A look back at the changes in the church in Clonberne

By Joe Kelly BACK in 1856 Fr Malachy Monahan was transferred from the parish then known as Boyounagh, now Glenamaddy to minister to Clonberne. Ten years later he was appointed parish priest and continued to reside in Clonberne, although the previous parish priest of Kilkerrin Clonberne Fr Henry Kelly resided in Kilkerrin when he ministered to the parish. Fr Monahan was born in Mayo Abbey in 1810 and was ordained at the Irish College in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1835 where his uncle Thomas Hayes was rector. After a stint in Italy he returned to Ireland in 1844 and ministered to Achill and Boyounagh before his transfer to Clonberne in 1856. Previous to this the church buildings, which were situated in Mahanagh and Lerhin, were small and inadequate.[private] When the decision was made to erect a new church and presbytery he sought out suitable sites. He decided that a field owned by Fahys of Cogaula was the most suitable and it was duly purchased for the sum of £80. Both the presbytery and the church were built using mainly local voluntary labour and materials and a financial loan was also arranged, and the faithful made monetary donations towards any materials that had to be purchased. From recollections of some local people it would seem that the stone and aggregate for the mortar was harvested on land owned by Freaneys of Kippaunagh, who resided near the site on which Scoil Mhuire was later built. We don't have any records of who designed the single chamber barn style building but its simple design was quite commonplace. Neither do we have the names of the professional craftsmen who were employed on the construction of it with the exception of one â€â€œ Paddy Crisham, a stone mason from Lomanagh. We know, from recollections of his descendants that he was the mason employed in the construction of the church building. So what did the church look like originally? The main structure of the building wasn't unlike what is remaining of it today. Up to 1962 there wasn't any porch at the gable facing westwards. The doorway on the gable was of a Gothic design and led directly into the nave. This entrance was of a secondary importance and was only used when necessary. The pinnacle of this gable featured a fleury cross which was removed when the church was renovated for its 100th anniversary. The main entrance to the building which was also Gothic in design faced southwards and was situated where the confessional is now located. Both doorways featured two limestone steps externally. The sacristy and upstairs meeting room stood at the eastern gable. This building was surmounted by a belfry containing a bell cast in 1856 at the foundry of J. Murphy of Dublin. Internally there were exposed trusses crossing the nave and on the right of the central aisle inside the western gable, there was a baptismal font. This was enclosed by a structure which included a confessional. On the left side of the aisle there was a wooded choir balcony which accommodated up to 15 people and was accessed by several steps. The wooden communion rail and gate marked the boundary between the nave and sanctuary. The original sanctuary was of a simple design and was much smaller than it is today. The retable was displayed in the Gothic recess, set into the eastern gable with the tabernacle in front of it. The dedication of the church to Our Lady of Mount Carmel took place on Wednesday, August 27th with Archbishop John MacHale officiating. The sermon was preached by the Very Rev. Sir Christopher Bellew SJ and there was a cover charge to the various areas of the church. Some refurbishments of the church took place in the early years of the 20th century. Approximately in the year 1915, a new marble altar was donated to the church by the Freaney family of Kippaunagh (but most of them had emigrated to Philadelphia). Other alterations were made to the sanctuary at this time including the installation of a new tabernacle. The side-altars which are of a similar design to the altar and tabernacle were donated by the Redington family, Kigala. In 1945 or 1946 the original stained glass windows which lacked ornamentation were replaced during Fr Blowick's administration to Clonberne. The new windows were made by A W Lyons & Sons, Dublin as can be seen from their signature appended beneath the dedication panels in each of the windows. The windows themselves are quite simple in design, naming individual saints, with the exception of the Sacred Heart window and the window of Our Lady which both have decorative panels. During the 1940s and 50s some minor reconstruction and refurbishments took place carried out by Pete Geraghty of Ahane and James Stockwell & Sons, Tuam. Externally the grounds surrounding the church have been altered and landscaped at intermittent periods. The major reconstruction of the building took place coming up to its centenary and also the Second Vatican Council. Fr Paddy McDermott who was then in his mid-thirties was transferred from Bunacurry to minister to Clonberne in 1957. Following some correspondence between the curate and the Archbishop of Tuam Joseph Walsh it was agreed that the reconstruction was necessary. Several means of fundraising commenced including a levy on parish householders. Card games were held in Dooley's hall and also dances. Emigrants also contributed to the fund-raising initiative. Raffle tickets were sold at GAA matches in New York and the financial committee sent letters of appeal to encourage them to make a monetary donation. Despite several local tradesmen being interested in taking on the task of reconstruction, Thomas Mitchell of Woodlawn as appointed in the Spring of 1961. Architect PTC Delany of Salthill carried out an assessment of the building and sent his report to Fr. McDermott. Rafters which were decayed would have to be replaced, coping stones removed and also defective slates and ridge-tiles. He suggested that the choir balcony and the Stations of the Cross be treated at the same time. The wainscoting would have to be removed and the floorboards of the nave and sanctuary would have to be replaced with a new timber floor resting on concrete. The scheme would also involve the building of a new entrance porch, demolition of the old sacristy and meeting room and the replacement of same at the rear of the church. In mid-June 1961 cement began to arrive on site and the trusses for the roof, manufactured by the Dublin engineering company of Smith & Pearson, arrived soon afterwards. Adjustments had to be made to the plans as the size of the sanctuary area was increased. By mid-October moulds were manufactured for the portico, frame and panels. Many local people were employed for the duration of the reconstruction. Saturday September 16, 1961 was the day a fair was held in Dunmore but for those employed in the renovation it will always be remembered for the day that the hurricane named â€ËœDebbie' struck. Many workmen climbed onto the partially roofed church to prevent damage. By mid-March 1962 the colour scheme for the newly constructed church had been decided on. The electrical wiring which was installed during the administration of Fr Michael Conneely was completely replaced. Two stained glass windows, one featuring a baptismal scene, the other Our Lady of Mount Carmel, were installed in the newly erected porch. The baptistry was also relocated from the nave to the porch. The re-dedication took place which was attended by the Archbishop of Tuam, Joseph Walsh; clergy, parishioners, and media. The dedication sermon was preached by Fr Malachy Stephens, a great-grand-nephew of Fr Malachy Monahan. Fr. McDermott also spoke, thanking all those involved especially the architect, contractor and all the volunteers.[/private]