The Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin is the senior official of that church, the cathedral of the United Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough in the Church of Ireland, and head of the Chapter, its governing body. A Dean has presided over Christ Church Cathedral since around 1539, before which the cathedral was a Priory under Augustinian rules, headed by a Prior, back to the time of Archbishop St. Laurence O'Toole. Aspects of the cathedral administration are overseen by the Cathedral Board, which the Dean chairs (with both a regular and a casting vote).
The current Dean, the Very Rev Dermot, a former Roman Catholic priest, was involved in a high profile bullying case in 2012 when former Director of Music, leading conducter Ms Judy Martin, claimed she was 'unfairly treated, bullied and harassed' by Dean Dunne. Ms Martin, once described as "the greatest conductor of her generation", said she was the victim of anti-English bullying at the hands of Dean Dunne and Ms Martin also revealed that depression and anxiety caused by the bullying led her to make plans to take her own life. The Rev Dunne denied the allegations and the case was settled out of court
The Dean is appointed by the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin.
Priors and Deans of Christ Church Cathedral
The previous holders of the senior office of the Cathedral have been:
c.1171-c.1190 – Gervase (Gervasius), first formal record 1177
c.1190-c.1196 – Columbanus
c.1196-c.1201 – Thomas
c.1201-c.1205 – ?
c.1205-c.1208 – Robert
c.1208-c.1220 – W(illiam le Gros?)
c.1220-c.1225 – Bernard
c.1225-c.1235 – Roger
c.1235-c.1244 – Philip (de Cruce?)
c.1244–1252 – Robert de Stanford
1252-c.1265? – John?
There may have been a Robert in office in 1260, and a Fulk around 1262
c.1265-c.1279 – William de Gran, first formal record 1270
c.1279-c.1292 – Adam de la More
c.1292-c.1296 – John de Exeter (or de Oxford?)
c.1296–1301 – Adam de Balsham
1301–1313 – Henry de la War(r)e de Bristol
1313–1320 – John Pocock? (or possibly a John Toppe around 1313, and Pocock or Pecock by 1317)
1320–1326 – Hugh (le Jeune) de Sutton
1326–1331 – Robert de Gloucester
1331–1337 – Roger Goioun
1337–1343 – Gilbert de Bolyniop
1343–1346 – Simon de Ludegate
1346–1349 – Robert de Hereforde
1349–1382 – Stephen de Derby
1382–1397 – Robert Lokynton, first formal record 1388
1397–1409 – James de Redenesse
1409–1438 – Nicholas Staunton
1438–1459 – William Denys, first formal record 1443
1459–1474 – William Lynton, first formal record 1463
1474–1489 – Thomas Harrold
1489–1499 – David Wynchester (or Winchester)
1499–1519 – Richard Skyrrett
1519–1537 – William Hassard
1537–1539 – Robert Castle or Castell (alias Paynswick or Painswick)
The Reformation having reached Ireland, by Royal Warrant of December 12, 1539, the Prior and Canons of Holy Trinity were transformed into secular clergy, to be known as the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church. So, Robert Paynswick or Penswick, alias Castell, Prior, and Richard Ball, Sub-Prior, became Dean and Precentor respectively, whilst Walter White, Seneschal and Precentor, became Chancellor and Vicar-Choral, and John Moss, Sub-Precentor [Succentor] and Sacristan, Treasurer and Vicar-Choral of the new foundation. Thus the last Augustinian Prior (Robert Paynswick) became the first Dean of Christ Church, though the process of conversion actually continued in 1540 and 1542, finishing with a Chapter of eight clergy.
1539–1543 – Robert Paynswick
1543–1565 – Thomas Lockwood, previously Archdeacon of Meath
1565–1595 – John Garvey (afterwards Bishop of Kilmore, 1585 retaining Christ Church deanery in commendam )
1595–1618 – Jonas (James) Wheeler (afterwards Bishop of Ossory, 1613 retaining Christ Church deanery in commendam)
1618–1634 – Randolph Barlow (afterwards Archbishop of Tuam, 1629 retaining Christ Church deanery in commendam)
1634–1639 – Henry Tilson (afterwards Bishop of Elphin, 1639)
1639–1644 – James Margetson (afterwards Archbishop of Dublin, 1660)
1644–1644 – Patrick Cahill
1644–1661 – William Berrey
1661–1666 – Robert Mossom (afterwards Bishop of Derry, 1666)
1666–1677 – John Parry (afterwards Bishop of Ossory, 1672)
1677–1688 – William Moreton (afterwards Bishop of Kildare, 1682)
1688–1691 – Alexius Stafford
1691–1705 – William Moreton (also Bishop of Kildare)
From this time the offices of Bishop of Kildare (endowment of 150 pounds yearly) and Dean of Christ Church (endowment of 5200 pounds annually) were held in commendam (by the one person, taken up at the same time, starting in 1688), until the union with St. Patrick's.
1705–1731 – Welbore Ellis (also Bishop of Kildare) (afterwards Bishop of Meath, 1732)
1731–1743 – Charles Cobbe (also Bishop of Kildare) (afterwards Archbishop of Dublin, 1743)
1743–1745 – George Stone (also Bishop of Kildare) (afterwards Bishop of Derry,1745)
1745–1761 – Thomas Fletcher (also Bishop of Kildare)
1761–1765 – Richard Robinson, 1st Baron Rokeby (also Bishop of Kildare)
1765–1790 – Charles Jackson (also Bishop of Kildare)
1790–1804 – George Lewis Jones (also Bishop of Kildare)
1804–1846 – Charles Dalrymple Lindsay (also Bishop of Kildare)
In 1846, the Diocese of Kildare was united to that of Dublin, and, until 1871, the office of Dean of Christ Church was united to that of Dean of St. Patrick's.
1846–1864 – Henry Pakenham, ( also Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, 1843-1863)
1864–1872 – John West (also Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, 1864-1889)
1872–1884 – Richard Chenevix Trench (also Archbishop of Dublin, 1863-1884)
1884–1887 – William Plunket, 4th Baron Plunket (also Archbishop of Dublin, 1884-1897)
1887–1908 – William C. Greene, Canon
1908–1918 – James Hornidge Walsh, previously Rector of St. Stephen's, and Canon from 1893
1918–1921 – Harry Vere White
1921–1938 – Herbert Brownlow Kennedy
1938–1962 – Ernest Henry Cornwall Lewis-Crosby
1962–1966 – Norman David Emerson
1967–1989 – Thomas Noel Desmond Cornwall Salmon
1989–2004 – John Thomas Farquhar Paterson, previously Vicar of St Bartholomew's Church, Dublin and Dean of St Brigid's Cathedral Kildare, died 2005
2004–2007 – Robert Desmond Harman
2008–present – Dermot Patrick Martin Dunne, previously Archdeacon of Ferns, and prior to that a Roman Catholic priest
