It once had eleven malt houses in and around the village,
along with a wool and corn store, a police station and other
shops
It was the birthplace of Patrick O'Donoghue, the Nineteenth
Century Irish Nationalist revolutionary and journalist.
-
- Main Street, Clonegal
|
This plaque can be found outside the Sha-Roe Bistro,
Main Street, Clonegal, Co. Carlow
It reads:
- Patrick O'Donohoe
- Principal participant in the Yong Ireland rising
(1848) in Ballingarry, Co Tipperary and exiled to Van
Dieman's Land, Australia. Born in this house 1810
and died a pauper in Brooklyn. New York 1854.
|
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- Photo by Sheila, Toronto c2007
|
- Photo of Church of Ireland St Fiaac's
Church, Clonegall
- Photo by
Nigel Waugh
St Fiaac's Church, Clonegall
Alias Moyacomb St. Fiaac's Church is built on a Dun
or mound - a small fortress - and surrounded by a deep fosse
enclosed by a rath. The Rath which is visible forms the boundary of
the Church yard which consists of the sloping sides of the Dun. The
Church is situated overlooking the beautiful village of Clonegal,
the well known Huntington Castle and the picturesque valley of the
river Derry. The present Church was built in 1819 on the site of a
former Church and the graveyard around it has gravestones dating
back to 1777. The parish embraces parts of Counties Wicklow, Wexford
and Carlow.
The bridge in Clonegall Village
over the river Derry. |
Both these images were found on the Irish War Memorial
website:
http://www.irishwarmemorials.ie/Place-Detail?siteId=589 |
Clonegall 1798 War Memorial on
the bridge. |
On the 28th May 1818 a meeting of the vestry was
held for the purpose of deciding to either repair the roof of the
existing Church or to adopt a plan of erecting a new one. They
requested the Lord Bishop of Ferns to visit the Church and, if it
seemed expedient to him to have a new Church erected, to apply to
the Board of Firstfruits for a loan for that. At a later meeting
held on the 20th October 1818 it was stated that a grant of one
thousand three hundred pounds had been received from the Board of
Firstfruits for the building of a new Church and that sum of money
was levied on the three parts of the parish, to be paid back over a
period of seventeen years.
The Church was built in the Gothic style
with Tower and Belfry and under the supervision of Mr. John Bowden,
Architect. It contains three double stained glass windows; in
the south wall a window depicting the Good Samaritan, in memory of
the Braddell Family; the East window (by Kemp of London) with a
scene from the Good Shepherd and dedicated to the memory of
Alexander Durdin and Melianna Jones Durdin; and the third window
situated in the West wall (by J. Clarke of Dublin) depicts the
Resurrection scene, this was erected by Rev. Treasurer Ffrench in
memory of his Aunt Eleanor Metge and also in memory of the Rev.
E.A. Tickle M.A., for many years rector of Clonegal. Other memorials
are: Holy Table and Communion rails of oak in memory of members of
the Robertson family, Huntington Castle; Font in memory of Mary Ann
Durdin, Huntington Castle; Alms dish in memory of Harriet Bradish
and Lectern in memory of the Rev. Canon J. H. Bradish, Rector
1907-1939; Oak Cross for Holy Table in memory of George Rothwell,
Woodlandss, presented by his wife and family in 1993.
In July 1821 a meeting of parishioners of St.
Fiaac's was held and a synopsis of a document drawn up at that
meeting is preserved and displayed in the vestry,-it states that the
parishioners wished to subscribe to the building of a new Roman
Catholic Church in the parish of Clonegal, the money to be paid to
the Rev. Fr. Martin Doyle. It also states that the parishioners of
St. Fiaac's feel greatly indebted to Fr. Doyle and his curate, Fr.
Daniel Lawlor, for their unceasing exertions to promote the peace
and good will of this extensive parish and we offer them our hearty
thanks for their conduct to which, we are convinced, the perfect
harmony now existing among all classes of inhabitants is chiefly to
be attributed.'
On 22nd July 1945 the Consecration of the graveyard
extension took place. This addition to the graveyard of St. Fiaac's
was made possible by the good will and generosity of Denis Doyle. In
February 1989 an extension was added to the Church car park, this
was made possible by the generosity of the Hickey family in
providing a portion of ground for that purpose. A new turnstile was
erected in 1989 by George Rothwell to give easier access to the
Church grounds for the many visitors who call to view the church and
ancient burial ground or to visit the graves of relatives who rest
there.
In 1992 a ramp was built leading from the new car park and in
July 1993 the parishioners painted the interior and exterior of the
Church. A new coping and path were laid from the middle gate to the
steps leading to the main door and standard lamps were erected. To
bring this history of St. Fiaac's Church to 1993 a Flower festival
was held from the 20 - 22nd August l993 inclusive with the theme
'For the Beauty of the Earth'.
There were two schools in the parish at one time,
Moyacomb School and Raheengraney School. Moyacomb was opened in
1822, the teachers were John Sterne and his wife, Mary Ann. They
were appointed by the Rev. John Brown on 23rd September 1822, their
income was �9. l5s. This school closed in 1967. Raheengraney School
opened on 12th February 1817, teacher, Mrs. Annie Bowe, also
appointed by Rev. Brown. According to church records, Mr. Samuel
Rothwell, Clonegal, was the last teacher at a salary of �17 per
year.
A branch of Mothers' Union was formed and an
admission service took place on 22nd May 1955, with Mrs. Grace
Talbot as first enrolling member. The members presented a Notice
Board to St. Fiaac's Church to mark Centenary Year of Mothers' Union
in Ireland in 1987. The branch now forms part of Bunclody Mothers'
Union.
Source: Rachel Warren.
http://www.iol.ie/~nwaugh/Clonegal.htm
