Roland de Burgo

Who is Roland de Burgo?

Roland de Burgo, Bishop of Clonfert, died 20 June 1580.

De Burgo, or Burke, was the grandson of Ulick Fionn Burke, who fought at the Battle of Knockdoe in 1504. De Burgo was the papal nominee for the See since 1534, when he was Dean of Clonfert. He accepted royal supremacy in 1538 and was confirmed or re-appointed by King Henry VIII 24 October 1541. De Burgo acknowledged papal authority in the reign of Queen Mary I, but again accepted royal supremacy under Queen Elizabeth I. He was described by the papal legate Fr David Wolfe SJ as an 'adherent of the Queen' in a letter of 12 October 1561. This letter has also been translated that he had 'taken the oath of allegiance to the queen'. He retained the deanery in commendam.

He was from 1551 also Bishop of Elphin. The Annals of the Four Masters record his obituary as follows:

Roland, the son of Redmond, son of Ulick Burke of Knocktua, Bishop of Clonfert, died; and the loss of this good man was the cause of great lamentation in his own country.