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St. Tierney's
Below has been taken from a story of the history of St. Tierney's. It was told by Eileen Smyth of Roslea and is included in one of several historical Journals which was available from the Roslea Heritage Centre. These books are a great source of information for researchers, especially so as the many stories have been told by the older members, living in Roslea and all have been written by members of the community and there are plenty of photos too. Sadly, due to lack of funding, it was impossible for Oliver McCaffrey and Jimmy Callaghan, who have put so much time and effort into the Centre, to keep the Centre open. To my knowledge, the way things stand at the moment, anyone wanting to visit the Centre, would have to get in touch with Oliver or James and arrange a time. It would be worth it just to get your hands of a copy of these books. I guarantee any researcher in Roslea ancestry will find something in each of these books, that will help with their research. I am hoping that enough interest will be created to warrant funding being given to help keep the Centre open and for Oliver to keep on with the many projects he has undertaken for the good of all of us. I for one am extremely grateful to him for this.
From
Roslea Community Historical Society Journal (Volume 4 - 2000)
St. Tierney's was built in 1830, on the lines of a Presbyterian church-barn
style. Structurally, it has not changed to this day. As a result of Catholic
emancipation in 1829, it has the first regularly built belfry and bell erected
north of the Boyne in a period of 300 years. Father Thomas Bogue P.P. who was
responsible for the building of the church presented the bell, which was cast by
Sheridan of Dublin. The firs altar, presented by Arthur McKenna, Dublin, a
native of the parish, was made of wood. It was tastefully decorated with
carvings and painted in blue and gold. The tabernacle stood in the centre of the
altar. When the altar was replaced in the 30's, the parishioners took peices of
it as mementos. The painting of the Crucifiction hung over the altar, as it does
to this day and is a striking feature of the church. How this picture came to
the church is not known, it is said it was bought in Dublin. Flanking the
pictures were murals. One over the vestry door depicted a Bishop, thought to be
St. Tierney, patron of the church. The other was an exceptionally beautiful
painting of Our Lady. Again, the artist is unknown, perhaps they were the work
of a travelling artist. The inscription "Ora Pro Nobis" under each picture was
painted by a man, McMahon, who it is said, came from the townland of Corbane.
The sanctuary was encircled in a semi-circle style by wooden railings. The altar
and railings were replaced in the 30's when some renovations were being made, by
a fine Italian marble altar and wrough iron railings. These were donated by Mrs.
Agnes Connolly, Belfast, a member of an old Roslea family - Keenan. Her father
owned the business and house now known as the "Roslea Arms" and much land around
Roslea and Clones. A lady altar and statue of Our Lady both in Italian marble
were donated by the McConnell family Drumghost, Co. Monaghan, grand uncles of
the late Patsy Connolly of St. Patrick's Park. The statue is in the church
today. One of the McConnell family entered the Dominican Order. Around the same
time, or perhaps a little earlier, Sarah Cosgrove (known as Big Sarah) gave the
first candelabra to the church, also the Cape and Veil still used at
Benediction. Six tall brass candlesticks stood on the main altar - three on each
side of the tabernacle. They were used at mass on Sunday and Holy Days, very,
very difficult for the young altar servers to light. A brass crucifix stood on
top of the tabernacle. the gong, still in use, stood on the lower right side of
the altar steps.
Being pre-vatican II the priest, when saying Mass, faced the altar as did the
Mass servers. Prayers and responses were in Latin. The servers were taught these
responses by a teacher or the priest. Moving the bookstand and missal from the
right side of the altar to the left for the reading of the Gospel was difficult
for young or small servers. Lay readers and Eucharist Ministers were un-known in
those days. More altar linens were in use then, all around the inside of the
rails hung a white linen cloth. It was known as the Communion Cloth, the servers
draped it over the rails when Holy Communion was being distributed. The only
seating on the ground floor was box pews, which extended on each side of the
altar to where the confession rooms now are. Families bought seats in the pews
for the use of themselves and their families. They had their names painted on
them. One seat which was at the top of the pews, left of the altar, was
different from the others, it had a door with a bolt on it and belonged to the
Keenan family. Until the pews were removed in the late 20's early 30's, children
did enjoy going into the seat, bolting the door, opening it again as they came
out.
Canon McGloin was appointed P.P. on the death of Fr. Peter Duffy in 1887 (Fr.
Peter was much loved by the parishioners and was respected by all persuasions)
Canon McGloin had the floor tiled and seating installed. The seats were made by
Patrick Connolly, Roslea, and his son Johnnie, grandfather a father respectively
of Sean Connolly, Mullaghconnolly. Glass paneled doors were installed leading
from the porches. Another outstanding seat used by the R.I.C. when they attended
Sunday Mass. I have been told they marched to Mass. This seat remained until the
30's when, like the pews, it was removed. It was a long high seat facing the
altar. The glass in the lofty windows ground floor were replaced by stained
glass in the 30's. The donors names are inscribed on them. A confessional stood
at each side of the church, where the stairs leading to the gallery are now
located. Another feature, unheard of now, were wooden pegs on the wall used by
men to hang their hats. Close to the inside doors on the right side stood the
stone baptismal font. It was in two pieces, the top or cap lifted off. This was
replaced by a marble font in the 30's. It was donated by the McMahon family of
Greaghawarren, as was the silver Tabernacle lamp. The stations of the Cross hung
at regular intervals around the church, from the right of the altar to the left,
they were replaced in the 80's.
