KERRY e AGHADOE, DIOCESI di. - In Ireland. It comprises the whole 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 regulars, two seminaries (St. Brendan's College and St. Michael's College); 8 male and 24 female religious communities (1950).
It seems that Christianity was preached in the region around the middle of the fifth century by St. Benigno, sent there by St. Patrizio. The first known bishop was St. Ere, who died in 512,
and who also had jurisdiction over southwestern Limerick. The patron of K. is St. Brendano, celebrated on 16 May. United to K. is the ancient diocese of A., where the first church was built by St. Finiano 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 Pio IX in 1858, after having remained without bishops from 1610 to 1641 and from 1653 to 1703, periods during which it was governed by apostolic vicars. The episcopal residence is at Killarney.