CITY OF LONDONDERRY. 
Mac Mahon “ pretended archbishop of Dublin, and David Routhe, pretended vice-primate of 
Ireland.”—-Of the succeeding vicars-general, no accounts have been found. 
The first Roman Catholic bishop after the plantation, of whom any notice has been discovered, 
was Terence O’Donnelly, [O’Oonn^aile] the brother of Patrick O’Donnelly, titular bishop of 
Dromore, about the year 1720. Some time previously to this period, however, it appears that 
an effort was made to have a bishop appointed; for, a petition was drawn up in 1711, by Irish 
Roman Catholics to the Pretender, praying him to nominate Doctor Brian O’Cahan bishop of 
Derry. It was found on board a ship bound from Ireland to France; and, consequently, never 
reached its destination. (Southwell MSS.) Brian O’Cahan was parish priest of Ballynascreen, 
in the county of Derry. 
Neal Conway [lTlac Conrhutje], a native of the parish of Ballynascreen, was promoted to 
this see in 1727, and died on the 6th of January, 1738.—He was interred in the old church of 
Ballynascreen, where a monument to his memory still remains. He went beyond sea, before 
1688, and was about thirty years of age in 1700.— Original MS. 
He was a Franciscan, and reputed guardian of that order intended to be established at 
Ballynascreen.— lb. 
Michael O’Reilly, Doctor of both Laws, succeeded Neal Conway. He was vicar-general of Kil- 
more, archdeacon of Armagh, and afterwards vicar-general and official under Hugh and Bernard 
Mac Mahon archbishops of Armagh, and also for five years a most vigilant rector of the parish 
church of St. Peter, in Drogheda. He was advanced to the see of Derry about the month of April, 
1739, and concecrated in Dublin, on the 23d of September, of the same year, by John Flanagan- 
Linegar, archbishop of Dublin, assisted by the bishops of Meath and Raphoe.— lb. 
Patrick Brollaugban was a Benedictine monk of the monastery of Coleraine. He commenced 
his studies at Mountserrat, and finished them at Rome. He came to London in 1730, where he 
was appointed chaplain to the)Sardinian ambassador, which office he retained to the year 1751, when 
being appointed bishop of Derry, by pope Benedict the 14th, he was consecrated on the 3d of 
March, in that year, at the royal chapel of Sardinia in London, by James Dunne, Roman Catholic 
bishop of Ossory, assisted by two prelates in partibus. He immediately after betook himself to his 
diocese, without resigning his chaplaincy ; but plainly seeing the impossibility of performing the 
duties of both, he voluntarily resigned the episcopal office in the year following, but not the honor, 
and returned to London, where he died in the month of May, 1760, aged 56 years. (De Burgo.) 
-Mac Colgan or O’Colgan, D. D., succeeded, and filled the see for many years; but the 
year of his death is uncertain, and nothing has been preserved of his history. 
-MacDevitt, D. D., succeeded, and died 1797. Of this prelate, who, like his predecessor, 
was of an ancient family or tribe of the Kinel Owen, very little is known. He was a literary man, 
and celebrated in his time for his great learning, although he published nothing. He received his 
education in Paris at the Irish community, (“ Seminaire Irlandois Rue de cheval vert”,) in which 
seminary he received orders. 
Charles O’Donnell, D. D., consecrated 1798, died 1819. This prelate received his educa. 
tion at the college “ des Lombards,” in Paris, but was ordained in the diocese of Derry, in which 
he always remained in his ministerial capacity. He was of very liberal principles, avoiding all 
party feeling, and in consequence was popularly known in Derry and its vicinity under the name 
of “orange Charlie”. In 1813, political disturbances having been excited in Derry by Mr. 
O’Mullan, the priest of the parish, Dr. O’Donnell considering his conduct as leader of a political 
party opposed to the government as improper, prohibited him from officiating as parish priest, this 
decision gave great offence to Mr. O’Mullan and his adherents, who attacked Dr. O’Donnell in 
his chapel on the 28th of November, and would perhaps have maltreated him, had he not 
succeeded in making his escape to the court house, where he was protected by the magistrates : 
several persons who interfered in his favor were severely hurt. 
Peter Mac Loughlin, D. D., consecrated to the see of Raphoe in 1 802, translated to the see of 
Derry in 1819. Dr. Mac Loughlin also received his education in Paris, at the “Seminaire 
Irlandois,” where he received orders. He is distinguished for his piety, and very generally esteemed 
by the various classes for his zealous and unremitting exertions to promote concord and good 
feeling among all sects within his diocese,—interfering in political matters only so far as to endea¬ 
vour to prevent the people of his own persuasion from g'iven themselves violently to party. 
Previously to the establishment of the reformed church in Derry, the bishops were at the 
same time rectors of the parish, and the deans, vicars. This practice is still preserved by the 
Roman Catholic bishop and dean of Derry. 
