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KILCUMMIN (OUGHTERARD) |
OUGHTERARD CHURCH
Connaught Journal
Printed and Published in Lower Cross-street by Barthw. O'FLAHERTY
Galway, Ireland
Thursday, February 27, 1840
Volume 89 Price 5D
THE REV. DOCTOR KIRWAN, P.P., OUGHTERARD The above distinguished and eloquent Preacher is at present in Cork, where he stands high in the estimation of the citizens, who admire and appreciate his talents. The independent and patriotic people of Cork, with their characteristic liberality, are coming forward to sustain this highly gifted and exemplary Pastor in his present difficulties and have entered into subscriptions to defray the expenses of the Law proceedings in which he is at present involved. We regret exceedingly that those proceedings ever originated; and for the credit of the plaintiff in this case, we hope he may be induced to abandon them. We subjoin the following excellent article so complimentary to the religious zeal of Doctor KIRWAN, from the last number of the Cork Southern Reporter:-
In our last number we stated our reluctance to press upon the characteristic generosity of the Cork public, in behalf of distant localities, when there are so many legitimate claims for its exercise within this city, coming from those institutions which it is the interest, as well as the duty of the citizens to maintain. That reluctance is increased by the knowledge we have, how repeatedly, of late, that generosity has been tested; but notwithstanding this very natural feeling on our parts, we cannot hesitate to place before the public a case of peculiar hardship, which certainly, when known, cannot fail to obtain for the Rev. Gentleman concerned, the sympathy of every sincere Christian and true Patriot.
It
will be admitted by every one - no matter what creed or party - that nothing so
much tends to civilize a population - to render them peaceful neighbors and good
subjects, as a knowledge of those Christian precepts and Doctrines which, under
the most disheartening circumstances, it is the constant endeavoars of the
Catholic religion to infuse upon its followers. In prosecuting this holy
object, the national religion has in Ireland much to contend against. The Irish
nation is called upon in the first instance, to support Church Establishment,
with which it has no sympathy, either political or spiritual; and when, in many
districts, the produce of the people's industry is nearly all wrested from them
in the shape of rents or rent charges, very little remains, either to sustain
life, or to support with becoming respect the religion they profess. In some
parts of Ireland, where the Catholics, escaping from that poverty to which
centuries of oppression had consigned them, attained that rank and importance
which wealth confers, the temples of religion rose up in splendour and
magnificance, & schools were established for the moral and religious
instruction of the children of the poor; but in other parts of the Island, where
poverty clung with death like tenacity to the people, and where the solitary
proprietor of the soil had no feeling for the mass, and took no concern in their
temporare or spirit or welfare, there indeed, was it difficult for religion to
be decently maintained, or its holy precepts efficiently diffused. Under these
discouraging circumstances, a clergyman, by his own almost unaided exertions-by
the moral energy of his character, which enabled him to endure every personal
privation to accomplish his object-of a clergyman thus circumstanced, and thus
acting succeeds in erecting in the midst of a mountain district a splendid
temple, where the offices of religion are performed with all becoming dignity,
and where the
doctrines of Christianity are taught to pauper population, crowding these
mountain fastnesses-that Clergyman becomes a prominent benefactor of his race,
whose practical patriotism claims the gratitude and respect of his country.
That Dr. KIRWAN, in this respect, deserves the gratitude, and in his present position, the same paths, and assistance of Irishmen will, we think, be admitted when we have stated his case.
In 1827, he was appointed to the Parish of Outerard, in the County of Galway. It is a wild mountainous district consisting a "scattered population of over 10,000 souls, who were literally without a place of worship." The Rev. Gentleman instantly resolved on erecting one. In accomplishing this, he had many difficulties to contend with. There was no resident proprietor professing the Catholic religion, and the people all were paupers. However, "where there is a will there is a way," and accordingly nothing daunted, he commenced. He obtained from Thomas MARTIN, Esq., M.P., a grant of an acre of land as a site for his Church.-This ground had been for over seventy years in the possession of the MARTINs. It originally belonged to another family, who made a transfer of it to them in exchange for other ground, and for time beyond living memory, it was considered the property of this respectable family.
Dr. KIRWAN received in aid of his undertaking but 200l from his parish. With this sum he proceeded & at the end of ten years, by spending in true good work his entire professional income, and with other aid from private benevolence, he completed a most tasteful and elegant erection. We have seen a drawing of this truly classic building, and our surprise is, how it could be completed for the sum of three thousand pounds. It reminds us of those neat rural chruches scattered over the fair surface of happy Belgium; the pastor's humble cottage close by, with its green lawn and luxuriant shrubbery; and we should say, if anything could tend more than another to increase the people's reverance for religion, it was by observing, for over ten years, this indefatigable and most exemplary clergyman spending almost every farthing of his own, in erecting for their accommodation and spiritual good, so splendid a structure. Nor, during its progress, were his exertions wanted "to enlighten and raise his flock in the scale of moral existence, to impart just notions of their rights, as well as of their duties; and to procure for them and impartial administration of the laws."
Such being the good work for which Dr. KIRWAN is in our opinion, entitled to the gratitude of his countrymen, we now proceed to state why we claim for him the sympathy and support of the Cork Public.
It appears that the present representative of the family by whom the ground was formerly transferred to the MARTINs, fancies he had discovered a flaw in the title. He alleges that there was no absolute assignment in perpetuity made; that the ground was held under a terminable lease from his family, which expired, in 1834, since which time it is a singular coincidence that the greater part of the money has been expended on the building. He has accordingly for the first time, last year, bought down an ejectment process from the superiour Courts. The issue is to be tried at the approaching Galway Assizes, and if he succeeds, this church, erected at so much expense, will be either "uprooted from the land" or turned, it may be, "into a stable for Coach Horses," and ths will this now improving population be again deprived of the blessing and advantage of religious worhsip within their immediate reach. We shall not venture to examine the motives of the individual who, without any personal benefit to accrue from success, thus drags into a Court of Law an humble and impoverished Parish Priest; but this we will say, that however unclear the title, the poor priest may be defeated by legal subtleties, if he is not afforded those pecuniary means without which law cannot be approached or justice obtained.
Mr. O'CONNELL has volunteered his services on the occasion-but even so, the proceedings will be exceedingly expensive. This expense must be cheerfully paid by the people, and we cll upon our fellow citizens to be forward in giving this respectable clergyman every assistance to enable him to obtain justice.
A Committe has already been formed, who will thankfully receive any contributions-it consists of:- Very Rev. Archdeacon O'KEEFFE; The Very Rev. M.B. O'SHEA; The Very Rev. T. MATHEW; The Very Rev William O'CONNOR; James MURPHY, Esq.; Thomas LYONS, Esq.; Jeremiah S. MURPHY; Esq; William FAGAN, Esq; John BURKE, Esq.; Edward HACKETT, Esq.; Edmund GOULD, Esq.; James MINHEAR, Esq.; Daniel MURPHY, Esq.; Joseph HAYES, Esq.; James DALY, Esq.; Daniel MEAGHER, Esq.
This article was transcribed by Cathy Joynt Labath
