Killegney Catholic Church 1820s

Killegney was part of a parish union which was made up of several civil parishes - Chapel, Clonleigh, Killann, Killegney and Templeudigan. The Catholic parish union was refered to by several names -  "Union of Killegney or Templeudigan",  "Rathnure & Templeudigan",  "Killegney, Chapel, Killann, Cloughbawn" etc.

In the 1830s, and likely earlier, there were three chapels in the parish - one at Cloghbawn/Cloughbawn/Cloghbaun a second at Poolpeasty/Poolpeast and a third at Grange, see the attached parish details & map.

Often the parish was known by the principle civil parish, or the location (i.e. townland or local name) of the parish church, but in htis case it's difficult to be certain which this was, as none of the chapels were in either Killegney or Templeudigan civil parishes.

Cloghbaun chapel was in Ballymackesy townland beside a National School in Chapel civil parish.

The second chapel was Donard townland in Clonleigh civil parish, next to Poolpeasty townland.

The third chapel was a Grange Upper townland in Killann civil parish, the later c1900 OSI maps show a larger church building on the same site dedicated to St. Anne.

Thank you Shane for both the information and the map! Much appreciated, Debbie

Hello Debbie,

To add to the information that Shanew147 kindly provided, the old R.C. Chapel in Cloghbaun was located not very far from the present day St. Clements Church on the Cloughbawn-Cloughroche Road, as you’ll see just a little later. First I’d like to point out the location of St. Clements Church on a Google Map, which you can view at: https://is.gd/i02MTr

Just to the north of the church you’ll see a side road off to the right. The old church was located on this road

You can actually see the location of the old R.C. Chapel, as well as the National School on this road on an Ordnance Survey Map from 1839. To view the map go to the GeoHive website link at: http://bit.ly/2o9cjQo

Just to the north and on the other side of the road from the R.C. Chapel you’ll see where the old National School was located.

Another Ordnance Survey Map of Cloghbawn from the 1888 to 1913 time period shows the old church and the National School are no longer standing, but does shows the R.C. Chapel (St. Clements) in its present location on the Cloughbawn-Cloughroche Road: http://bit.ly/2o7CruR

I found yet another map from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage/Buildings of Ireland website that marks the locations of St. Clements Church and graveyard, as well as the Presbytery, and the location of the old R.C. Chapel in Cloghbawn, townland of Ballymackesy. You can view this map at: http://webgis.buildingsofireland.ie/HistoricEnvironment/?REG_NO=15702526

The Buildings of Ireland map shows the location of the present day church, St. Clements, indicated by the green dot within a black circle.

If you click on the green dot inside the black circle where the church is, you'll get a description of the architectural details of the church building by selecting “View Main Record.”

Just to the north of the church on the Buildings of Ireland Map is a blue dot showing the location of the church Presbytery. If you click on the blue dot you'll access a description of the presbytery by selecting “View Main Record.” The presbytery was constructed in 1845.

On the same map, just to the north of the Presbytery you'll see a red dot showing the location of the old R.C. Chapel in Cloughbawn. If you click on the red dot you'll get the following description of the old church:

Class: Church

Townland: BALLYMACKESY

Scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP: No

Description: Marked as a small cruciform structure (L c. 20m) on the 1839 ed. of the OS 6-inch map where it is described as Cloghbawn R. C. Chapel. It is said to have been burnt in 1798 (Harte 1925, 100-01). A new church was built c. 100m to the S in 1858. There are no visible remains of the older church, which is the first post-Penal Catholic church of Cloghbawn.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 2 July, 2012"

References:

1. Harte, L. 1925 The parish of Cloghbawn. The Past, vol. 3, 100-06.
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The description above notes that the old church was "said to have been burnt in 1798," and that a new church was built nearby in 1858. However, if the church had burned I believe it would have been reconstructed on the same site, or near the same site after the 1798 fire, but before the construction of St. Clements in 1858. The reason I think this, is that over the years I’ve viewed many of the old Ordnance Survey Maps from the 1830s and 1840s for all of Ireland, and if a church had no longer been in use, the map would indicate this by noting the church was either in ruins or no longer in use. If you go back to the Ordnance Survey Map from 1839 you saw earlier, you’ll see there is no notation that the church is in ruins or no longer in use. This may have been the church where your Edward Foley and Margaret Ryan were married.

According to the 1837 edition of Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, the R.C. Chapel in Clogbawn/Cloughbawn, Civil Parish of Chappel (Chapel of St. Clement) was still standing. The entry in the Topographical Dictionary describes the church, in the Civil Parish of Chapel, as follows:

“…In the R.C. Divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Templeudigan, also called Killegney: the chapel, a neat building, is at Clogbawn or Cloughbawn, in this parish, and was erected soon after 1798, partly by loan from Government. Near it is the National School, built in 1816 by Lord Carew, who has endowed it with four acres of land, and allows £15 per annum to the master. No less than 84 young men, who have been educated at this school, have subsequently become school masters. About 120 boys and 30 girls are taught in the school, and about 70 more children in three private schools.”
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No mention is made of a fire that burned the chapel in Clogbawn/Cloughbawn in Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary of Ireland.

For the full entry of Chappel (Chapel) and Clogbawn/Cloughbawn in the Topographical Dictionary, go to the following link: https://www.libraryireland.com/topog/C/Chapple-Bantry-Wexford.php

Before you visit Cloughbawn next summer, you can write to the parish priest of St. Clements Church and ask if he, or any of the parishioners have information about the old Catholic Chapel that predated St. Clements. The parish priest is the Very Rev. Bernard Cushen. You can contact him by going to the following link: https://ferns.ie/the-diocese/priests/#v-rev-bernard-cushen-pp

Best Wishes Debbie,

Dave Boylan

Many thanks, Dave! Your information and maps are very much appreciated - I've been looking at the old OS maps all morning but didn't find the chapel near St Clements. I also found a journal saying that the chapel had been burned in 1798 but if that's not the case, then this is probably (?) the church I'm looking for. I will definitely send a note to Father Cushen to see if he can shed some light on it.

I have a baptismal record (1803) for a Margaret Ryan, father Charles and mother Mary (Lallor/Lawlor) but it's from St Mullins. When I first found it, I filed it away, as it was a different county - I now see that the two areas are only about 20 km apart so it's a possibility (although I won't be able to prove a relationship).

I can also see that cycling through the area is going to be wonderful. Thanks again, and also to Shane - Debbie

You're welcome Debbie. Have a great time in Ireland next year.

Dave