KILMORE, DIOCESE of. — It comprises almost the whole of the Irish county of Cavan, and parts of those of Leirion, Fermanagh, Meath, and Sligo. The episcopal residence is at Cullis (Cavan); the diocese is suffragan to Armagh.
Of 102,350 inhabitants, the diocese has 87,947 Catholics (1936 census), distributed among 42 parishes with 139 secular priests and 9 religious priests, one seminary, 3 male and 12 female religious communities.
The first known bishop is St. Felim, who lived at the beginning of the sixth century and is also the patron of the diocese (feast on 9 August). Until the fifteenth century, the bishops of K. are designated as «episcopi Brefinae», because the diocese corresponded more or less to the ancient district of Brefney; and at times also as «bishops of Triburna», from the name of the town that served as the episcopal residence. Bishop Andrea Mac Brady (1445–55) rebuilt the primitive church of St. Felim near Triburna, making it his cathedral; from the Irish title given to it, Cill-mor (= great church), came the name K. for the entire diocese. During the centuries of Protestant persecution, the bishops and clergy had to endure serious difficulties. The most celebrated convent in the diocese is that of St. Mary's at Cavan, founded in 1300 by the O'Reilly family and entrusted to the Dominicans, who were succeeded there by the Franciscans in 1393. Under the reign of James I, the convent was confiscated and sacked. The Premonstratensian Canons Regular have the priory of the Most Holy Trinity at Kilnacrott (Mountmugant). The present bishop is Msgr. Guinn, consecrated in 1950. His predecessor, Msgr. P. Lyons, built a magnificent church at Cavan.