Archbishop of Armagh (Church of Ireland)

The Archbishop of Armagh in the Church of Ireland is the Primate of All Ireland and the leader of that church, as well as being the diocesan bishop for the Diocese of Armagh and metropolitan of the Province of Armagh. Alan Harper is the present incumbent, having taken office on 2 February 2007.

History

For a simple list of office-holders, see List of Church of Ireland Archbishops of Armagh.

For the history of Bishops and Archbishops of Armagh prior to the Reformation, see Archdiocese of Armagh (Roman Catholic).

Some prominent post-Reformation Archbishops

Hugh Goodacre, the first prelate following the break with Rome to preside over the diocese, was appointed by Edward VI in 1552. He survived his consecration only three months. Adam Loftus (1563-67), from whom the Church of Ireland hierarchy derive their orders, was consecrated by Hugh Curwin, Archbishop of Dublin, according to the form annexed to the second Book of Common Prayer of the time of Edward VI.

The most learned of the primates was James Ussher (1625-56), whose most important works were "Veterum Epistolarum Hibernicarum Sylloge", published in 1632, and "Brittanicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates", which appeared in 1639. He left his valuable library, comprising several thousand printed books and manuscripts, to Trinity College, Dublin, and his complete works were published by that institution in twenty-four volumes. His judgment against toleration of Roman Catholics, i.e. "to consent that they may freely exercise their religion and profess their faith and doctrine is a grievous sin", was a signal for the renewal of persecution and led to the Rising of the Irish Catholics in 1641.

Bishops after the Restoration

John Bramhall (1660-63), another learned divine, succeeded Ussher. His works on polemic and other subjects have been published in four folio volumes. Narcissus Marsh (1702-13), another learned prelate, built the noble library of St. Sepulchre's in Dublin, which bears his name, filled it with a valuable collection of theological and Oriental works and liberally endowed it for the support of a librarian and deputy. Richard Robinson, 1st Baron Rokeby (1765-94), raised Armagh by his munificence from extreme decay to a state of opulence and embellished it with various useful public institutions. He built an episcopal headquarters, a public library, an infirmary, and an observatory.

Lord John George Beresford (1822-62) was also distinguished by his munificence. He restored Armagh Cathedral and is said to have spent £280,000 in acts of public benevolence. On his successor, Marcus Gervais Beresford (1862-65), fell a large portion of the task of providing for the future organization and sustentation of the Church of Ireland, which was disestablished from 1 January 1871. Prior to the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland in 1871, the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh was entitled to sit in the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual, along with the other Archbishops in rotation.