Castlemahon Church | Feohanagh Church | Church Ruins

Castlemahon Church

  
© Castlemahon church today and Castlemahon church, built 1830

There are two churches in the parish of Mahoonagh, the first at Castlemahon and the second at Feohanagh. On Ascension Thursday, the 26th of May 1960, Bishop Murphy laid the foundation stone to the present Castlemahon church. Bishop Murphy opened the new church the following year in 1961. The church is dedicated to St John the Baptist. Mr Michael Raleigh gave the site. The architect was Chevalier P. J. Sheahan and the contractor was Mr. J. McCormack. The cost of the new church was £26,000.

© Altar in Castlemahon church

Outside the church there is a mosaic of Jesus the shepherd which is to the memory of Bertie O'Gorman who died on December 16 1959. Further left of this mosaic is the foundation stone of the church. At the back of Castlemahon church, there is a statue of St Joseph on the right, while on the left there is a statue to Mary. To the left of the altar is the tabernacle and on the right there is an altar to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

© Mosaic outside Castlemahon church

Buried in the grounds of the church is:

  Canon Michael Quinn, P.P. 1959-1972, Died July 28 1972, aged 75

The present day Castlemahon church replaced St Nicholas' church, which had been built by Fr Michael Sheehan in the 1830s. In the early 1900s, Canon Irwin discovered that the foundations were faulty and pins had to be inserted to keep the walls straight. The national school in Castlemahon was built on the site of this church.

© Plaque in memory of all priests buried in the parish

The Castlemahon History Group recently erected a plaque in memory of all the priests who were buried in the parish and it was placed on the site of the old church in Castlemahon. The inscription on this plaque reads:

In Memory of Mahoonagh Parish
Priests Buried Here In This Cemetery

Rev. Fr Thomas Enright, PP, (1836-1839)
Rev. Fr Thomas Malone PP, (1844-1847)
Rev. Fr Mortimar Murnane CC, (1847-1850)
Rev. Fr Maurice Aherne PP (1850-1862)
Rev. Fr Luke Hanrahan PP (1862-1875)
Rev. Fr James Moran PP (1875-1879)
Rev. Canon Michael Irwin PP (1879-1919)
Rev. Fr John Doody CC (Aged 34 years)
Rev. Fr Patrick Hartigan PP (1929-1937)
Rev. Fr Ml. O'Brien PP (1937-1959)

Ar Dheis Dé Go Raibh A nAnamacha
Erected by Castlemahon History Society Group February 1999
Unveiled by President Mary McAleese on June 9th 1999

Heritage Project Home | Mahoonagh Home | Back to Top

       
Website by Lúnasa Design