Diocese of Down and Dromore
| Diocese of Down and Dromore Church of Ireland | |
| Province: | Armagh |
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| Bishop: | Harold Creeth Miller |
| Cathedral: | (1) Down Cathedral (2) Dromore Cathedral |
| Organisation | |
| No. of parishes: | 77 |
| No. of churches: | 111 |
| Details | |
| Website: | downanddromore.org |
The Diocese of Down and Dromore (also known as the United Dioceses of Down and Dromore) is a diocese of the Church of Ireland in the Province of Armagh. The geographical remit of the diocese covers County Down, including the metropolitan parts within the City of Belfast, and those parts of County Armagh east of the River Bann (the Barony of Oneilland East).
The Diocese is the second largest of the Church of Ireland in terms of church population, with around 91,000 people and more than one hundred serving ordained clergy. It is divided up into 79 parishes, with a total of 115 churches.
Overview and history
The Diocese results from reorganisation of the Church of Ireland in 1842 and 1944. In the Middle Ages there was a Diocese of Down and a Diocese of Dromore; Down covered the northeast of Downshire, with its cathedral at Downpatrick, whilst Dromore covered the southwest of the county and Oneilland East, with its cathedral at Dromore, County Down. In 1442 The Diocese of Down was merged with the Diocese of Connor (County Antrim) to create the Diocese of Down and Connor.
Over the centuries, numerous dioceses were merged in view of declining population and declining church membership. In 1842 Down and Connor were united with Dromore to create the 'United Dioceses of Down, Connor and Dromore', then in 1944, the Diocese of Connor was separated, the remaining area becoming the 'United Dioceses of Down and Dromore.
As a result of this history, the diocese has three cathedrals, one of which is shared with Connor.
Cathedrals
The three cathedrals of the diocese are:
- Down Cathedral, or 'Holy Trinity Cathedral', in Downpatrick
- Dromore Cathedral or 'the Cathedral of Christ the Redeemer', in Dromore
- St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast, shared with the Diocese of Connor
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Bishops
Although the United Diocese works under a single Bishop, each of the two original dioceses within it has its own set of officers. The bishops since the days of Queen Elizabeth I have included:
| Bishops of Down and Connor | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| 1596 | 1601 | John Charden | |
| 1635 | 1661 | Henry Leslie | |
| 1661 | 1667 | Jeremy Taylor | |
| 1667 | 1672 | Roger Boyle | |
| 1743 | 1752 | John Ryder | Later Archbishop |
| 1823 | 1842 | Richard Mant | |
| Bishops of Down, Connor and Dromore | |||
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| 1842 | 1848 | Richard Mant | |
| 1849 | 1886 | Robert Bent Knox | |
| 1886 | 1892 | William Reeves | |
| 1907 | 1911 | John Baptist Crozier | |
| 1911 | 1919 | Charles Frederick D'Arcy | |
| 1919 | 1934 | Charles Thornton Primrose Grierson | |
| 1942 | 1944 | Charles King Irwin | |
| Bishops of Down and Dromore | |||
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| 1980 | 1986 | Robert Eames | Translated to Armagh |
| 1997 | present | Harold Miller | |
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