Diocese of Down and Dromore

Diocese of Down and Dromore Church of Ireland
Province:	Armagh
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

Holy Trinity Cathedral, Downpatrick

Dromore Cathedral

St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast

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

Outside links

• Diocese of Down and Dromore