Beginning to receive Holy Communion - 1

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The Old Roman Catholic Chuch in Butlerstown

There was an old Roman Catholic Church in Butlerstown in 1886. It was knocked down in the year 1887 and the present school was built in its place. The church was at the eastern end of the village. It was 50 ft. in length, and 25 ft broad. It had a slated roof and a flaged floor. The altar was in the centre and there was an iron railing all round it. The seats were common, something like a chair. The priest's name was Father Barry. Mrs Brien, an old woman at present living in the village, was confirmed there by Bishop O Hea. There were two other priests in the parish also. The sermons were preached in Irish and the confessions were also heard in Irish. When the people used to come to Mass, they used to bring their shoes hanging around their necks, and they used to put on the shoes before they used to go into Mass. They used to take them off again when they used to come out. Some of the slates of the old chapel were used to cover houses in the yard of Mr Mattthew Whelton's present premises. Two Masses one Sunday, one Mass the next Sunday and so on. On the wall opposite the Church no grass ever grew, because people sat on the top of it putting on their shoes. It was when the new chapel was built that the old chapel was thrown down and the new school built. Masses were

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“The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0318, Page 093” by Dúchas © National Folklore Collection, UCD is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

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The Old Roman Catholic Chuch in Butlerstown

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only on Sundays and Holidays. There used to be about 200 people at Mass. The ages for Confirmation were 8,9,10 years and Holy Communion was given a week afterwards. The most marriages were at Lislevane. They used to go on saddle horses, the men in front and the women behind. The seat that the women sat on was called the "cuilóg". They used to sit on the walls outside the gate talking before Mass. There were no missions only back stations. The dead used to be prayed for in Irish but no corpse used to be brought to the chapel. There was a bell and an old man used to ring it. One man used to serve Mass. There used to be no Benediction & no music. There were no Stations of the Cross during Lent. It had three common doors, one front & two side doors. People used to stand outside the gate after Mass. Men used to wear big tall hats with feathers. Women used to wear big freize petticoats, black & red and a black home spun dress & a frieze cloak.