HISTORY. 
John Dongan, a Benedictine friar, was translated by the provision of pope Boniface the 9th 
from this see to that of Down in 1395 [in which see he died in 1412]. The see continued 
afterwards vacant six years.— Ware. 
John succeeded 1401. John, abbot of Magh-coscain or de Claro Fonte, was promoted to 
the see of Derry by the provision of pope Boniface the 9th, on the 4th of the calends of 
September, and died in 1419.— Ware’s Manuscripts; vol. 75. 
William Quaplod, an English Carmelite friar, succeeded. He had his education at Oxford, 
and was the Maecenas of Bertran Fitz Allan, who was also a Carmelite, and a man of profound 
learning, as Leland says.— Ware. 
Donald, or Donat (as some call him), sat in this see in 1423, and died ten years after; but it 
is uncertain how long he held the bishopric, as he was called to task in 1426, by archbishop 
Swain, in his visitation, for incontinence and other crimes, which being proved against him, he was 
obliged to do penance : and in another visitation, in 1429, he was obliged to submit to further eccle¬ 
siastical rigour, in consequence of which, Harris, with much appearance of probability, conjectures 
that he resigned in that year, as the bishopric was vacant in 1430. It was not filled up in 1433. 
—( Ware’s Manuscripts, vol. 75, page 179. See Ware’s Bishops). 
John, succeeded, and died in 1456. It appears in the registry of John Prim, archbishop of 
Armagh, that a citation was issued against this John, bishop of Derry, dated the 17th of October, 
1441, for homicide and other crimes : but no further proceedings are there mentioned against 
him.— {Harris’s Ware). 
Bartholomew O’Flanagan, a Cistercian monk, was promoted to the bishopric of Derry, by the 
provision of Pope Celestus the 3rd on the 27th of May, 1458. He sat not full five years, for the 
see was vacant on the 1.4th of April, 1463, as appears in the registry of John Bole, archbishop 
of Armagh, who was on that day guardian of the spiritualities and temporalities during the va¬ 
cancy of the see. It seems it was not filled for three years afterwards.—( Harris’s Ware). 
Neither Ware nor Harris were able to ascertain the year in which this bishop died, and 
indeed our annalists are wholly silent respecting any bishop of Derry of the name. But at the 
year 1462, they record the death at Lough-Dearg, of Bartholomew (the son of Hugh) 
O’Flanagan, the prior of Devenish, who, there is every reason to believe, was the same per¬ 
son, and if so, it may perhaps be conjectured that he never had restitution of the tempo¬ 
ralities, or was allowed to exercise pontifical jurisdiction in this bishopric. This Bartholomew 
was the founder of the abbey church in Devenish, as appears from the inscription on it, which 
still remains : he was distinguished also for illustrious birth, his father, Hugh, having been 
chief of his name, and lord of Clan Chathail in Fermanagh. 
Nicholas Weston succeeded 1466, died 1484. Nicholas Weston, bachelor of the Canon Law, 
and canon of Armagh, was consecrated in 1466. He assisted at a provincial synod convened at 
Drogheda, in Saint Peter’s church, in July, 1480, by Octavian, archbishop of Armagh.— -Ware. 
His death is recorded by the annalists, as bishop of Derry, in 1484. Of this bishop, who was, as 
his name indicates, an Englishman, O’Donnell, prince of Tirconnell, in his life of St. Columb- 
kille, relates a circumstance, which equally shews how little he understood the peculiar prejudices 
of the Irish, over whom he was appointed, as well as their dislike to receive an Englishman among 
them. O’Donnell, after stating that Columbkille, when erecting the church of Cluain-i [now 
Saint Columb’s, in Clooney], near Derry, prophesied that it should be destroyed by the English in 
future times, proceeds to relate that the prophecy was realized, not long before [1520] by Nicholas 
Boston, an English bishop, who pulled down this church for the purpose of using the materials 
in the erection of a palace in its neighbourhood, but that God and Saint Columbkille did not permit 
him to carry his sacrilegious project into effect. 
Donald O’Fallon succeeded 1485, died 1500. This bishop was advanced to this see by the 
provision of Pope Innocent the 8th, on the 17th May, 1485, and consecrated in the following 
year.— Ware’s Manuscripts, volume 75th, page 179. His death is thus recorded by the Four 
Masters : — 
1500. “ Donnell O’Fallon, bishop of Derry, a friar minor, “ de observantice,” who had been for 
the space of thirty years before industriously teaching and preaching throughout Ireland, died 
of an inward disease, and was interred at Trim.” 
In the archives of Christ Church there is a letter of indulgence and plenary pardon of all sins, 
however enormous, granted by this Donald O’Fallon to Richard Skyrret, then canon, but after¬ 
wards prior of that cathedral, for contributing to the crusade. He entitles himself deputy of the 
order of minors, and on the seal is called the guardian of Youghill, dated A. D. 1482. The see 
was vacant on the 30th of May, 1502.— {Ware’s Manuscripts, vol. 75, page 179). 
James Mac Mahon succeeded 1507, died 1519. He was consecrated in 1507, and died a little 
before Christmas in 1519. He was commendatory prior of the abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, 
®f Knock, in the county of Louth.— {Ware’s Manuscripts ; vol. 75 th, page 179). 
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