Sr. Brenda Dolphin, Leader of the Mercy Sisters, Sr. Mary Coyle, Archivist of the Mercy Sisters, are pictured with Annete O’Rourke, Chairperson of the Parish Pastoral Assembly and Caran Boylan, Chairperson of the Parish Finance Committee being presented with the original drawing of the Fatima Window by Evie Hone which was recently discovered by the Mercy Sisters. The local parish community was delighted to welcome this original piece of work and accept it back to the parish. It is expected to be on display soon in the church. Thanks to the foresight of Fr. Michael Marry and his successors, along with the wonderful generosity of parishioners, past and present, our parish has a unique and unparalleled collection of stained glass in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Kingscourt.
Visit to Church of the Immaculate Conception, Kingscourt
Sunday, 23 March 2025
It is a pleasure to be in your church today, this beautiful historic building with the most wonderful windows. My name is Mary Coyle, Sisters of Mercy, and I work in the Mercy archives in Booterstown, Dublin. I come from Limerick and Clare and I don’t have much connection with Cavan; we have one very proud Cavan sister, Brona, and she comes Ballinagh, still with very strong roots there. My own Dad came from Monaghan and, like Patrick Kavanagh, I, too, have a love for that ‘stony grey soil.’
When I knew I was coming here today I wanted to learn about the church, so, of course, I googled. But as I continued I got so interested and fascinated by the building, the history, the parish, the involvement of the parishioners.
But the church itself and how it came to be is a wonderful story, no wonder you are so proud of it. I read about the Centenary celebration, the Jubilee Year in 2000, the 140th anniversary, the 150th anniversary in 2022, the books written for the various occasions, the beautiful photographs. But you know all this that I’m just learning now.
I was intrigued to know that, first, on this site, there was an older church, built by Fr Bermingham 1812, the apse of which is still standing, now part of the main entrance. And before that, there was a house with a mud roof in which Mass was said, standing, I think, in the grounds, where the shrine to Our Lady of Fatima is today.
Then, in 1872, this church, where we are this morning, was built by Fr Peter O’Reilly, who is laid to rest here in the church, built from local Carrickleck stone. It was designed by William Hague, a Cavan man and parishioner and a well-known Irish ecclesiastical architect. Down the years there have been several renovations and additions. Much has been achieved with many benefactors and much giving and generosity perhaps from your ancestors even in times of hardship. William Hague’s design had included a steeple and bell tower, but due to lack of finance probably, it was left unfinished. Finally, in 2012 the grand design came to completion with the bell tower, a new roof and spire. It celebrated the 140th opening of the church.
And then the wonderful windows from 1946 on starting with Fr Michael Marry. Such an extraordinary, rich heritage gathered in one church. Stained glass, seemingly, from medieval times, was a way to teach the bible stories when most people couldn’t read. There were such large, colourful scenes with light glimmering through the rich colours which could change the atmosphere in the church depending on the time of the day and the season of the year. The first one was from the Evie Hone studio in Rathfarnham, over Our Lady’s altar, remembering the apparition of Our Lady in Fatima 1917, made in three panels, the first, the Apparition of the angel to the three children, the second, the Apparition of the miracle of the sun and the third, the Apparition of Our Lady to Lucia. Then, also, behind the High Altar, Evie Hone made the Crucifixion, the Annunciation and the Ascension.
Down the church the Harry Clarke studio provided the Joyful and the Glorious Mysteries, the martyrdom of St Oliver Plunkett and St Patrick lighting the paschal candle. Also St Brigid, St Ernan and St Anne with her daughter Mary, the Blessed Virgin. Over the Sacred Heart altar the window symbolises the Eucharist. And the central Rose Window, commissioned for the Jubliee Year 2002, tells the story of creation from the Book of Genesis.
Again, so many people in the parish were involved and so many amazing artists, Evie Hone, Harry Clarke studio Patrick Pollen, Owen Butler, Margaret Becker, Patrick Muldowney. I can’t even begin to name all the windows and their themes. For the 150th anniversary of the church 2022 two new windows were installed made by Patrick Muldowney. He used hand-blown glass from a factory in the South of France, using the same glass which was used in the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral. One of them, in particular, enthrals me, it shows Our Lady, a new image, her pregnancy, Jesus as a baby and the Crucifixion; the top part of the window is vibrant with the colours of Ukraine, the yellow and blue and the wheatfields. The second window is beautiful too showing the Ulster saints Bronach, Colmcille and Killian. The windows are an artist’s dream, the colours alone are mesmerising. For me, they are truly extraordinary and awe-inspiring.
What we are bringing to your church today is the original sketch which Evie Hone made of the Our Lady of Fatima window. She made sketches, drawings before and as she made, the windows. This one looks like she did it with chalk. We aren’t sure from where we, the Sisters of Mercy, got it originally. One of our convents, in Beaumont, Dublin was being renovated around 2014, the house had to be emptied and the sisters brought pictures which they considered to be valuable to the archives for safe storage. After the renovation was completed this sketch was left with us. Recently in the archives we were also looking at what to keep and not to keep and to where things should go. This sketch was framed with a lovely old wooden frame. In handwriting on the back it mentioned the Dawson Gallery, they didn’t have any information, but the writing also mentioned that the window was made for Kingscourt church, so I began to enquire and Google once again came to my help. I enquired too from a few sisters who had lived in Beaumont. Nobody seemed to know. So here we are today, the Dublin Mercy sisters, happy that the sketch comes to the church to be with the window and also with the beautiful shrine to Our Lady of Fatima outside the church.
And, finally, I want to say, you have an amazing heritage, the windows, the church, this parish, the involvement of you all which I am experiencing here today. It is true community taking place. It is unique and to be treasured. May it continue for a very long time. I am happy that I’ve got to know a little of your story. And I thank you for the welcome you have given to us.
