News of funding for two Gaoth Dobhair projects by the Heritage Council has been welcomed by the local parish priest, Fr. Brian Ó Fearraigh.
The sum of €25,000 has been approved for a Conservation Plan and Feasibility Study for the Old Saint Mary’s Church, at Derrybeg.
Meanwhile funding of €6,826 will go towards a Conversation Management Plan for the Old Church ruin and graveyard at Magheragallon, Derrybeg.
A lot of history is associated with the former church and the ruin in the old graveyard.
The Old St. Mary’s Church opened in 1858 and was built in what formed part of a ravine, where Mass was celebrated in secret in the Penal Days.
A mountain stream was conveyed in a culvert under the floor of the church. It was common for this stream to overflow at times and would spill into the church sometimes during Mass.
A terrible tragedy occurred in this church on August 15, 1880 when there was a downpour and the culvert was blocked.
As a result the church was flooded as the then parish priest, Canon James McFadden was celebrating Mass.
At that time there were only two churches in the parish, Derrybeg and Dunlewey which meant people would have travelled from as far as Thorr on one side of the parish and as far as Cnoc Fola on the other end of the parish.
It was a Sunday and there was a large congregation estimated to be between 800 and 1,000 present for the Mass. People from the offshore islands of Gola and Inis Meáin were also there for the Mass.
Five people including altar server, Séamus Ó Fearraigh aged 13 years, perished in this terrible tragedy.
A further historical incident occurred at this church in 1889.
Canon McFadden, P.P., was an ardent supporter of the Land League and during the Land War he advised his parishioners not to pay their rent.
On Sunday, February 3 a party of RIC Officers led by Inspector William Limerick Martin arrived at the church to arrest the priest on his exit after celebrating Mass.
Inspector Martin was branding a sword and caught the priest by the sultana.
The large crowd were afraid that the life of their priest was in danger and a scuffle followed and the Inspector received a fatal blow to the head.
There was a reign of terror in the parish following his death.
This church closed on August 15, 1972 when the new St Mary’s Church opened on the hill above it.
It is one of the most historical and architectural buildings in the county and has been granted a Protected Structure Status when the former parish priest Fr. Pádraig Ó Baoighill was serving in the parish.
The Conservation Plan and Feasibility Study will be undertaken by Duncan McLaren of Dedalus Architecture, Moville.
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