WATERFORD and LISMORE, DIOCESE OF. - Situated in south-eastern Ireland in the civil province of Munster and in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel.
The diocese comprises 39 parishes, served by 125 secular priests and 82 regular clergy; it has a population of 107,100 inhabitants, of whom 104,940 are Catholics, over an area of 1,450 sq. km.; there are 19 male and 33 female religious communities and one seminary (Ann. Pont. 1953, p. 452).
The diocese of Lismore was founded in 659 and to it belonged the famous school founded at Lismore by St Carthage ca. 630, which produced many saints, among whom were St Cataldo, St Colman, St Cronan and St Maedoc. Gioilachristi or Conarchi, who died in 1186 as bishop of Lismore, presided over many provincial and national councils of the clergy during his lifetime. Felix, bishop of Lismore, was present at the Third Lateran Council of 1179. The diocese of Waterford was not created until 1096, when Malchus was consecrated its first bishop by the archbishop of Canterbury; it was a very small diocese and was occupied by the Danes, who at that time lived within and around the city of Waterford. In 1363 the two dioceses were united. During the years 1579-1629, 1652-71 and 1693-96 they were administered by apostolic vicars. Among the most illustrious bishops are remembered the Augustinian Patrick Comerford (1629-52), John Brenan (1671-1677) and William Egan (1774-96).