Abington Abbey

From Walsh's History of the Irish Hierarchy:

Abbingdon Wotheny

This abbey was founded AD 1205 for Cistercian monks by Theobald FitzWalter, lord of Carrick and chief butler of Ireland, who richly endowed it and having died was interred here in 1206. It was supplied with monks from the abbey of Savigniac in France

AD 1228 William was abbot
AD 1290 the abbot having harbored the king's enemies was fined in the sum of sixty marcs
AD 1307 It appears the abbot of Abbingdon paid to the convent of Kells in Ossory the sum of 100s

John O'Mulryan was the last abbot. At the suppression of monasteries eleven rectories and fifteen townlands in the counties of Limerick and Kerry were granted at an annual rent of 57 2s 3d to Peter Walsh for ever in capite and who was by compact bound to maintain one horseman on the premises. April 1st, eighteenth of King James, Sir Edward Walsh, knight, was found to be seized of its possessions. In Spelman's history of sacrilege it is related that this family have gone to desolation.

The Religious Houses of Adare

From Walsh's History of the Irish Hierarchy:

Adaire formerly a place of note in the barony of Kennery.

Trinitarian Friary This house was founded for the order of the holy and undivided Trinity for the redemption of captives in the reign of king Edward I by John earl of Kildare.

November 4th, thirty seventh of Elizabeth, this abbey with all its possessions was granted to Sir Henry Wallop knight for ever by fealty only in free and common soccage at the annual rent of 26 17s 8d Irish money, Sir Henry engaging to maintain two horsemen on the premises mises and that no part whatever of the same should he alienated to the Irish.

From the invasion of Ireland by Henry II to the close of Elizabeth's reign, almost a period of four hundred years, the insidious policy of England has exhibited, because it has engendered them, the most tragic scenes of infatuated misrule, on the one side, and of insubordination necessarily arising from oppression and of resistance, sanguinary but unsuccessful, on the other, ever since that fatal period the history of Ireland, is that of physical or moral opposition, as circumstances dictated, to the leaders of Ireland and during this melancholy period the actuating principle which guided the rulers of England in their schemes of devastation and horror, a principle which according to even Protestant writers originated, with the false and insidious Cambrensis, whose mode of civilizing the Irish was to exterminate them and seize their estates seems to have been inherited by their successors of the present day who have manifestly improved on the system of their predecessors adding thereto all that infuriate malice and bigotry of which the government of England, as well as her people are so susceptible, when a consciousness of her strength can dictate aggression on the rights as well as the religion of the Irish people.

Some large and perfect ruins of this abbey still remain. The steeple resembles a castle and is supported by a plain arch with four diagonal ogives meeting in the centre and stairs leading to the battlements.

Augustinian friary situated on the south side of the river Mague was founded by John earl of Kildare, son to earl Thomas, who died AD 1315. King Edward II confirmed the grants of the founder AD 1317. This friary with its possessions was granted to Sir Henry Wallop, knight, on the terms of the former grant of the Trinitarian property. A great part of this friary still remains in good preservation. The steeple similar to the former is supported on an arch the choir is large with stalls and the nave answerable thereto with a lateral aisle on the south side. To the north of the steeple are some beautiful cloisters with pointed windows within which on three sides of the square are corridors and on most of the windows are escutcheons with English crosses ranged alternately with saltire ones. The workmanship is simply elegant the principal parts being of hewn stone which appear so fresh as to give it a modern yet venerable appearance. Adjoining the cloisters were several apartments which seem to be more ancient than the other parts of the building.

Gray friary was founded in the year 1465 by Thomas earl of Kildare and his wife Joanna at their sole expense and was consecrated the following year the founders presenting it with two silver chalices and a bell. No vestiges of this building remained in 1781 except a lofty square steeple. This abbey and its possessions were granted to Sir Henry Wallop, knight.

Town of the Friars

Ballynabrahir 'town of the friars' in the barony of Small County. The family of Clangibbon founded this monastery for conventual Franciscans in the thirteenth century,

February 4th, thirty fifth of Henry VIII, this friary with three acres and a stang of arable land was granted for ever to Robert Browne at the yearly rent of 12d Irish money. James Gould died in the year 1600 seized of this priory and of one carucate of land in free and common soccage.

Mungret Abbey

From Fr. Walsh's History of the Irish Hierarchy:

St. Nessan, who died AD 552, was the disciple of St. Ailbe of Emly. Nessan was most probably the founder of Mungret monastery.  He never attained in the church a higher dignity than that of deacon by which title he is constantly known, yet his reputation is so great that he is reckoned among the fathers of the Irish church. His festival was celebrated at Mungret on the 25th of July.

The monastery of the island called Ireland's Eye in the county of Dublin is said to have been founded by a St. Nessan. That isle originally called Inis faithlen obtained the name of Inis Mac Nessan from the sons of Nessan, who were revered there on the 15th of March. Their names are Dichull Munissa and Neslug.

