barntown church

7/29/2019 Barntown Church

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Journal o f The Taghnzon Historical Society St. Alphonsus C hurch

St. Alphonsus' ChurchBarntown

Tom & Teresa Wickham.

T e church of St. Alphonsus nestling under the Three Rocks atBarntown owes its origin to the dedicated endeavours of VeryRev. Patrick Murphy P.P. Born a t Cousinstown in 1786, hestudied for the priesthood in a school run by the Franciscan friars inG ibson 's Lane, W exford . He was ordained in M aynooth in 1812. Fr.M urphy was appointed parish priest ic Glynn in 181 7, and died asparish priest of Barntow n in 186 7. During the interim years, he becam eobsessed with the idea of providing a suitable place of worship for hisparishioners from the hill side of the parish, who worshipped in whatwas no more than a shelter in a barn-like struc ture in the village. H e setthe wheels in motion in the early 1840's and worked tirelessly duringIreland's most deso late days of the great famine. H e was a man ofconsiderable influence in the diocese and he used his position tomaximum advantage in obtaining assistance in the building of hischurch . John Hyacinth Talbo t was a mem ber of one of W exford 's mostimportant Catholic families of the time and Fr. Murphy, through hisfriendship with the Talbots, acquired the assistance of Augustus WelbyPugin, w ho drew up plans for the churc h. Pugin was the most fam ousneo-gothic architect of the nineteenth century and he left an indeliblemark on the church landscape of Ferns with his many commissions.His design work on Barntow n church gav e it the enviable distinction ofbeing referred to as the "Gem of the Diocese".

Fundraising got underway in the early 1840's and the foundationstone was laid in 1844. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was celebratedin the church for the first time in 18 48 . During the construction, Fr.Murphy used every ploy to keep the expenses to a minimum and thelocals were totally supportive of the projec t. In addition to finances andlabour, many items of interest were donated by the more affluentmem bers of the com m unity.


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rrnal of The Taghtnon Historical Society St . Alphonsus Church

r. Murphy kept meticulous financial records. These records havevived and provide fascinat ing reading for anyone even remotely:rested in the history of the c hu rc h.

Interior of Barntown C lzurck in 1870s(b y kind permission of Rev. Oliver Doyle)


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Journal of The Taghnzon Historical Society St. Alphonsus Church

Financing the building of the churchFundraising began in earnest in 1842 and notes from his diary read asfollows: -Funds for the building of the church of St. Alphonsus at Barntown.The parishioners agreed to pay a tax of 2s-0d per acre in twoinstalments which amounted to 285-5-11.Parishioners in easy circum stances, besides payingtheir portion of this tax, gave voluntary offeringswhich amounted to 146-10-6 .October 30'" - A collection of voluntaryofferings was made at the chapeldoor amounting to 17 8-1-1 0.October 1O'h -Another collection of the same kind 104-3-0.October 8'"- the new church was openedand a collection was made w4iich a m y t e d toThe box collection on Sundays for five yearsand fiuo months from 1" September1845 to 1" November 1850 producedThis gave a total contribution by parishioners ofContributed by non-parishionersClerical contribu tions amounted toProtestant residents o r landlordsCatholics, non-parishioners1845~ o v . 3 0 ' ~ollection made at chapel of GlynnCards producedAmount contributed by non-parishionersBy parishioners as aboveTotal amount receivedTotal am ount expendedBalanceThis balance was transferred to the account of the parochial house.It is interesting to note the extraordinary amount collected during thefamine years, 1845-1848. Also noteworthy are the significant amountscontributed by the Protestant community and by non-parishioners.


