendan.

In the twelfth century three of the oldest native Irish monasteries were ordered to adopt the Rule of the Canons of St. Augustine: Cross Abbey (which had been transferred from Inisglora to Kilmore Erris); Errew Abbey on Lough Conn and Aughris in Tireragh (said to have been founded from Inishmurray by St. Molaise in 571). In the Middle Ages monasteries in the diocese included the three just mentioned together with Rathfran, Ardnaree, Rosserk, Moyne, and Bofeenaun as well as other churches like Kilglass.