Fr. Thomas Phelan

In one of our first posts the building of St. James, the Glenmore Catholic parish church, was discussed. In this post we shall highlight information from some of Danny Dowling’s recently transcribed notebooks particularly the names and townlands of some of the parishioners who donated pews, windows and confessionals when the church was renovated in 1910-1912 and donor information as published in the New Ross Standard at that time. See our post of

1813-1898

St. James was built in 1813 and according to the New Ross Standard of 17 May 1912, the church was built by Father Fitzpatrick with the help of the parishioners.  Danny in a January 1969 interview of Nicholas Forristal, of the Mill, Graiguenakill, Glenmore recorded that during Father Dunphy’s administration collections were undertaken and the alter and two side alters were erected. Father Dunphy left Glenmore in 1898 following the death of Father Nolan. Father Dunphy went to Danesfort as Parish Priest and died while serving there. (When the Glenmore Land League split, Father Dunphy led the anti-Parnell faction.) According to Nicholas Forristal from 1813 until the Dunphy renovations, the alter was against the back wall and there were two doors leading to the Sacristy, with one door on each side of the alter. There were also two sets of stairs leading to the old gallery each at the side of each wall. Nicholas Forristal stated that from the time of the building of the church until the renovations the Strange family, of Aylwardstown, Glenmore had a private pew in the gallery which was divided into two parts. One part was for the ladies and the other for the men. There was a door to each part. Nicholas Forristal explained in his interview that the Strange family helped a lot in the building of St. James in 1813 and “on this account got a private pew.”

Fr. Thomas Phelan Arrived

Around 1903 Father Thomas Phelan became Parish Priest of Glenmore. It was reported in an article that the church had fallen into a state of disrepair which caused anxiety to Father Phelan (New Ross Standard, 17 May 1912). About 1907 during a Mission the chapel bell was being rung when it split in half. The newspaper accounts do not indicate how the new bell was obtained, but the Most Rev. Dr. Browning, Lord Bishop of Ossory, blessed the new bell on 3 October 1909. At this blessing Father Phelan began in earnest the fundraising for the extensive renovations he proposed. For the dedication of the new bell the Jesuit preacher, the Very Rev. Michael Phelan was the featured preacher (New Ross Standard, 1 Oct. 1909) and an advertisement was placed in the local papers inviting support.

1910-1912 Renovations

For two years the tradesmen and renovators worked on the Glenmore church. At a Mission held in June 1911 (which was the third mission within five years) a sort of progress report was published. It was reported that fourteen Stations of the Cross, costing in the aggregate of about £l6O were donated as were two new confessionals, a sanctuary lamp of great value, several new pews, and several altar requisites. The new belfry, new gallery, new floor, with tiled sanctuary and sides and new church roof and ceiling were all complete (New Ross Standard, 30 June 1911).

In a final push for donations, on 15 March 1912 the New Ross Standard reported that the parishioners… “in addition to their contributions they have given many costly presents to adorn and ornament the House of God and the place where His glory dwelleth. These  presents have taken a very practical form, commemorating at the same time the faith and generosity of the donors and needed furniture and equipment. The Stations of the Cross, confessionals, sanctuary lamp, baptistry, windows, pews, and vestments are all included in the presentation. Many articles are still needed, and those who claim Glenmore as their place of birth, or are otherwise associated with the parish, and within whose consecrated graveyards lie the remains of near and dear friends, should lose no time in communicating  with the priests of the parish and secure before everything is disposed  of some article as an offering to the church: on which their name can be inscribed. What a happiness one’s name perpetuated in connection with the church of one’s own native parish, around which so many happy memories are entwined.”

Re-Consecration 1912

The long awaited dedication and re-consecration of St. James, the parish church of Glenmore,  is covered in an article that almost covers an entire page of the 17 May 1912 edition of the New Ross Standard. A photo of Father Phelan and St. James church is featured in this article as well as a description of the interior renovations. “On entering the church one is struck by the extent and magnificence of the renovations, improvements and decorations. The sanctuary is decorated in Mosaic with a handsome frieze and three arches forming a background for the three beautiful oak altars, which have been renovated and picked out in gold. The central arch bears the emblem of the Passion. The vane portion has been decorated with great taste, and the frieze and decorations of the windows are very artistic in effect. The Stations of the Cross, by Messrs. Bull, of Dublin, form a beautiful ornament to the sacred edifice, as also the beautiful new confessionals. The beautiful and well-finished pews and benches were made by Hearne and Co. Waterford.”

Donated Items

A list of the donated items was printed as follows: A set of Stations of the Cross (Irish Manufactured), in oak frame, walnut pillars, carved  capitals and oil pictures, with zinc backs, the whole costing £150, and to each of which is attached a brass plate giving the names of the donors, were presented to Father Phelan in  memory of the Rev. Nolan, P.P., by the following parishioners: Mr. John Curran, N. T., and Mrs. Curran, N.T., and Mr. P.N. O’Gorman, Rosbercon; Mr. Thomas Forrestal, and Mrs. Forrestal, Ballyverneen, Mrs. Dunphy, Ballyverneen, Mr. Mullins, Haggard; Mrs Aylward, do; Mr. John Ennett, Cappagh; Mr. Richard Doherty and Mrs. Doherty, Ballinlammy; Mr. James Delahunty, Mr. Patrick Fitzgerald and Mrs. Fitzgerald, Weatherstown; Miss Mary Walsh, Weatherstown; Misses Murphy, Kearneybay.