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Journal of The Taghm on Historical Society St. Alphonsus Church

The building expensesFr. Murphy also kept meticulous notes on all monies spent on thechurch building.The following is taken from his original notes: -Preparatory expensesLeases and sun vy in gBuying T. Cou sin ' s interestPaid for gateBuilding walls and piersPaid John M cGra th for the fee of a plot of landT o Martin Edw ards for change of bo undsTo Thornas Breen for u small plotTotal paid for preparatory expensesExteriorScaffoldingRubble stoneCut an d hamm ered stoneLimeForeman mason 57 btpeeks 3 days at f I s p.w.Working masonsLabou rers attendingCost of wallsTimberCarp enter work of exteriorSnziths ' workSpikes an d nailsSlates, laths an d ridging stoneSlating, ridging a nd plumbingSundries for roof (co pp er, nails, lead etc.)M aking, glazing and putting up 21 sashesCost of roof and w indowsWallsRocf and windo wsTotal cost of exterior

f s - d3 - 0 - 09 - 0 - 0

18 -112-15 - 010 - 0 - 03 - 0 - 02 - 2 - 0

30-1 5- 11


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Journal of The Taghtnon Historical Society St. Alphonsus Church

Extra expensesWater suites for eaveMetal chimney topsTotal cost of extra expensesInteriorLimePlastering church , vestries and porchesLaths, nails and attenda nceStaining roo f and all the fixed timberMason work and labourBricksTimber (so m e scaffolding timber was use d)Carpenter workSm ith's work and hardwareNailsCut stoneTiles for jloo rSetting tilesPutting up altar windowsFlooring sanctuariesCarriage Exps. & putting up altar & tabernacleAltar of the Blessed VirginTw o stone chim ney-pieces for vestriesLarge holy water fontSmall holy w ater fontSetting holy water fontNotice bell for M assCost of interiorCost of exterior, as aboveSundry small contingents not classifiedTotal cost of the buildingMovable furnitureSeats, benches, etc. - imber to m ak e then1Carpenters' workStaining rijork


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Journal of The Taghnlon Historical Society

Six large altar candlesticksShields for sanzeLamp hangingsSanctuary bellsAltar cardsCruets and standPacking cases and freightCurtains for both altarsCarpeting for sanctuariesComm utzion clothesCrucifix for vestryOil cloth for altarChalice (second han d)Dusting brushAm ount paid for furniture

St. Alphonsus C hurch

Expenses of enclosing, planting, clearing, draining etc. on the wholeground: -Expended in I846

Do 1847Do 1848Do 1850Total expended on grounds

Preparatory expensesCo st of churchCost offurtlitureCost of extrasExternal expensesGrand totalThis was an amazingly small amount of money even in those days. Itwas due in no small way to the goodwill of the local people who, intheir spare time, voluntarily carted the rubble stone from the quarry atNe wtown , and gave freely of their labour. Older residents of the parishhave said that it was not unusual to see convoys of men with theirhorses an d carts leave fo r Carlow to collect the cut granite stone.


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Journal o f Th e Taghtnoti Historical Soc iety St. Alphonsus Church

It is of interest to note that the total cost of the church wasapproximately the same as the cost of buying the cut stone used in therecent erection of the arch at the m ain entrance.Donations to the churchThe stained glass windows for the Blessed Virgin's altar werepresented by Mr. Francis J. Connell. The tabernac le for the High Altarwas presented by the same gentleman. John H. Talbot Esq presented thestained glass window for the High Altar, the alter front and the twobells. Thom as Keane gave 5 to buy a lamp. The Stations of the Cro sswere donated by the Foley family and are reputedly the work of theAugustinian friar, Fr. Fora n, who painted stations for many churches insouth W exford. Th ere is a great similarity between the stations in St.Fintan's church, Taghmon and those in St. Alphonsus' church,Barntown.Th e aforemen tioned Talbo t bells bear tKe following inscriptions: -1. Old Catholic Emancipation Bell 18 48 Anne-Eliza M aria Ta lbot2. Old Catholic Em ancipation Bell 1848 Jane -An ne-E liza Talb otDedication 1851On September gih, the church w as dedicated to G od , under theinvocation of St. Alphonsus and the Blessed Virgin Mary, by MostRev. Dr. Murph y, bishop of Ferns.The following extract is from the 'Wexford Independent', Saturday,13LhSeptember, 1851 -O n M onda y last, the solem n and particularly interesting cerem ony ofdedication of the new Catholic church at Barntown to the service ofAlm ighty G od was performed by Right Re~p.Dr. Murphy, bishop of thisdiocese, assisted by the clergy of the tow n and tze ig hb o~ ~r in gistricts.After the dedication ceremon?; H igh Ma ss was celeb rated, followed byBenediction.

