3. The cathedral shared in the ruin of the metropolitical city. Its walls alone were now standing. There was only one altar, and it was canopied by the azure vault of Heaven. Moreover, there was only one priest in the district, and the Holy Sacrifice was rarely offered up. There was neither sacristy, nor belfry, nor bell; in fact, there were scarcely vestments and altar ornaments sufficient for one Mass, and these were ordinarily kept in a common box in the body of the church. 4. The _Deanery_ is valued at ten ducats, equal to £2 10s. The archdeacon's revenue was eight ducats. There were also twelve Canons and a few minor Prebendaries of little or no income. The extent of the diocese is said to be about twenty miles, and, it is added that there were some few rural benefices in the patronage of the bishop. 5. As regards the bishop elect, Dr. Roderick O'Malone, he is described as "honestis parentibus natus aetatis annorum fere XL., sanus mente et corpore, ac bonae conversationis et famae, in jure canonico bene instructus et litteratus, ac in sacerdotii ordine constitutus et ad ipsius Ecclesiae regimen et gubernationem aptus et idoneus" (p. 521.). The Holy See readily approved of the appointment of such a worthy successor of St. Mel, and in the hope that through the prudence and zeal of such a bishop, the ancient Diocese of Ardagh would soon regain its former splendour, Dr. O'Malone was proclaimed in consistory of 4th December, 1517. He was moreover permitted to retain his former canonry and benefice in Clonmacnoise, on account of the poverty of the see of Ardagh; for, though it was rated in the books of the Apostolic Datary with the tax of 33-1/3 ducats, its whole annual revenue was now reduced to the sum of ten ducats. Such are the principal points of this important consistorial record, as far as it relates to the Diocese of Ardagh. There are, however, some incidental statements introduced into it which may not be uninteresting to the reader: