HISTORY
History of Ballymote Church
Shortly after Canon Denis Tighe became
Parish Priest of Ballymote in 1848, he set
about planning for a new church for the
parish. Many fine churches were being
built around the Diocese at this time under
the guidance of the bishop, Dr. Patrick
Durcan. The architect appointed for
designing the new church was George
Goldie of the well known London firm of
Hadfield and Goldie. He had designed
many churches in the country including the
Cathedral in Ballaghaderreen and later
Gurteen Church. The site for Ballymote
church was granted, free of rent, by Sir
Robert Gore Booth. He owned the town at
the time and he was grandfather of
Countess Markievicz. The church was
designed in neo-gothic style to be built in
an east-west direction. Churches were built
in this direction at the time, so that the
people faced East as they worshipped. The
rising sun symbolised new life and
resurrection. People were buried facing
east for the same reason.
Mr Charles Barker was appointed
contactor. He was contractor for the
Cathedral in Ballaghaderreen and for
Gurteen church. Ballymote church is 143ft
long 54ft wide and 58ft high.
The Foundation Stone
The site was prepared and everything was
ready for the laying of the foundation stone
on Wednesday,12th October, 1859.This
was preceded by a High Mass in the old
church( the present Loftus Hall) at which
the bishop, Dr. Durcan, presided and at
which Dr. Terence O'Rorke, P.P.
Collooney, preached.
Some days previously, a Protestant
gentleman, Mr. Jackson,who was engineer
on the Railway line which was being laid at
the time, had asked to prepare the 17cwt.
foundation stone and his men had it shaped
and ready.Mr. Jackson gave his men a
holiday so that they could attend the
ceremony of the laying of the foundation.
Church Funds.
The estimated cost of the building was
2,743 pounds. Most of this money had to
be collected from outside the parish.....from
all parts of Ireland, from England,
Scotland, the U.S. and Canada, as there
was a lot of poverty in the West of Ireland
at that time. Canon Tighe travelled widely
in an effort to collect funds. He also had
many letters published in the 'Sligo
Champion' at the time acknowledging
money received and reporting on the
progress of the building. One of his letters
is as follows:
'Dear Sir,
Availing myself of your usual kindness, I
beg to acknowledge receipt of 1punt from
Mr. Pat Kean, merchant, New York, as his
second subscription towards the funds I am
collecting to build our new church in
Ballymote. Mr Kean is a native of this
rising town. The building of our beautiful
gothic church is progressing most
favourably .The staff of mechanics and
labourers is now so large that it will take
over 40pounds a week to pay them, but I
hope that we will be able to push on with
the work and leave the walls in a good way
before winter overtakes us' D.Tighe,P.P.
On the 7th January, 1860, he acknowledged
receipt of 21-4-0 from Austin Mullarkey,
Augusta, Georgia. The building of the
church and the railway gave much needed
employment to the people of the parish.
Mr.Goldie's Letter
A letter written to Canon Tighe by Mr.
Goldie was published in the Sligo
Champion on 29th June,1861. It read:
'Dear Canon Tighe,
I have the honour to report to yourself and
Committee upon the state of your new
church....... I have gone most carefully over
all the work this day and am happy to
record my general satisfaction with the
manner in which Mr. Barker, our
contractor, has carried out my plans and
specifications to the present time........The
unfortunate strike of the masons, for which
Mr. Barker is in no wise answerable, has
thrown back the progress of the works but
I have urged upon him the importance of
pushing on during the fine weather and so
make up for lost time as much as possible.
The first division of the contract is now
approaching completion, It was to include
excavation, masonry and cut-stone work
and to cost 1515 pounds. To this amount is
added, by your desire and instructions,
stone arches for 100 pounds and a portion
of the tower for 260 pounds, making in all
1875 pounds. Of this Mr. Barker has
drawn 1,683-10-0, leaving a balance of 191-10-0, to complete the arches, clerestory,
west rose window and chancel window and
arch.
But to this balance may be added the value
of the roof to sacristy and porch, slates,
lime, barging etc.,on the ground, which
may be estimated at 50 pounds and which
belong to the second portion of the
contract, so that you have a sum, or an
equivalent for 241-10-0, to complete the
first portion of the contract, the value of
which is about 199 pounds.
The important point now to be decided and
that as speedy as possible is that of
carrying on the second portion of the
contract, namely, roofing and slating to
which was apportioned the sum of 868
pounds. Your present chapel is in a
dangerous and unfit state for divine
worship. The walls of the new church if left
exposed for the winter will be sure to suffer
from wet and wind..... I cannot conclude
without expressing the feelings of
satisfaction with which I see the manner in
which the church is working out and I feel
convinced that when completed it will
prove an ornament and credit to the
county and parish. G.Goldie, Architect.
Contributions for the roofing of the church
soon began to come in to Canon Tighe after
the publication of this letter. These were
acknowledged in later editions of the 'Sligo
Champion', for example, the munificent
sum of 25-1-5, from Mr. Charles Kerins,
St.Catherine's Canada West. A List of U.S.
contributors gave in all $122. Canon Tighe,
travelling North to collect funds, expressed
his gratitude to the people of Donegal
especially, for their generosity.
John Smith of Smith&Knight, Railway
contractors, Sligo, offered to convey all the
timber and slates required for the roofing,
free of charge. Many of those employed on
the construction of the railway to Sligo
contributed on a regular basis to the
church fund.