The chu rch Kvas crov~ ,ded y a respectable cong regation , emb racingseveral of the gentry and m any of ou r Protestant brethren, w ho ~e er ne dto take a deep in t er e~ tn the solem n grand eur and exalted piety of allthe ceremonies of the day.

Most churches at the time were dedicated to Mary, the Mother ofGod. The honour in the case of Barntown church was shared with


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Journal of The Taghmorz Historical Society St. Alphonsus Church

St. Alphonsus M aria de Liguori. Th is was the first churc h in Ireland tobe dedicated to St. Alphonsus.St. Alphonsus was born in southern Italy in 1696. Having finishedhis education at the university, he practised as a law yer for eight years.H e then abandoned law and becam e a priest. So m e years afterordination, he established an order of contemplative nuns and acom munity of priests, the Redemptorists, w ho w ould de vo te themselvesto the work of missions and retreats. When his life's work wascom plete, he retired to on e of his monasteries where he died on A ugustI"', 1787, in his ninety-secon d year. H e was canon ised in 1839, a fewyears before the erection of the church. His feast day, August I", iscom memorated each year by a pattern a t Barn town .First MissionFr. Murphy invited the priests of the Redemptorist Order to give amission to his flock in 1854. This mission was a huge success.Tradition has it that peop le cam e from a s far afield as Kilm ore to attendthe sermon s. Fr. Vladim ir Petcherin, a convert from the RussianOrthodox Church, who became famous in church circles, was one ofthe crow d-draw ing preachers at this mission. A Mission Cross waserected outside the church under the great east window . Th ere was adocum ent enclosed behind glass in this Cross. Th is docum ent has longsince disappeared and the Cro ss recently fell into disrepair and has notbeen replaced durin g the modern ren ovation.An account of this mission from chronicles of M oun t St. Alphonsus: -The missiorz was given in the two chapels of the same parish. On themountairz was Fr. Theunis (Superior) with Frs. Petcherin andVanderae. At Glynn, in the valley, was Fr. Bernard, with Frs. Leo andCofJin. The mission ~m opened on Saturday, 8"' July and closed on24Ih. There were 1,500 Commurzions in both places. We were obliged,many times to preach in the open air, and to hal~e n altar erected forBenediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The church in Barntown is oneof the finest specimens of a country church. It was designed by Puginand in his best style. It was the first church in Ireland dedicated toSt. Alphonsus. The parish priest, Very Rev. Dean Murphy, KG., is amost venerable old man, of seventy years or more. He has been in thisparish for more than thirty years. At the farewell sermon, Fr. Bernardbade him rise and show himself to his people. The impression wasindescribable. His grey hair and wasted frame spoke of a long life ofuntiring zeal. Both thepock and the pastor shed tears.


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Journal of Th e Tagh m on Historical Society St. Alphonsu s Church

The people of W exford cam e in great num bers t o the m ission atBarntown. Th ey rem em bered in their grateful hea rts the m ission atWexford the p r e ~ i o u s ear. M any people spoke with veneration andlove of the late Fr. John Vanantw*erpen. 'T h e Dear Ang el' was thenarne they ga ve him ."From Fr. M urp hy 's notes: -Voluntary offerings be fore th e mission 2 3 - 0 - 0Received for seats in the chapel during mission 32 -15 - 1%Expended: Travelling expen ses of the Fathers 1 5 - 0 - 0In 1860, a second mission was given at Ba rntown by the Redemptoristpriests at the request of Very Rev. Dean Murphy, P.P., who was nowbed-ridden, with m any infirmities. How ever, mindful of his flock , hesaid 'I want to give them a mission again before I appear before thejudgement seat of Christ'. Th is mission was also a great success.The Death of Very Rev. Patrick Dean M urphy, P.P., V.G.An extract from 'The Peop le' new spaper, January 26'h, 1867.The death of Ve ry Rev. Dean M urphy, which occurred on T uesdayevening last, 22"d January 1867, caused deep regret throughout thecommunity.His health for several years had been failing arid he was obliged to

confine himself to his bedroom . He resolved to tender his resignation,but parishioners begg ed that he m ight still rule ov er them even thoughhe resided in Wexford. Very Rev. Dr. Furlong presided at this O f i c eand High M ass, in the church of the Itnmaculate Co ncep tion, Ro we St..Wexford. There were f i f ty clergy present.

