Our local Churches: the past and today
THE construction of the Church of the Immaculate Conception of Knightstown, under the guidance of Fr William Keane PP, commenced on April 21, 1914. The land was gifted to the church by the Knight of Kerry, Maurice Fitzgerald.
Its Dedication Ceremony took place on August 1, 1915, with the Bishop of Kerry, DrJohn Mangan, also in attendance. Up to that period, the only Catholic Church in Valentia was the old Church in Chapeltown, which served about 3,000 when the population peaked in the 1840s.
The centenary celebrations of the Church, organised by a diligent committee, occurred there on Sunday, July 24, 2016, with the Bishop of Kerry Ray Browne and a number of priests concelebrating mass.
For many years previous to the construction, the inconvenience of having only one Church for a parish the size and population of Valentia was keenly felt.
The importance of the island had also increased as it became the headquarters of the Pioneer Cable Company that connected with the western continent of America. It brought into the island new operators and their families.
Later on, the island became a station for the Marconi Wireless Company, which enhanced its importance. Valentia was also attracting a growing number of tourists, who regularly stayed in the nearby Royal Hotel. The population of Knightstown significantly increasing, with Valentia’s total population at around 1,700.
The architects were Messrs Ashlin and Coleman, Dublin, with the builders being Messrs J Sisk and son, Cork.
The Church of Saints Derarca and Teresa of Chapeltown was built in 1939 under the guidance of Parish Priest Fr Michael O’Donoghue. Dennehys of North Kerry were the builders.
It replaced the old cruciform church situated next to it, which was demolished in 1942. Fr Patrick Maginn, a native of County Cavan, is on record as the longest-serving Parish Priest of Valentia Island. He was here for 50 years (from 1819 to 1869) and is buried in the Church grounds. He passed away at the age of 75 on June 9, 1869.
Fr Maginn was also responsible for the island’s first National School, which commenced in the early 1840s. It was situated across the road from the Church, on the site where the late, long-serving Parish Clerk Johnny ‘Mund’ Murphy was later to reside. ‘Mund’ passed away on 0ctober 3, 1981.
Many Parish Priests have come and gone over the years, of course, but a very significant milestone happened for both Churches on Wednesday, July 22, 2015, with the official retirement of Parish Priest Fr John Shanahan who, after 22 years here, was second to Fr Maginn as Valentia’s longest-serving PP.
Fr Shanahan also has the distinction of having been the last full-time and residential Parish Priest here. Since then Valentia has been served by neighbouring Parish Priests for Masses and other occasions of parochial significance.
During the course of the past few years, the following work has been carried out on both Churches:
Chapeltown: The lighting system was overhauled; It has a new concrete floor, with carpeting of the entire surface; Internal and external painting took place; The aisles were widened; The seats were restored, treated and re-varnished; New candelabras were installed; The is drainage around the Church perimeter; Laying of kerbs; here is a tarmacadam footpath all round; The is a new fire/ wheelchair-access door; There was repair work to gas piping of the heating system; There is bevelled glass at the entrance; There is a new water heater in the sacristy; And the stations of the cross were restored.
Knightstown: External stonework was cleaned down; Six stained glass windows were restored to completion; There was repointing of southeastern stonework and of limestone barge and coins; Re-sealing took place of the bell-tower floor; The sacristy was carpeted; And new candleabras were installed.
Future works: Restoration of the windows of both Churches; Renew valleys of the Knightstown Church roof; Construction of a new wheelchair entrance to Knightstown Church; Provision of disa- bled parking to Knightstown; A store and meeting room is to be built at one Church; Repairs to the roof of Chapeltown Church; Cladding of the front gable of Chapeltown Church; Gutters in both Churches will be cleaned and repaired; And a new heating system will be installed in both Churches.
The Knightstown Church has been closed for the past month in order to facilitate plastering repairs. The Presbytery at Knightstown has been sold, with the accruing proceeds from the sale to be provided for the benefit of the ongoing renovation of the two Churches.
Footnote: Colleagues and friends associated with both Churches would like to extend all good wishes to Deborah O’Connor, who is currently recovering from serious illness.
Deborah was, for many years, a very dedicated and diligent Church worker, and she and her husband, Dan, were the driving force in setting in motion the renovation work in both churches.