The previous church in Tournafulla was built in 1814. Although no trace
of the church remains, the site can be entered by gate from a point
just beyond the parochial house. This church had a thatched roof and
was built with ash and stones. This church was part of the old village
of Tournafulla. However, following the Great Flood of 1839 by the river
Allaughan, the village moved to a higher location. The walk to the old
church site is over marshy ground along a path that once served as a
mass path. There were two mass paths, one for each end of the parish.
These paths can still be walked in parts. The old church was called
"the Chapel of the Mountain of the Curse". Westropp referred
to this church as Monte Maledictions.
On the site of the church, there is a plain headstone
set on stone. This headstone marks the original burial place of Fr Shanahan.
In 1994, his body was exhumed and reburied in the new cemetery behind
Tournafulla church. The people of the parish erected a headstone to
his memory over the new gravesite.