The funeral which left W e,f or d for Barntow n, had a numerous a ndhighly respectable at tendance. Upw ards of 200 ~ ~ e h ic le siled along theroad and these, together with the horsemen and those who attended o nfoot, made up a funeral cortege wh ich extend ed beyo nd a mile. Aconsiderable nu m be r of Protestant gentlem en also attende d. Sellera1Protestant gentlemen contributed dues to him up to the time of hisdeath.

His rem ains were laid in a vault a t the right of the altar.T he death of Fr. Murphy heralded the end of an era for the people ofBarntown. He was deeply committed to both the people and thedevelop me nt of the church.


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Journal of The Taghmon Historical Society St. Alphonsus Church

Very Rev. D ean Patrick Murphy P.P.V.G. (died 1867)


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Journal of The Ta ghm on Historical Society St. Alphonsus C hurch

During the time of his residency here the seat of the parish transferredfrom Glynn to Barnto wn. After his dea th, Fr. Foley, the then curate ofGlynn, became his successor and the seat of the parish reverted back toGlynn.The consecration of the church 1899James Howlin, who resided at Cromwell Cottage, Ballygoman, hadgiven the land on a 999 year lease free gratis to his friend, Fr. Murphy,to build his church .On M arch lo th , 1899 the church ground s were purchased out in feesimple by Rev. J.F. Canon Doyle, P.P., from the representatives ofJames How lin through the Landed Estates Court.As the land on which the church stood was not legally owned by thechurch autho rities until 1899, the con secration was delayed until thatyear.

Th e first m ajor renova tions to the churcth were carried o ut at this time,which included the erection of a reredos of marble and highly carvedCaen stone to enhance the beautiful original carved Caen stone altar.The timber altar rails were removed and were replaced by brownmarble rails wh ich matched the brown marble of the reredos.John Sinnott, Keelogues, presented an ornately carved wooden pulpitwhich was erected by Len Stone , Barn town. T h e walls we rewainscoted for the first time and this work was completed by JoeJackman, New town. A brass candelabra was donated by John and JuliaW helan, Holm estown. As donations were received from generousparishioners the lattice windows were, in turn, replaced by stained glasswindows. A m ong the donors were the Hayes, Sinnott, Kehoe, Lambert,By m e, W helan and B rennan families.The interior of the church was completely redecorated for theconsecra tion cerem ony. (No te: Du ring the recent extensive renovationsthe names of John Sinnott, William Duggan and James Evoy, painters,were discovered written on a roof beam dated March 1898.)O n Septem ber 121h, 1899 , the church w as consecrated to the serviceof the Lord by the Bish op Most Rev. Dr. Brow ne.

Th e following extract from 'The People ' newspaper, September 1 6 ' ~ ,1899: -...The consecratiotz of u church in a Iarld where Catholics are onlyjust recovering fro m pe ~z ul aws is no conzmon ever:; .aid, ro man y of theonlookers, the ceremony must ha ve been bewildering.


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Journal o f The Tag hm on Historical Society St. Alphonsus Church

The bishop commenced by reciting the seven Penitential Psalms andchanting the Litany of the Saints at the ma in entrance. W ith blessedsalt and wa ter, he blessed the ou ter w,alls and cem ete ry......The bishop blessed a mixture of salt, water, wine and ashes andsprinkled the walls of the churc h Mithin. He th en consecrated the HighAltar and placed the relics of St. Vic tor and St. Lucy in the alta r.... TheM ass M'as celeb rated by the bishop himselJ: Th is long an d imposingceremony bega n at eight o'clo ck and concluded ab ou t middav ...The bishop wa s assisted throughout the ceremo ny by Rev. J. Rossiter,C.C., as deacon, and Rev. J. Howell, C.C.. as sub-de acon . Th e place ofthe deacon, t o wh om the care of the church previous to its consecrationis entrusted, was taken by Rev. J. Murphy. C.C. Rev. J. M . Browne,C.C., acted a s master of ceremonies. The clergy present in the churchwere: V er y Rev. S. Can on Clon ey, P.P., Ca stlebridge; Ve ry Rev. J.Can on O'B rien , P.P., Ballym urn; Very Rev. P. D. Keh oe, Gra ntstown;Rev. J. F. Do yle, P.P., Gly nn; Rev. W m . Fortune P.P., Piercestown;Rev. J. Cor ish , P.P., Ballym ore; Rev . J. Kehoe O SA , Grantstown; Rev.J. Busher MSS, Enniscorthy; Rev. James Murphy, C.C., Crossabeg;Rev. J. Rossiter, C .C., Wexford.There was also a large number of the parishioners present whofollowed, with m uch interest and attention, the entire ceremony.

