“Episcopatus Darensis in dicta Provincia Armachana vacat nunc per obitum Eugenii ultimi Episcopi. Duo Hiberni dictae Dioecesis pro eo obtinendo venerunt ad curiam: viz. Cornelius O’Chervallan cum quibusdam litteris Patris David Wolff et cum aliis Rectoris Lovanii. Item Magonius (Mac Mahon) Abbas commendatus litteris Episcoporum Rapotensis et Kilmorensis cum approbatione capituli Darensis”. Dr. O’Gallagher, however, was the person chosen by the Holy See, and was proclaimed in consistory before the close of 1569. A few years later we find faculties communicated to him by Rome for his own diocese, and for the whole province of Armagh, “quamdiu venerabilis frater Richardus Archiepiscopus Armachanus impeditus a Dioecesi et Provincia Armachana abfuerit”—(13 April, 1575, _Ex. Secret. Brev._). About 1594 other special faculties were again communicated to him through Cardinal Allan—(ap. _King, Hist._, pag. 1213); and we soon after meet with him in the camp of O’Donnell, when that chieftain was gathering his forces to cut short the military career of General Norris: “There were there”, writes O’Sullivan, “some ecclesiastics, and especially Raymond O’Gallagher, Bishop of Derry, and Vice-Primate of Ireland, who absolved from the excommunication which they had incurred, those troops that passed from the Elizabethan ranks to the Catholic army”—(_Hist. Cath._, p. 181). It was in 1596 that Norris set out with about 10,000 men to invade North Connaught and Tyrconnell. That general was flushed with his victories in France and Belgium, nevertheless he was obliged to ignominiously retreat from the Ulster frontiers, being unable even to bring to battle the chosen army of 5,000 men which was led by the brave O’Donnel. On the 22nd of July, 1597, an Irishman named Bernard O’Donnell was arrested at Lisle, and brought before the royal court, accused of carrying on treasonable intercourse with the Spanish government, and of being bearer of despatches from the Irish bishops and chieftains to the authorities in Spain and Rome. From one of the questions proposed to him at his cross-examination, we glean some further particulars connected with our Bishop of Derry:—