Mayo church marks 200 years
Celebrations for the 200th anniversary of Crossboyne church will take place this weekend.
The Church of the Sacred Heart Crossboyne, will celebrate its 200th anniversary with a special Mass on Sunday next, August 23. The commemorative Mass will take place at 11.30am, with parish priest Fr Seán Flynn, PP, Crossboyne and Kilvine, as chief celebrant, joined by several other members of the clergy.
Everyone with a connection to Crossboyne is invited to attend, including current parishioners, those who have roots in the parish and former residents. Refreshments will be served after Mass.
The church has been at the centre of the Crossboyne community for two centuries and is regarded as one of the oldest churches in the Diocese. Although there was an older place of worship in the area, the present church was built in 1826 by Fr Andrew Gavan, a native of Inishlyre, an island in Clew Bay.
Fr Gavan secured a quarter-acre site at Burris in Crossboyne on which to build the church. The land was provided by E.J. Nolan, a Catholic landlord and attorney who lived at Logboy near Ballyhaunis.
The church was enclosed by a solid mortar wall with iron gates and originally had three galleries. Its roof was constructed with slates.
Two hundred years later, the Church of the Sacred Heart remains an important part of the local community, with the anniversary providing an opportunity to celebrate its history and the generations of people who have worshipped there.
