Mass in Bagenalstown - December, 2012

The Standing Stone: Killinane Church, Closutton, Co. Carlow.

Original article can be found here.


Location – On the N9 between Leighlinbridge and Bagenalstown.
OS:  S 687 633 (map 61)
Longitude: 6° 58' 59.72" W
Latitude: 52° 42' 59.45" N


Description and History – There is very little to say about this ruin because all that remains are some much altered walls that stand to about a quarter of their original height. The work that has been done has made this place devoid of any character. The main concern in this work seems to have been tidiness as opposed to any historical or architectural concern. The remains consist of a nave and chancel measuring 14m x 6.5m. The W wall is now completely missing. The wall between the nave and chancel still remains and the original entrance is missing. No remains of any doorways survive. The E wall is now home to a large shrine.

Difficulty – Easy to find with limited parking. This is a very busy road so be careful.

For more ecclesiastical sites, click here.
For more sites in Co. Carlow, click here.

Mass in Carlow Cathedral & First Blessing of a Newly Ordained Priest

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered in the Gregorian Rite using the Missal of 1962 in Carlow Cathedral on the morning of 19th May, 2012, by Canon Brieuc de La Brosse of the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest, and served by members of the Institute and St. Conleth's Catholic Heritage Association. The Choir of the Augustinian Church, John's Lane, Dublin, sang the Mass of St. John the Baptist, by Rev. J.E. Turner, O.S.B., and a number of polyphonic motets and vernacular hymns. After Mass, Canon de la Brosse gave his first blessing to the congregation and choir. It is the second time this year that a newly-ordained Priest has given his first blessing after a Mass organised by St. Conleth's Catholic Heritage Association. Accounts of previous Masses organised by St. Conleth's Catholic Heritage Association in Carlow Cathedral are given here and here.

Mass in Borris for the Pope's Birthday

For only the second year our Association had the blessing of an opportunity to celebrate the Birthday and Anniversary of the Election of the Pope by organising the celebration of Mass in the Extraordinary Form. Last year it was St. Andrew's Church, Bagenalstown. This year we had the privilege to be in another of the 'Churches that got away' the beautiful Church of the Sacred Heart, Borris, Co. Carlow. However, because of the way the Church was modified in recent decades the Mass had to be celebrated at the beautiful side Altar of Our Lady.

Strawberry Hill in Kildare and Leighlin - Ballon

Readers of CHRISTVS REGNAT may remember an extract from Bishop Bossuet's Histoire des variations des églises protestantes, where he wrote: "heresy, however old, is always in itself a novelty; to better retain their title of novelty, innovates daily and daily changes its doctrine." Bishop Bossuet might be a bit stumped if he visited some Parishes in Ireland, where the local Catholic Church, whether it is centuries old or decades old, has had makeover after makeover within living memory, while the local Anglican edifice has kept what is beautiful and ancient.

The Anglican church of Aghade in the Parish of Ballon retains many fine interior features including splendid apse decoration and a communion rail.

The Catholic Parish Church of Ballon is dedicated to Ss. Peter and Paul. Their images are to be found in the Strawberry Hill Gothic wooden reredos that has been mercifully retained. For the rest, frankly, I just don't get it...

A fine marble monument in the nave to the Parish Priest who built the Church reads:

Sacred to the memory of REV. JOHN KEHOE P.P. Ballon and Rathoe, born in parish of Bagnalstown, 2nd October 1815, after a year's preparatory study in Carlow College, he, in 1837, entered Maynooth, from which, after a conspicuously distinguished career, he was promoted to the Sacred Priesthood, in the year 1844. His first mission was the Curacy of Clonaslea, next, that of Arles, whence he was transferred, in 1849, to Ballon, where, although, meantime, offered high preferments, he chose to live and toil as Curate for twenty further years. On resignation of REV. Wm. Kinsella P.P. in 1869, he was appointed pastor of the parish, to the temporal as well as spiritual welfare of whose people, he had devoted all the vigour and earnestness of his earlier years. His kindness to the poor, and his zeal for God's glory, should ever be held in cherished remembrance by those, amongst whom to spend himself in unceasing exertion, was but a labour of love. After a most exemplary and useful life he calmly resigned his sinless soul to his Creator on July 21st A.D. 1883. May he rest in peace. Amen.

A monument in the Gospel Transcept reads:

THIS MONUMENT has been erected by Mr. Patrick Conran in memory of his Brother, the very Revd. Jas. Conran, formerly Vicar capitular of the Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin, & for 23 years P.P. of Ballon & Rathoe. He departed this life the 9th of August 1825, in the 67th year of his age.













It was our Catholic heritage. Why couldn't they leave it alone?

The ones that got away - Borris

The Parish Church of the Sacred Heart, Borris, Co. Carlow, forces me to address the perametres of this series. What do I mean by the ones that got away? Borris - and a number of other Churches in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin - retain some of the elements of a traditional Sanctuary but not all. It retains two fine Side Altars, a complete span of Altar Rails with Sanctuary gates (fairly rare and probably what the late Bishop Ryan meant by only 10% of the Churches in the Diocese remain to be 'reordered'), and the body of the High Altar with reredos (only gradines in fact). However, it has lost the mensa of the Altar, the Altar strictly speaking, or at least that Altar has been brought forward to facilitate the celebration of Mass versus populum, while preventing the celebration of Mass versus Deum - perhaps unintended in this case due to the shallowness of the Sanctuary but frequently all too obvious a factor, by the creation of the 'cliff' that I consider to be a characteristic liturgical symbol of the Diocese. Yet, I include it in the ones that got away because it is still usable for the Usus Antiquior, and partly because of the number of original features that have been retained, and partly because it still looks like a Church, inside and out. Judge for yourself.