Eyewitnesses spoke of a severe thunder and lightning storm, whichcoincided with the ceremonies and added greatly to the awe andwonderment of the occasion.Mr Martin Pierce of Park House and owner of Pierce's iron foundry,Wexford generously defrayed the legal expenses of the land transactionand also a large proportion of the cost of the extensive renovations ofthe time.Centenary of St. Alphonsus church 1948In preparation for the centenary celebrations of the church, the priest atthe time Fr. John Breen, C.C., undertook the major renovation andredecoration of the church.The work commenced in 1946. The walls were made structurallysound by pointing the exterior stone work and plastering the interiorwalls. The repainting of the interior did not include stencil work whichwas a feature of the church until then. The roof was repaired, the slatescleaned and the bells restored. New ga tes were fitted at the mainentrance. Part of the floor w as laid with pitchpine.


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Works of art installed in the chapel at the time include: -Carved marble statute of O ur Lady of Fatima - talianThe Triple Message of Fatima Rosary window - Harry ClarkeStudioThe Blessed Virgin and Three Children of Fatima w indow-H ar ry Clarke StudioTh e Assumption of Ou r Lady and Apparition w indow-H ar ry Clarke StudioThe chancel floor bears two mo saic panels representing the sacrificeof Abraham and Melchisedech - Abraham signifying the Old Lawand M elchisedech the New L aw .On the sanctuary floor are four mosaic medallions representing theemblems of the four evangelists, the authors of the four versions ofthe Gospel of Christ - M atthew, M ark, Luke and John. Th e mosaicwork w as carried ou t by Italian craftsmen.Episcopal chair, screen, shrine of O ur Lady of Perpetual Succo ur- William KaneThe altar-rails, Our Lady's altar and baptistery font - Earley andc o .The Sanctuary lamp by Gunning and Co. was originally made forthe Franciscan friary in Wexford. It is hand-made in bronze,decorated in leaves and sem i-precious stones. It is gilt all ov er with24-carat fine gold and is hand-burnished. Se ven Franciscan saintsand St. Aidan of Ferns are depicted in panels on the under side ofthe lamp. The se panels are enamelled onto cop per.The pulpit was mainly composed of Carrara marble with a base ofLavento, Galway green and Sicilian marbles. It was octagonal inshape, seven panels had carvings and mosaics, the eighth formed theentrance. T he interior was lined with Sicilian marble. The stepswere Sicilian marble with bronze hand rails by Gunning and Co.Th e mosaic panels depicted the Seven Gif ts of the Holy Spirit. Th epulpit was made by Earley and Co. This pulpit replaced the formertimber pulpit.

An extract from 'The People' newspaper - October 1948: -The centenary of Barntown church was celebrated on Su nday with animpressive ceremony in the beautiful building recently renovated anddecorated. Th e chu rch was thronged by a congregation includingmarly from other par idle s M.IIO came to associate themselves with an


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Journal of The Ta gh m on Historical Society St. Alphonsus C hurch

occas ion of great joy for the pastor of Glvnn, Rev. P. M urphy a nd thecurate of Barntown , Rev. J. Breen.The church presented a lovely picture in its ~ v l l - k e p t rounds undera brilliant Autum n sun. The grounds and ricinity were decorated forthe great occasion .Solemn High Mass was celebrated at which Most Rev. Dr. Stauntonpresided The serm on was preached by Rev. John Kelly. C.S.S.R.. andHis Lordship ascended the pulpit and a lso addressed the congregation.A choir of students from St. Peter 's College sang at High M ass.