Dedication of the new Church
By September, 1864, work on the new
church had advanced sufficiently for its
solemn dedication and official opening on
Sunday,4th September. The 'Freeman's
Journal' of the following day carried a
report of the event as follows:
"The new Catholic Church of Ballymote
was this day dedicated to the worship of
the Most High by the Rev. Dr Durcan,
Lord bishop of Achonry, with all the
solemnity and splendour prescribed by the
ritual for so important and sacred a
proceeding. It was an event long looked
forward to in this district of the County
Sligo, and indeed throughout the whole
country....... The new church which is
dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and Her
Immaculate Conception, is one of the most
spacious, most substantial, and at the same
time one of the handsomest temples of
Catholic worship to be found in the
country districts of Ireland....... The style of
architecture is pure gothic; the arches and
pillars separating the nave from the aisles
are remarkably elegant in outline and the
windows and doorways also give evidence
of their graceful design. Beside the
principal entrance is a massive square
tower and near it is a fine copy of an Irish
round tower. To the able, indefatigable and
sincerely beloved pastor of the parish, the
Very Rev. Canon Tighe, the highest credit
is due for his great and unwearied
efforts....... His admirable and devoted
people are worthy of a share in the honour,
for they zealously co-operated with their
pastor in all his labours. The old chapel,
which up to today served the spiritual
wants of the parish, stands within a few
feet of the new church and looks even more
poverty - stricken than ever.
The hour appointed for the commencement
of the sacred ceremonial was 11.30 am, but
long before that time the church and the
approaches to it were crowded with a vast
congregation...... Special trains from the
direction of Mullingar, and Longford on
the one side, and from Sligo on the other
brought considerable numbers of people
and a great many availed themselves of
Bianconi's cars, specially run to come in
from other districts.
There was a very influential attendance of
the Catholic gentry and principal farmers
of the district. Amongst those present
were-Charles and Mrs.
Strickland,Loughglynn House, the Marquis
Assass and Mr. Farrell; Thomas and Mrs.
Strickland, Castlemore; M.J.MaddenEsq.
And Mrs. Madden, Camphill House,
Mr.andMrs. Jervis; Edward Farrell
Esq.J.P. Carrickbanagher; George Goldie
Esq. London(the Architect); Miss
O'Connor and Mrs. McDermot;
R.SpringEsq. Dublin;James Tighe
Esq.Sligo; Edward Tighe,Esq. Ballymote;
the Misses McGettrick, Kilturra; Daniel
Milmoe,Esq. Messrs. O'Brien, Ballymote.
The procession of clergy, acolytes etc.,
preceded by the processional cross
emerged from the sacristy and went down
the centr of the church and to the exterior
by the great door. The Lord Bishop of the
diocese was robed in full pontificals. His
Lordship was attended by the Rev. Dr
McHale, of the Irish College, Paris. As the
procession moved around the interior and
exterior of the church and the prescribed
psalms and litanies were chanted by the
clergy, His Lordship performed the
dedication ceremonial.
Amongst the clergy were the Very Rev.
Canon Tighe,P.P.; Very Rev.Dr.
O'Rorke,P.P. Collooney;Rev.Thomas
Fitzgerald, P.P.Newtownforbes;
Rev.C.Cosgrave,P.P. Keash; Rev. Roger
Brennan, P.P. Tubbercurry;Rev. James
Higgins,P.P. Charlestown; Rev. George
Gearty,P.P.(diocese of Ardagh);Rev. Dr.
Costelloe,P.P. Crossmolina; Rev. James
Henry,P.P.Buninadden; Rev. Mark
Cooke,C.C.do; Rev.D. O'Grady,C.C.
Keash;Rev. Dr. Goodman,O.S.D. Sligo;
Rev. Mr. Lohall, Collooney.
Upon the return of the procession to the
sanctuary, the High Mass commenced. The
Rev. Luke Hannan was celebrant and the
deacons were the Rev. M. Cooke,and the
Rev. Roger O'Hara, Ballaghaderreen. The
Archbishop of Tuam, Dr. John McHale,
preached after the gospel.
Benediction was given by the bishop of
Achonry after the Mass and the
congregation soon after dispersed to their
homes.
On Sunday 27th January 1884, the High
Altar was consecrated. The marble altar,
communion rails and pulpit were erected
during the past month. ( Sligo Champion
1884)
Father Andrew Dunleavy...........the
Catechism Priest (1680-1746)
One of Ballymote's most illustrious sons,
Andrew Dunleavy was born in Ballymote
in 1680 and he received his early education
at the local hedge school. He went to the
Irish College in Paris and studied there
obtaining his LL.D degree. After his
ordination he was appointed Prefect of the
Community of clerics and scholars in the
College des Lombards(Irish College) in
Paris in 1722 and presided over it for 24
years. He was the founding father of the
institution. He was a great scholar and his
greatest work was " The Catechism of
Christian Doctrine" a large volume written
in both Irish and English which contained
a full treatise on the teaching of the
Catholic Church.It ran into several
editions and was widely used in schools and
seminaries in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Copies of it are still available in libraries.
Father Dunleavy died in Paris in 1746 and
was buried at the Lombard College in
Paris.
1823-1832 Fr.Patrick Durcan, later bishop
of the diocese.Some of the parishioners
resented his coming to Ballymote parish
and they planned an attack on his life one
day while he was dining with
Fr.Fitzmaurice of Keash. They changed
their minds at the last moment, however,
and spared his life.He later became one of
the greatest bishops of the
diocese.Churches were built in the diocese
under his guidance,including the church in
Ballymote which was dedicated in 1864 and
the Cathedral in
Ballaghaderreen(Dedicated in 1860).
Fr. Durcan was succeeded by Fr. Brian
O'Kane as P.P. He died on Aug.7th 1848
and his body was re-interred in the new
Church in 1876.
Canon Denis Tighe succeeded as P.P.(1848-1876)He built the present church.
INDEX