WATERFORD and LISMORE, DIOCESE of. - Located in south-eastern Ireland, in the civil province of Münster and the ecclesiastical province of Cashel.
The diocese has 39 parishes, served by 125 diocesan 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 L. was founded in 659, and numerous saints belonged either to it or to the famous school founded at L. by St. Carthage around 650; among them were St. Cataldo, St. Colman, St. Cronan, and St. Maedoc. Giollachrist or Conarchi, who died in 1186 as bishop of L., presided during his lifetime over many provincial and national councils of the clergy. Felice, bishop of L., was present at the Lateran Council of 1179. The diocese of W. was not created before 1096, when Malco 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 W. 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 distinguished bishops were the Augustinian Patrick Comerford (1629-52), John Brenan (1671-1677), and William Egan (1774-96).