A.D. 552 died the abbot St. Nessan. St. Manchin, called the first bishop of Limerick, is said to have been abbot of Mungret.
A.D. 760 died the abbot Ailill.
A.D. 820 and 834 the Danes devastated the abbey of Mungret.
A.D. 1102 the 5th of October, the blessed Mugron O'Moore, principal professor of divinity at Armagh and in all the west of Europe, died in this abbey.
A.D. 1107 this abbey was again sacked. The psalter of Cashel relates that this establishment had at one period six churches within its walls and contained, exclusively of scholars, 1500 religious, 500 of whom were learned preachers, 500 were psalmists, and the remaining 500 applied themselves to contemplation, works of charity, and other spiritual exercises.

8th Anniversary of Summorum Pontificum

National Latin Mass Pilgrimage to Knock 2015

The National Latin Mass Pilgrimage is a special event in Knock.  Unique among Latin Mass pilgrimages around the Country, His Grace, the Archbishop of Tuam has designated this pilgrimage under his own authority and appointed a chaplain, Fr. John Loftus of the Diocese of Killala.

The organisation of the National Pilgrimage was undertaken by Our Lady's Catholic Heritage Association in co-ordination with the other Catholic Heritage Associations around the Country but all Latin Mass Communities, Chaplaincies, Associations and groups around the Country are invited to participate each year.

As usual, the main exercises of the pilgrimage took place in the old Parish Church of Knock, whish stood when the apparitions took place.  The apparitions are uniquely Eucharistic in that the Blessed Sacrament was present in the form of the Lamb of God with Our Lady, St. Joseph and St. John, during the whole of the apparition.  That may be the reason for the silence of the apparition and perhaps the key to it's central message, the importance of silence in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament - very appropriate for the Traditional Latin Mass.

There was a tremendous turn out from all parts of the Country for a Missa Cantata of Our Lady celebrated by Fr. Loftus.  In keeping with the exercises of the official pilgrimages to the Shrine, the Missa Cantata was followed by the Stations of the Cross and the pilgrimage concluded with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Ad Multos Annos Your Eminence

To His Eminence, Raymond Leo, Cardinal Burke,  Cardinal Patron of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Prefect Emeritus of the Apostolic Signatura, Cardinal Deacon of S. Agata dei Goti, we wish a very happy birthday!

Prayer for the Church in Ireland

God of our fathers,
renew us in the faith which is our life and salvation,
the hope which promises forgiveness and interior renewal,
the charity which purifies and opens our hearts
to love you, and in you, each of our brothers and sisters.

Lord Jesus Christ,
may the Church in Ireland renew her age-old commitment
to the education of our young people in the way of truth and goodness, holiness and generous service to society.
Holy Spirit, comforter, advocate and guide,
inspire a new springtime of holiness and apostolic zeal
for the Church in Ireland.
May our sorrow and our tears,
our sincere effort to redress past wrongs,
and our firm purpose of amendment
bear an abundant harvest of grace
for the deepening of the faith
in our families, parishes, schools and communities,
for the spiritual progress of Irish society,
and the growth of charity, justice, joy and peace
within the whole human family.
To you, Triune God,
confident in the loving protection of Mary,
Queen of Ireland, our Mother,
and of Saint Patrick, Saint Brigid and all the saints,
do we entrust ourselves, our children,
and the needs of the Church in Ireland.
Amen.

Pope Benedict XVI
19th March, 2010
Solemnity of St. Joseph

Pilgrimage to Charleville, Co. Cork

It was the first occasion that our Association made a pilgrimage to the Diocese of Cloyne.

Charleville, as its name suggests, was a plantation town, founded by Roger Boyle, Lord Orrery in the year after the restoration of King Charles II.  However, it is as the seed-bed of nationalist poets, prelates and patriots that Charleville is most famous.  It was the birthplace of Seán Mac Domhnaill and Daniel Mannix.  Éamon de Valera walked from the nearby townland of Bruree to school there each day.

The beautiful Church of the Holy Cross is only 110 years old.  Canon Lebocq of the Institute of Christ the King, based in Limerick, was the celebrant of a wonderfully reverent Mass.

Traditional Latin Mass in Charleville, County Cork

Latin Mass Pilgrimage to Armagh Cathedral

The Irish are very devoted to pilgrimage.  In the Golden Age of Faith the Saints of Ireland undertook Peregrinatio Pro Christo to Heaven-knew-where to bring them the Catholic Faith.  It is a startlingly rare thing to make a pilgrimage to Armagh, the seat of Saint Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland, and his successor the Primate of All Ireland, and, in a sense, the spiritual heart and ecclesiastical capital of Ireland.

The present Cathedral, the National Cathedral, as Cardinal Logue called it, was built between 1840 and 1904, the medieval Cathedral having been confiscated during the 16th century.  Historic images of the Cathedral can be seen here.