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Keadue Church; "Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Mary".
This Church is the Parish Church of Kilronan and is a real building
gem.
It was built between 1860 and 1884.
Lady Louisa Mary Ann Tenison from Kilronan Castle took a special
interest in the building and the fund raising. She wanted, if possible,
a building designed by the famous architect Peugin.
But he was dead. Lady Tennison got Peugin's student J.J.MacCarthy
who informed her that he had access to a church drawing by Peugin
for someplace in England but it was never built. He altered the
design by making it 30 feet shorter and omitted the church spire.
This is the building we now have. It is a magnificent neo-Gothic
church . The materials were red sandstone with white limestone dressings.
The stonework was and still is simply superb. The contractor was
a Mr. Barker. The Parish Priest was Canon Michael Broder.
Lady Louisa Tennison found the money for the building by approaching
practically "everyone who was anyone" in Ireland and England at
the time. The names are inscribed very lavishly in
"The Golden Book of Kilronan". The Catholic Church at Keadue was
dedicated by Most Rev Dr Woodlock, Bishop of Ardagh on Sept 8th
1865. It was renovated and re-styled under Very Rev J.P. Masterson
in 1981 at a cost of £81,000. It needs repairs to the roof, sacristy
and a new heating system which will be quite costly - probably in
the region of £200,000. It would probably cost about £2,000,0000
to build such a church today if it could be done at all. |
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One
outstanding feature added to the church is the priceless Harry Clarke
gable window behind the altar.
The colours and craftmanship of this early Harry Clark stain-glass
masterpiece have to be seen to be appreciated.
The church grounds are very well maintained by the Village Tidy
Towns committee. |
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Kilronan
Credit Union
started in 1972 and has prospered slowly but surely over the years.
Its office "Credit Union House" was formerly the Courthouse and
later was used as a pig sty. The Credit union have transformed
it into a fine building in the centre of the village. The area
covered by the Credit Union takes in the whole parish of Kilronan
and the neghbouring sub-parish of Drumboylan.
The project is a separate autonomous Corporation owned and controlled
by its own membership with a Board of Directors and a Supervisory
Committee to manage its affairs. The combined savings of the members
create a pool of cash from which loans are advanced for provident
and productive purposes.
St. Ronan's Hall is built on the
site of the former Keadue Church.
It is one of the most used community halls in the general area.
Every night there is some kind of community activity or meeting.
There is Bingo, Badminton, Youth Club, Development Association
Meetings, Drama, Music Classes, Traditional Dance Classes etc.
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During
the past year an ultra modern Restaurant was built on to the hall
to help cater for the many visitors that come to Keadue during the
year. Some finishing touches have to be added on before it is fully
ready. The Hall Board of Directors have done the village proud.
Keadue
Primary School is old by Primary School standards and by
now due for some updating. But it still continues the good work
of providing an excellent education to the young boys and girls
of the area under the guidance of Mr. Brian Curley and his assistant
Miss Angela McGuire. It looks, though, that because of inadequate
facilities in some ways that we will need to look seriously into
the provision of a new school in the not too distant future.
The
O'Carolan International Harp Festival in August of each
year commemorates Turlough O'Carolan ( 1670 -1738 ) who was the
last and best known of the traditional Irish Bards. He is the
best known internationally of all Irish musical composers. He
specialised in Harp music. The festival brings many thousands
of harp music enthusiasts to Keadue each August. Linked to the
festival is a very successful Summer School of Irish music, song
and dance.
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Kilronan Abbey and St Lasair's Well have been very instrumental
in fostering the growth of Christianity in this area over the past
1,500 years. St Ronan and Lassair set up the first religious establishment
here in the fourth century. The parish derives its name from the
old abbey. The present building, of course, does not go back that
far.
It probably dates from about the fourteenth century. The cemetery
on the Abbey grounds is at least as old as the building. The Abbey
is now a ruin and is in danger of collapsing. Ivy , the weather
and ill treatment over the centuries have taken their toll. It is
still, though, a place very much revered by the whole community
and somewhere to go alone and whisper a prayer to the Almighty for
our selves and for all our ancestors who lie at rest in this holy
ground.
St Lasair's Well is a place of pilgrimage where huge numbers of
pilgrims gather for the annual Patron each September. There we have
the special Mass and prayers for all the dead. Many come to drink
the sparkling water from the holy well , try to ease aching backs
by crawling under the old altar stone and maybe "do" the special
pilgrim stations.
St Lassairs grave is on the hill above the well. Over the centuries
emigrants from Ireland brought St. Lassair's clay with them to the
U.S.A., Canada, Australia etc. to bring blessings on them in their
new life in a strange land.
Note Cf : Pat
Gralton's article on St. Lassair.
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