There was no heating or lighting in the church until the late 50's or early
60's. Then in the 80's a modern system was installed. Before the stairs to the
gallery were relocated to the in-side of the church, stairs went up from the
lower porch to quite a good sized landing, from which two steps led to the door
opening onto the gallery. A second flight of steep narrow stairs led also from
this landing to the belfry and bell. The seating on the gallery was not
comfortable for kneeling or sitting. Again the seats were bought by families and
were in use until they were replaced during the last renovations. A story was
told of one seat: to the left side front of the gallery. The ownership of the
seat was contested by two Roslea families. The feud continued until one Sunday a
member of one family threatened to throw a member of the other family over onto
the floor below. The Bishop was then called on to settle the dispute. The seat
was divided by an iron rod, thus the rhyme "the iron rod in the Church of God".
The rod remained in place for many years.
The gallery, a distinctive feature of the church, can seat 500 people. When it
was added to the church it was not purpose-built for seating, more to square off
the building. The approach to the gallery, right side, was by a flight of stone
stairs from the outside of the church to a small porch, now a store room. From
this porch a door led onto the gallery. In the 30's the stone stair-way was
taken down as it had become dangerous. The boiler house now stands where it was.
Wooden stairs inside the porch replaced them. Unique features were the stone
fonts attached, I know not how, to the wall on the inside of the doors leading
to the gallery.
In the early days the choir was located on the ground floor facing the altar.
The music was provided by a flute and a fiddle - forerunner of the folk mass.
When the seating was installed the choir was moved to the top centre of the
gallery. Again when renovation were being made, the choir was moved closer to
the front of the gallery, where it remained until it's present location. A
harmonium replaced the fiddle and the flute. It remained in use until the new
organ was installed. The choir sang at the last Mass on Sundays and Holy Days
and at Benediction. The Kyrie Elison, Gloria Creed Sanctus and Agnus Dei were
sung in Latin as were some of the responses during Benediction. Masses on
Christmas morning were special. They were celebrated at an earlier time as there
were three early masses and three at a later time. This meant a very early start
for parishioners who had to walk long distances while it was yet dark, exciting
for the children and a novelty.
Parishioners carried lighted lanterns in the early days. As the only light in
the church was from the candles on the altar and the candelabra until oil lamps
were introduced, some people brought candles. Two old ladies who sat on the
gallery kept up this Christmas custom even when the oil lamps were in use.
Another recollection I have of Christmas in church was the huge holly wreath and
candles were suspended from a beam over the altar. It was discontinued as it was
a fire hazard. The first crib to be set up in St. Tierney's was in the 1980's.
The vestry was completely re-vamped during the 1980 renovations. New furnishings
and flooring replaced the old. Central heating was installed and electric light.
The old fireplace was removed. Above the vestry were three small rooms one with
a fireplace. These were the living quarters of the first known sexton, James
Gunn. James also had a potato patch, it was incorporated into the cemetery and
known as "Gunn's Garden". With heat and light now installed, a meeting room,
known as the church room, and a fitted kitchen replaces James' living quarters.
What would be his comment on these changes and improvements?
Mrs. Lucy McDonald, Roslea, succeeded James Gunn as caretaker. Lucy was the
step-mother of Barney McDonald, then a boy, who helped around the church. Mrs.
Maher who was the next caretaker had come to live in Roslea after her husband
died. She was originally from Galway. Felix McHugh, her nephew, assisted her.
Felix rang the bell for funerals. The stairs to the belfry were in a dangerous
condition. Felix died in his late teens and is buried with his parents in that
part of the cemetery still known as "Gunn's Garden". Mrs. Maher left Roslea
shortly after to join her daughter in America. The next appointed as sexton was
Barney (McDonald) who gave dedicated service for many years in which he saw many
improvements and changes. The previous caretaker duties lay inside the church,
Barneys duties were inside the church and the care of the grounds, the ringing
of the Mass bell on Sundays and weekdays and for the Angelus each day at
8.00a.m., 12 noon and 6.00p.m. This entailed climbing the flight of stairs to
the bell. It would be interesting to know his opinion of the present method of
ringing the bell using today's technology. The bell was rung of course for
funeral. Barney's family helped and took over when he could no longer manage.
Barney died in December 1972. His family continued for some time until it was
impossible with their own business affairs, to attend to the church. When Barney
first took over, his wife laundered the altar linens and Albs. They also made
the breads for Communion until these were supplied by a convent in Clones. Mary
Murray took over as caretaker, her duties lay inside the church. She was also
housekeeper to the then Parish Priest Fr. C. Murphy. Ill health forced her to
resign. Jim Toye was appointed in May 1988, a dedicated and most efficient
sexton.
The church may not play a very important part in the lives of the rising
generation but they should think of the sacrifices their ancestors made in
contributing to the building of St. Tierney's, when poverty was widespread and
the rigours of the Penal times were still remembered, and with the hope given by
Catholic Emancipation in 1829.
To Father Bogue, the Priests who succeeded him and to our present parish priest,
Canon Brian McCluskey, who undertook the vast renovations and changes which has
made our church one of the finest in the Diocese, we owe a great debt of
gratitude.
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