Perfect peace in the church at the lake

If an outsider was asked to choose the perfect beauty spot in the Ox Mountains, they might well choose Lough Talt. If the same outsider was asked to choose the perfect place around the lake itself, they would point immediately to the little chapel on the southern slope of Laragan hill. No picture of the lake is fully complete unless it includes the Church of the Sacred Heart.

Jack Taaffe 

Prior to the construction of the present church, it is reputed that an old church existed nearby at the Windy Gap, but there is no trace of that building today. Legend has it that this early church was founded by St Attracta after she performed a miracle locally. According to Liam Swords, in his beautiful book, Achonry and its Churches, the current church at Lough Talt was completed in 1845, just before the Great Famine.

Jack Taaffe was the chief landlord of the district with 47 tenants and was very keen to have a chapel on his property. He did not get the co-operation of parish priest Fr Daniel Mullarkey so Taaffe took it on himself and accomplished the work almost single-handed.

It should be pointed out at this stage that Taaffe was no ordinary philanthropist and stories about him and his eccentric behaviour are legend. One particular story, from the Schools Folklore Collection, shows him in a less benevolent light. A contribution made by Maggie Ann Mullarkey from the local school at Masshill, detailed the following story.

In our neighbouring townland known as Mount Taafe, there once lived a landlord called Taafe. He was a very peculiar man. One year he went to England before he had saved the turf. His wife gathered a 'meitheal' to stack the turf. When Taafe came home he scattered out the turf and took it back to the bog. The next day he made all the men stack it again.

It is unclear from this story whether Taaffe’s issue was with his wife or the meitheal, but we can reasonably assume that Taaffe was more interested in goading Fr Mullarkey than he was is meeting the spiritual needs of his tenants. Regardless, the little church was conceived and work began in 1837. It seems the local population had increased at the time due to Taffe’s Waste Land Society project and in fairness, he did donate a free site for the chapel. On the other hand, Taaffe initiated a subscription list to help cover the costs of construction. It seems while largely funding the building works himself, the church wasn’t entirely a gift to the locals.

Bright Light 

Information provided in Kilmactigue Parish – History & Memories (Vol 2, 2020. Eds, Fleming, Jones and Maye), further outlines the origins of the church and its value to the local community.

This church made it easier for the growing population in surrounding townlands to attend mass and receive the sacraments of the Catholic Church; no longer would they have to make the arduous journey to the churches many miles away. This little church was a bright light for the community, that had quickly developed into a thriving village, comprised of a police station, a porter’s lodge, a national school and now, a new chapel.

As mentioned, the building of the little chapel got no cooperation from the local parish priest Fr Mullarkey. This was most likely because Fr Mullarkey himself was engaged in the construction of his own new church building in the half-parish of Tourlestrane at the same time.

Whatever about the vagaries of its origins all those years ago, the church has remained in use ever since, despite considerable emigration and rural decline in the locality. Long gone is the thriving village, the police station, the porter’s lodge and the national school. One thing that did not change however, was the great love and respect that the local community maintained for their little church. It was renovated in 1995 and has had other occasional face-lifts since then. 

Local man, Fintan Mullarkey, is part of a team that currently looks after the church and its grounds. His account of their activities is as impressive as it is endearing. 

“The church has always been maintained by the locals, with the blessings of Parish Priest - our current PP is Fr John Glynn. 

“In recent years, following the pandemic, the church had a little internal refurbishment and an outdoor tidy up. A new rota for the Altar Society was set up and a different family share this responsibility each month. Mass is celebrated every Sunday morning at 9.20 with all the locals taking part in the celebration of the Eucharist. These include, altar servers, the choir, Eucharistic Ministers, gift-bearers, and collection counters.” 

Aflie’s Memories 

Alfie Deehan was born and reared close to the church at Laragan. It is not an understatement to say that he loves the little church, as reflected in his memories.

“I was born and raised in Mountaffe, very close to the Sacred Heart Church in Laragan. I have great memories of growing up there and of going to Mass every Sunday with my family, the Fordes. The journey was usually made on foot, perhaps a bike if you were lucky.

“I was eventually recruited as an altar boy, a task which I enjoyed immensely. It was the late Michael Carney who taught me the Latin responses so that I could serve Mass. I will always remember the first sentence, Ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam. 

"First Communion was another great event in my life. Mrs Kilgannon was our teacher and she prepared us to perfection for that important day.

"It is a privilege to reminisce but sadly, many of the people who filled those seats in the Lake Church are no longer with us. May they be enjoying their eternal reward.” 

Perfect Peace 

There is currently a fine walking trail positioned around the lake, taking the walker from lakeshore to high woodland. It is a pleasure to trek in any season. The trail crosses the main Tubbercurry-Ballina road close to the church at Laragan. A stop-off there is essential; the door is always open, there is a visitor’s book in the porch and, when you enter the church, you will discover… perfect peace.

The little church is indeed a hidden gem. There is an atmosphere within its walls that goes beyond what one might expect. The fact that this is a ‘local’ church is obvious; it is decorated, maintained and enriched by the people who care for it.

As a evening sun sets over Crummus, the mountain behind the lake, it beams through stained glass, highlighting a holy water bucket and sprinkler, casually placed on a window ledge. The scene is a still life, a piece of art. The sunshine goes on to illuminate the interior, warming a February chill. 

That same interior is busy but at the same time, everything just seems to fit. It is comfortable; comfortable in the same way that an old cottage kitchen is comfortable. There is solitude there too, offering all the time in the world to sit and contemplate. 

The experience is a bit like finding such a place tucked away in a corner of the French Alps, a place that has been lovingly looked after by good people for a long time.