On Sunday last, surrounded by all the pomp of Ballymurry Church officially ceased to be a the Church's grandest ceremonies and attended place of worship, when the new church was by an enormous congregation of the faithful the consecrated. The local people down through the function of solemnly consecrating the Church of years had been fiercely loyal to their church, and S1. Patrick was performed by steadfastly refused to transfer to Knockcroghery. the Most Rev. Dr. Gillooly assisted by the Most Every Sunday and Holyday they arrived at the Rev. Dr. McCormack. old church at the usual time, where they would So ran the report in the recite the Rosary. Fr. Gately and others tried in Journal in 1886. This new building was built to vain to persuade them to attend Mass in replace two older ones which had served the Knockcroghery, or indeed any other church in people well, but which were in need of repair. Kilteevan or Roscommon, but they refused to The old Parishes of Kilinvoy and Kilmaine had in budge. Later in 1886 Fr. Gately granted the site the early part of the 1870s been united as the of the old church as a site for the new National new Parish of S1. Patrick, Knockcroghery. The School. The church was finally demolished to church for Kilinvoy was located at Culleen, and make way for the new building. This meant that was probably built around 1810 or so, when the the local people no longer had a church to go to, Penal Laws were, beginning to be relaxed, prior so they stayed at home, and it is believed that to the passing of the Catholic Emancipation Act they never went to Mass again. of 1829. When it ceased to be a church in 1883, it was in a reasonable state of repair, and was later converted for use as the Parochial Hall, and to become affectionately known as Culleen Hall. The church for KHmaine Parish was located at Corroy Ballymurry, and was a very old building, with a thatched roof, believed to go back to early Christian times. It is-also believed, according to local tradition, that it was never officially closed as a place of worship by the Authorities, and was largely ignored by them, because the building did not look like a church, it having the appearance of a large thatched house with small square windows. By the 1870s it was certainly in need of major repair work. In the mid 1870s the decision was made to erect a new church to be centrally located. An excellent site was generously given by Lord Crofton of Mote Park at the south edge of the village of Knockcroghery, at the nominal rent of one shilling (5p.) per year. Work commenced in 1879 by the then Parish Priest Rev. P.H. Kelly, who in 1881 was made Parish Priest of . The building was continued by the new Pastor, Rev. Hugh F. Gately P.P. Many years later Fr. Gately was transferred to the Parish of , where he would serve for the rest of his life. The builder was Mr. Thomas Gillooly of Roscommon. St. Patrick's Church, Knockcroghery

5 In 1886, when the new church was probably came from the church in Culleen. The . consecrated, the tower and spire were not stained glass windows on the East side, show completed. It was destined to remain so until representations of the history of the Church in 1950, when Fr. Michael Cunningham raised Ireland. One window shows the Ardagh Chalice funds to complete this work, and to carry out and the Cross of Cong, another the doorway of some major repair work. At this time the walls the Church in Clonmacnoise and the thatched inside were completely replastered, and a new church at Ballymurry. Others show scenes like floor was laid. The tower and spire were the Mass Rock of Penal times and so on. The tall completed and the bell installed. A new balcony lancet windows on the west side show images of for the choir was erected at the rear of the the Virgin Mary and some of the important church with access to it from a stairway in the Saints of the Church. On close examination you tower. Although the Rural Electrification scheme will discover that the artist who designed and was some years away, the entire building was sculpted the Stations of the Cross, which hang wired for electric lighting and heating. In the on the walls, is the same one who designed and meantime lighting was only provided by a petrol sculpted the outdoor Stations at Knock Shrine. powered generator. Heating would have to wait Each individual Station was donated by a family until the E.S.B. arrived on the scene. of the parish. Other families were responsible for Today if yoll take a walk around the church, . "the ornate wooden confessional boxes, the you will see some artefacts from the old pulpit, some of the stained glass windows and

buildings. The Baptismal Font, carved from the marble altar rails. I limestone, came from Ballymurry Church, and it The building stands today as a tribute to a stood for many years inside the main door, being strong and enduring people, who emerged, still used as a Holywater Font before being clinging to their faith, from the dark days of transferred to its present location beside the Penal times and the terrible years of The Famine, main altar. The small carved limestone font, built but who still continued to hope and pray for into the wall just inside the side door in the tower, better times to come. LEESON'S Magnificent GuesthouselRestaurant situated in a tastefully re-stored listed 19th Century Town House with an attractive finish of cut limestone and blue bangor quarry slates. Located in the town centre next door to the Tourist OfficelMuseum.

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