• Beautiful carved scotch pine confessionals by Mr. John Hynes, Ballybrahee, and Mr. P. Green, Jamestown.
• A very fine sanctuary lamp by Mr. P. Walsh and Mrs. Walsh, Davidstown.
• A set of brass altar candlesticks, by Mrs. Forrestal, Carrickloney.
• Benediction cape and vestments by the Sacred Heart Sodality.
• The baptistry by Mr. John Aylward, Ballinclare, in memory of Mr. Joseph Gahan, Ballylogue. 
• (Unfortunately the list of donors for windows is not legible)
• Processional cross, by the children of the Robinstown Female School.
• Pews, by Mr. Michael Barron, Clarrigcloney; Mr. John Phelan, Mullinhone; the Misses Gahan, Newtown; Mr. John Grace, Forristalstown; Mr. Richard Keogh, Rathinure; Mr. Michael Hynes, Ballybrehee; Mrs. Hanrahan, Glenmore, and by “donor.”

At the end of this publication it is stated, “It is understood the list is not yet completed.”

For our international readers, the tradition in St. James is (that facing the alter) men sat on the left hand side of the church and women sat on the right. It is not known why or when this tradition developed, but the statue of St. Joseph is on the left and the Virgin Mary is on the right.

Seats in Chapel Men’s Side (from alter) recorded by Danny Dowling

• Presented by James Doherty, Coonaleen
• In Memory of Mrs Ellen Cahill, Ballymountain R.I.P., Presented by Mrs. Rd. Doherty
• Presented by Michael Delaney, Newtown
• In Memory of John Curran, N.T., Robinstown   R.I.P.
• In Memory of Anastasia Walsh, Ballyverneen  R.I.P.
• In Memory of Patrick Walsh, Ballyverneen R.I.P.
• In Memory of Wm. and Bridget Irish, Carrickcloney R.I.P.
• Presented by Mary Hennessy, N.T. in Memory of Her Mother and Brother R.I.P.
• Presented by Richard Kehoe, Rathinure
• Presented by John Grace, Forristalstown
• In Memory of Patk. Kennedy, USA, Native of Gaulstown  R.I.P.
• In Memory of Thomas Mullally, Grogan R.I.P.
• Pray for Donor
• In Memory of John Walsh, Ballybrahee  R.I.P
• no name
• Presented by Michael Barron, Carrigcloney
• Presented by Thomas Kennedy, Rathinure

• Confessional on men’s side–Presented by John Hynes, Ballybrahee
• Confessional on women’s side–Presented by Patrick Greene, Jamestown

Nicholas Forristal stated in his interview that the confessionals were given in 1910 “on occasion of marriage.”

Danny also recorded the donors of windows on the women’s side starting at the back, but these are not the windows from the 1910-1912 renovations.

• Presented by the Parishioners of Glenmore,
• Plain window
• Presented by the Hartley Family, Ballinclare
• St. Martin of Tours, Pray for Us–Presented by the People of Haggard
• St. Joseph, Pray for Us–Presented by Pat and Anne Dowling & family, Rickardsland
• Lady Hear My Prayer; Let My Cry Come Unto Thee–Donated by Thomas & Essie Mullally & family, Busherstown

Unfortunately, due to the current pandemic we were unable to visit the Church to determine how many of the donations from the parishioners in 1910-1912 are still present and to record the pews on the womens’ side etc. Later in the twentieth century the remaining gallery was removed and the 1910-1912 windows were replaced.

The Traveling Glenmore Sanctuary Light

Notwithstanding the public statements enticing parishioners to donate to have one’s name perpetuated in connection with their parish church, yesterday, Danny related that the sanctuary lamp donated by Mrs. Walsh, of Davidstown, my husband’s great-grandmother, was removed from the Church by a priest when he was transferred to another parish. Danny could not recall who or when this occurred. Mrs. Maureen Claridge, née Walsh with the aid of a cousin went in search of the lamp donated by her grandparents and located it in Crosspatrick chapel in Johnstown, Co. Kilkenny. It is believed that she visited Ballypatrick in the 1990’s and photographed the sanctuary lamp.

In 2011 Maureen’s youngest brother, Nicholas Walsh, of Davidstown, Glenmore visited Crosspatrick and viewed the sanctuary lamp donated by his grandparents to Glenmore Church during the 1910-1912 renovations. The sanctuary lamp in Crosspatrick bears an inscription “Gift of Patrick and Margaret Walsh, Davidstown A.D. 1911.”

The featured photo of St. James, Glenmore parish church, came from the 1912 article. Special thanks to Jacqueline Walsh, for the old photos of St. James and to Dick Claridge and Margaret Phelan née Claridge for the information and Margaret for the photos she took of the traveling Glenmore sanctuary lamp in 2011.

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh