If not the Dominicans, allow another Order to take over local church
Dear Sir,
So I ask, is Drogheda about to get a new snooker, pool, slot machine centre ? I ask the question in relation to, as he styles himself : W Frank Godfrey (Former Mayor of Drogheda) call for the Dominican Church to be handed over to the Borough Council.
Unlike Former Mayor W.F. Godfrey St. Magdalene’s is not a former Church. It is very much present and operating and I hope that it can remain open with the Dominican Order at the helm, however I cannot see any reason why another Order, Capuchians or Vincentians could not be invited to take over the Church.
With regard to former Mayor Godfrey’s suggestion When Benjamin Whitworth bequeathed the Whitworth Hall to the people of Drogheda I doubt he intended it to end up as a pool hall and slot machine Emporium. I doubt it was his intention that the water fountain he helped finance would end up being demolished and dumped. Sections of it, but not all, were recovered by the late Brendan Kerr.
Former Mayor Godfrey’s suggestion that the Church be turned into a Museum. Have we not enough Museums. We have Millmount. We have Frank’s Country Cottage with its horse’s em ,er, ah, head on display. We have Oldbridge House. We had the Drogheda historical display in St. Marys Church of Ireland which Former Mayor Godfrey picketed because he took exception to one of its exhibits. One could take offence of the fact that the Dominicans were invited to Drogheda by the Normans in order to interpete the Law in favour of the invader against the natives. No matter it was a while ago.
I hope a solution, favourable to the Congregation, can be found and that the Church remains open for the foreseeable future.
I would not like to see it ending up in the ownership or control of the Borough Council or possibly City of Drogheda Council, in name only. Given their history the Church could end up being sold and turned into a Night Club and the house as a Direct Provision Centre. The latter is not a bad idea.
For the future, I shall consider signing myself M.G. Ò Tuille, former member of the Executive Committee Conradh Na Gaeilge, as was P. Pearse, M.Collins and a few others. Would anyone care. Apart from a snort of derision, not a whit.
Yours, GERRY FLOYD B.A Humanities,Hons. English Literature, Theology, Former Gas Installer, Fitter,City & Guilds and loads of stuff nobody cares about.