Bishop celebrates Church anniversary
CONSTRUCTION of the Church of the Immaculate Conception of Knightstown commenced on April 21, 1914, under the guidance of Fr William Keane, PP of Valentia Island. Its Dedication Ceremony took place on August 1, 1915 with the Bishop of Kerry Dr Mangan also in attendance.
The following is an extract from the Killarney Echo issue of August 3, 1915:
On April 21, 1914, an event of more than ordinary significance took place in the lives of the inhabitants of Valentia Island with the commencement of the building of a Catholic Church in Knightstown, overlooking Valentia Harbour, Renard Point and Ardcost. For many years the inconvenience was felt of having only one church for a parish the size and population of Valentia.
The importance of the island had also increased as it became the headquarters of the Pioneer Cable Company that connected Ireland with the western continent of America. The subsequent development of trans-Atlantic telegraphy brought into the island a new colony of operators and their families. Later on, the island became a station for the Marconi Wireless Company which again enhanced it’s importance.
Valentia, with it’s beautiful scenery was also attracting a growing number of tourists who regularly stayed in the nearby Royal Hotel and would be facilitated greatly for worshipping purposes with a very short and scenic walk to the new church.
The people of the island were also growing in prosperity with most of them becoming the owners of their holdings which gave them security of tenure to improve their lot.
The population of the island was about 1,700 with the existing church situated in Chapeltown in the middle of the island not being able to reasonably accommodate this number. It was also situated more than two miles away from the more populous village of Knightstown. The question of providing an additional church quite near the pier had been under consideration for a considerable time. The Bishop of Kerry the Most Rev. Dr. John Mangan felt that the time was appropriate to make a start.
During the course of the past number of months a committee was put in place for the purpose of organising a centenary celebratory commemorative event of the building in 1915 of such a beautifully designed church. The committee’s dedicated work and historical research, in association with other church workers, came to full fruition at 2pm on Sunday, July 24, when a large congregation was present as the centenary mass was celebrated. The weather for this occasion was quite pleasant in contrast to the day of the Dedication Ceremony in 1915 when, according to newspaper reports, the weather was very unfavourable.
The Centenary Mass was celebrated in association with the Valentia Island choir by the Bishop of Kerry Raymond Browne, concelebrated also by Fr Larry Kelly, PP of Cahirsiveen, Fr Gerard Finucane, PP of Waterville, Fr Pat Sugrue, originally of Dromid, Fr Padraig Keogh, originally of Rockchapel, Co Cork and Fr Denis Lynch of Valentia.
An introductory talk was rendered by Patrick Lyne of Cooil who is Chairman of the Valenia Pastoral Council.In attendance also was Adrian Fitzgerald, the 24th Knight of Kerry, whose great grandfather, Maurice Fitzgerald, donated the land for the building of the church.On completion of the ceremonies, all adjourned to the nearby Royal Hotel for refreshments.
On the day a glossy booklet commemorating the occasion was on sale at the church entrance. This is an impressive historical series of articles and photographs referring to the structure of the church, various priests and lay characters associated with it and very interesting photographs of such occasions as baptisms, marriages communions and confirmations etc.
The booklet also includes a foreword by Sir Adrian Fitzgerald: ‘ The building and dedication of the church of the Immaculate Conception in Knightstown took place in the last few years of the life of my great grandfather, Maurice Fitzgerald. In declining health at the time, he sadly, never set eyes on this fine building upon it’s completion. But his decision to gift the land to the church will have given him great pleasure.
‘Up to then the only catholic church in Valentia was the old church in Chapeltown, which served some 3,000 souls, when the population peaked in the 1840’s. So the building of a new church in that part of the island where the population had continued to increase up to 1916 will have met an urgent need.
‘It is a wonderful thing that a succession of dedicated priests and an ever more active and generous laity have enabled this church to celebrate it’s first hundred years and enter it’s second century in such good shape. I send my best wishes to all those who have worked so hard to make all this possible and to all who worshipped here.’
The aforementioned booklet commemorating the Church of the Immaculate Conception will make for an excellent keepsake or souvenir of the centenary celebrations, for those at home and overseas. Priced at €10, copies are available through the following: cahersiven@dioceseofkerry.ie, 066-9472210 or valentiaislandheritagecentre@gmail.com, 066-9476411.