Abbots, Bishops, Coarbs and Erenaghs.
by Peter O’Leary
In the early days of the Christian Church in
The Abbot was the ecclesiastical head of a
Monastery.
He was an ordained priest, and was
normally elected by his brethren for an agreed
term, often seven years.
The Bishop was also a much used term and there
were many more Bishops then than today.
Over 50 are recorded in the Country at
one count which is probably understated.
A Bishop, like today, was also an
ordained priest, and had the same duties as
today as pastor of all the Christians in his
area.
The Bishop was very often also the Abbot
of a Monastery.
The Coarb (Comarba; heirs, successors) were
members of the family which had bred the Saint.
They were normally married men and not
ordained.
The office was hereditary to this family.
An example were the Clann Sinaich heirs
to St.Patrick.
This relationship to the Saint gave them
importance in the community, and often wealth as
well.
The Erenagh is often confused with the Coarb but
there was a subtle difference.
Like the Coarb they were normally married
men and not ordained.
The office was hereditary to this family.
They were a family who were chieftains of the
Tuath in which the monastery stood and very
often regarded their role as a sort of Lay Abbot
alongside the Ecclesiastical Abbot.
An example is the family of O’Herlihy who
were chieftains of the Tuath of Ballyvourney.
They were also the hereditary guardians
of the sacred relics of St. Gobnait’s Shrine.
In later days the Erenaghs continued as
chieftains of a clan, but also in their
spiritual role as well.
The lands of the Tuath formed part of
Church property, and rent was paid to the
Bishop of the Diocese and not to the overlord,
who in the case of O’Herlihy,
was McCarthy of Muskerry.
The McCarthys of Muskerry had made a practise of
“persuading” their under-lords to give up
ownership of their property into McCarthy hands,
and accepting a much lower and less
dignified position of servility.
This was done by putting great pressure
on them, increasing their dues, and other means.
By 1655 when the Survey was made of the property
of
McCarthy of Muskerry we learn that all the clans
under his control had given up their rights in
this manner, except for O’Leary of Uibh
Laoghaire who had somehow managed to cling on to
the old family property.
But there were also four other exceptions and
they were the Erenagh families of O’Herlihy of
Ballyvourney,
O’Healy of Donaghmore,
O’Long of Cannaway,
and O’Cremin of Aghabullogue.
Because the freehold of their land was
held by the Bishop of Cork,
McCarthy was prevented from using his
usual tactics, and these clans retained their
lands.
It has also been believed for a long time that
our Cronin clan were an Erenagh family, but we
have no knowledge as to where they exercised
their jurisdiction.