KERRY and AGHADOE, DIOCESE OF. — In Ireland. It comprises the entire county of K. (except Kilmurrily) and part of the county of Cork.
Out of a population of 160,891 inhabitants, it has 158,586 Catholics. There are 50 parishes, 150 diocesan priests and 12 religious, two seminaries (St. Brendan's College and St. Michael's College); 8 male religious communities and 24 female (1950).
It seems that Christianity was preached in the region around the middle of the 5th century by St. Benignus, invited by St. Patrick. The first known bishop is St. Erc, who died in 512,
KERRY AND AGHADOE — KETTELER WILHELM EMANUEL VON
681
and whose jurisdiction extended also to the southwest of Limerick. The patron saint of K. is St. Brendan, whose feast is celebrated on May 16. The ancient diocese of A. is united with K.; its first church was built by St. Finian the Leper (d. c. 615), founder of the monastery of Innisfallen (Cottineau, I, cols. 1456-57). Before 1110, A. was united with K. The diocese of K. was re-established by a brief of Pope Pius IX in 1858, after having been without bishops from 1610 to 1641 and from 1653 to 1703, periods during which it was governed by apostolic vicars. The episcopal residence is in Killarney.