Barn town church cho ir sang for Solem n Benediction.Arrangem ents for the accommoda tion of the large congregation weresupervised by Frs. M urphy and Breen. M emb ers of the Civic Gu ardwere in attendan ce for the control o f tr a fi c and direction of people whoattended th e cerem onies.Miss O 'R ya n, M.C.C., represented the Pyesident, Mr. Sean T . O 'Ke lly.The attendance also included Mr. T. D. Sinnott, County Manager, andMr. & Mrs. P. B. Pierce."Seating for the ceremony was by ticket on ly, at a cost of half a crow n.Once again a member of the Pierce family, Mr. Philip Pierce of ParkHouse (now occupied by M r. To m is Williams and family) defrayed thecost of a major portion of the w ork.The church todayIn past renovations the Pugin decoration and artefacts were consideredold fashioned and w ere removed as the style of the times dem anded. Inthe late 1990's, a church renovation committee was formed under thechairmanship of Fr. Sean Gorman, C.C., with the primary intention ofrestoring the chu rch to its form er Pugin beauty. W ith this in min d, thecommittee engaged Mr. Michael Tierney, Architect, who had recentlycompleted the renovation of St. Aidan's Cathedral in Enniscorthy.A local firm, Cleary and Doyle, was hired as the main contractor forthe project.When work began, major structural damage was discovered in theroof beams and walls, which was more extensive than anticipated.When carrying out these repairs it was necessary to cover the beautifuloriginal plastered and stencilled ceiling.Som e of the other m ajor works carried out include: -


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Converting the altar boys' vestry into a beautiful Oratory ;Re-styling of the Sanctuary area which included carpeting,lowering the reredos, installing a fron t altar and am bo ;Renewing the heating, lighting and public ad dress system s;Replacing the w ainscoting and confessional;Repainting roof timbers, ceiling and walls which includedstencilling the walls with the original pattern;Restoring som e of the older stained glass windo ws;General improvements to the priest's vestry, baptismal area andporches;Sandblasting the exterior stonew ork;Repairing the bells;Building an e xternal workho use and toilets.The cost of all this work was enormous and fundraising in theparish will occ upy the com mittee f or _some time.

Priests who served in St. Alphonsus' churchSince Fr. M urphy celebrated the first M ass in S t. Alph onsus' ch urc h inSeptember 1848, many young priests have come and gone. Most ofthem went on to beco me parish priests in various parishe s. Most Rev .Dr. James Browne, Bishop of Ferns, who performed the consecrationceremony in 1899, had been a form er curate in this chu rch. Threepriests - Rev. David Kent, C.C., Rev. James Gaul, C.C., andRev. Patrick Browne, C.C. - died w hile serving the people of Barntownand are buried in the chu rch grou nds .On the death of Fr. David Kent, the following obituary appeared inThe People newspaper, 13IhJuly, 1878: -Fr. Kent died at his residence, Barntown, early on Friday morning.He was over 73 years of age. He way ordained priest abo ut 1836. Heserved in m an y parishes before being transferred to Barntown about ayear and a half ago . He had been ill for a few days. He w as interred inBarntown church. "Th e death of Fr. Gaul at such a young a ge caused widespread grief inthe parish. T he follow ing is his obituary, which appe ared in ThePeople newspaper on 20Ih January 1926.Great surprise and sorrow were expressed on Sunday night when itwas learned the Rev. James Gaul, C.C., B a r n t o ~ n a d passed a wa ythat evening. Fr. G aul was son of Patrick G au l, W ate rloo Kd., W exford,c u d Lwua 117 hir 49'" year. He wa s ordained in 1902 and transferred toBarntown in 1919. His health had not been good for some years and


