"Beatissime Pater, post humillimam commendationem et devotissima pedum beatorum oscula. Expositum nobis fuit Cathedralem Ecclesiam Ardakadensem perexigui census ac proventus in dominio nostro Hiberniae per obitum Reverendissimi in Christo patris, Dñi. Wilhelmi ejus novissimi Episcopi, impraesentia vacare suoque pastore esse destitutam, et cogitantibus tum nobis ei providere propositus fuit venerabilis vir Magister Rogerius O'Moleyn, Cathedralis Ecclesiae Cluamensis canonicus, vir modestus, circumspectione, probitate et doctrina non mediocriter probatus, quem et nos idoneum existimavimus cui dictae Ecclesiae Ardakadensis cura committatur eique praeficiatur. Quocirca Vestrae Sanctitati eum commendamus ut eundem Magistrum Rogerium praedictae Ecclesiae praeficere ac Episcopum et Pastorem constituere dignetur, quod et honori atque utilitati ejusdem Ecclesiae futurum putamus et nobis erit admodum gratum: et felicissime valeat Vestra Beatitudo. Quam Deus Altissimus longaevam conservat", etc. In the next place the Cardinal to whose care had been entrusted the inquiry as to the merits of Dr. O'Malone, presents a petition to the Holy Father, in which he states that the Vice-Chancellor of the Roman Church, to whom the task should belong, being impeded by sickness, it had become his duty to propose the candidate for the vacant see: a diligent investigation being made, Roderick O'Malone, canon of Clonmacnoise, recommended by the English king, was found to be a person well suited for that important post, and as he was actually present in the city of Rome, his Eminence prays the Holy Father to sanction without delay his appointment to the See of Ardagh. The evidence of three Irish witnesses in regard of the vacant see is also produced. From their depositions we cull the following particulars: 1. That the Diocese of Ardagh formed part of the Ecclesiastical Province of Armagh, and was vacant for about a year, by the death of _William_, its last Bishop. 2. That the town of Ardagh was situated in a hilly country, surrounded by woods and forests. In this town there were no more than four houses, all built of wood, and its inhabitants were very few, in consequence of the continual quarrels between the late bishop and his neighbours; for Dr. O'Farrell had wished to insist upon his rights as chief dynast of Annaly; but some of his clansmen refused to recognize his claims, and having assembled their forces, assailed and reduced to absolute ruin the mere remnant of the former city of Ardagh.