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Journal of The Tag hm on Historical Society St. Alphonsus Church

his death will be keenly regretted. Th e interment took place on Tuesd ayin the church groun ds.The last priest to die while serving in the curacy was Rev. PatrickBrow ne, C.C. His obituary appeared in 'The People' newspaper, 2tjthFebruary 1944.It is with deep regret that we announce the dea th of a well kno wn andwell beloved priest of the diocese of Ferns, Rev. Patrick Browne, C.C.,Barntown, which took place a t his residence early o n M ond ay m orninglast. Fr. Browne was born in Ballywilliam 53 years ago. He wasordaine d a priest in 1917 by the late Most Rev. Dr. Browne. Hesucceeded V e t y Rev. R. Hicke y, president, St. Peter's College , inBarn town where he rem ained till his death. In his priestly career,Fr. Browne was ever zealous for the salvation of the souls entru sted tohim , a fact which was realised b y the people, and m ade him beloved b yall. He was also noted for his charity to-the deserving poor, w ho neve rfailed to find in him a friend. He was responsible for the introductionof the Legion of Maty to the Barntown district. Since thecomm encement of the Emergency, he ha d done his utmost to promotethe interests of the social serv ices in his area. Th e ttying da-ys of hislast illness we re borne with great Christian fortitude and patience,which will ever serve as an exam ple to the people. Th e report of hispassing aw ay on Mond ay last at a comparativel-v early age wa suniversally regretted. The retnains were transferred t o the church o nMond ay evening and were attended b y a large num ber of parishionersand friends. The solemn requiem Ma ss and O fi c e were offered o nW ed nes da y The remains were interred in the priest 's plot. The bishoprecited the funeral service. The loca l L.D.F. lined the route of thefuneral procession. Am ong the chief mo urners were Mr. Sean T.0'Kell.v an d Mr. Eoin O 'R y a n representing Dr. Ryan, T.D., M inisterfor Agriculture.The following are the priests who served in St. Alphonsus' churchthroughout its long history: -Rev. Patrick Murphy, P.P.Rev. William Furlong, C .C.Rev. James Browne, C.C.Rev. John Parker, C.C.Rev. James Kavanagh, C.C.Rev. David Kent, C.C.Rev. Matthew Kavanagh, C.C.


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J o u rr d of The Tag hm on Historical Society St. Alphonsus Church

Rev. Edward Brennan, C.C.Rev. Jeremiah O'Connor, C.C.Rev. John Browne, C.C.Rev. James Hartley, C.C.Rev. Henry Lambert, C.C.Rev. James Gaul, C.C.Rev. Robert Hickey, C.C.Rev. Patrick Browne, C.C.Rev. John Breen, C.C.Rev. M. Lorenzo Cleary, C.C.Rev. Robert Nolan, C.C.Rev. Fredrick Hammel, C.C.Rev. Gerard O'Leary, C.C.Rev. Richard Hayes, C.C.Rev. Martin Nolan. C.C.Rev. Sean Gorman, C.C.

1886- 18881888- 18931893-19001900-19101910-19191919-19261926-19321932-19441944- 19601960-19721972- 19761976- 19791979-19801980-19911991-19951995 to date

All the above have left their own indelible mark on both the churchbuilding and its people. Some have gone to their eternal reward butnone should be forgotten for their contribution to the pastoral life of theparish.

The people of Barntown are extremely proud of their church, which isa fitting monument to their ancestors who sacrificed so much to providethis beautiful edifice in poorer times. It attracts numerous visitors whocome to view its restored glory and who are overwhelmed by thebeauty of this country church. In its lovely setting overlooking the riverSlaney, St. Alphonsus' church is indeed the 'Gem of the Diocese ofFerns'.


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J o u r n a l o f T h e T a g h m o n H is to r ic a l S o c i et y St. Alphonsus Church

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & REFERENCES

Clzronicles of Mount S t. A lpl ~o ns usVery Rev. Fr. Oliver Do yleVery Rev. Canon John G ahan (R IP)H is to p o f s t . A lphonsus ' church, 1990 - Jane W ickhamMr. Bart. LaceyFr. Danny McDonaldFr. Robert NolanThe Parochial RecordsThe People newspaper 1867, 1899, 1926. 1944, 1948St. Alphonsus chrrrch centenary booklet 1948Wexford Independent 185 1Liz WickhamMrs. Mag Wickham (RIP)

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