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document.write("The Church of the Sacred Heart<\/h3>\n\n
The Church of the Sacred Heart<\/span><\/h3>Carndonagh, Co. Donegal<\/span><\/h4>
The Christian church tradition here has historic roots stretching back 1,500 years to the arrival of St. Patrick. The monastic foundation which he established grew in prominence near the site of the Carndonagh Cross. In the 1780\'s, Dean O’Donnell erected a place of worship. Around fifty years later, Fr Quinn (1778-1838) built a chapel in 1826 which served the community for over a century. Only the name, Chapel St. which runs along the graveyard, is all that survives. <\/span><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>Situated on Barracks Hill, The Church of the Sacred Heart dominates the landscape and can be seen on approach roads on entering Carndonagh. It was dedicated on 28th October 1945 by Bishop Neil Farren, who had accepted a tender of £60,866 for its construction. The price included a separate quotation of £4,966 for the tower and excluded excavation costs. The site was donated to Fr. Daniel Reid, PP, a native of Ballinascreen (1878-1940) who had initiated a parish fund-raising programme in the late 1930\'s. <\/span><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>Despite wartime shortages, the church opened in 1945 with Father James Bonner, who hailed from Killygordon (1889-1981) as parish priest. He was in charge of the construction and faithfully shared as parish priest for thirty-three years. In 1998, a general refurbishment took place, with Father Séamus Farrelly (1936-2008) as parish priest, in keeping with modern liturgy and adding colour and a spiritual ambience, to be enjoyed by a congregation of over 1,600 worshippers. John Masterson of M.H. Associates acted as architect, and John Hegarty , Buncrana was the principal contractor assisted by local craftsmen.<\/span><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>The original architect was Ralph Henry Byrne and Murphy Brothers of Castlewood Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin acted as the general contractors. The leaded lights and windows were created in the stained glass studios of A.W. Lyons, Westland Row, Dublin. John Smyth and Sons supplied the sanctuary lamp and tabernacle. Established in 1844, the world famous Croyden company of Gillett and Johnston installed the bells and clock tower. <\/span><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>Built in Romanesque style, the exterior is faced with squared Wicklow granite and is cruciform in design. The building has an impressive tower and a dome surmounted by a cupola, with a twelve-foot bronze cross. The visitor enters through the ornamental porch and narthex, displaying four nineteenth century carved stone panels which are thought to be the work of Italian craftsmen. From the nave, the visitor can see two lines of symmetrical columns made of Dublin granite and topped with carved capitals and linked into a round-arched arcade.<\/span><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>Above, the lancet clerestory has antique, hand-made, coloured Norman slab glasses. The sanctuary is divided by a wrought iron decorative screen, designed by local craftsmen and the sanctuary floor is of granite from Glen, Carrigart. A relic of St. Oliver Plunkett lies beneath the altar. The baptismal font to the west was donated by the Simpson family. The chair is made of oak with a decorated brass inset. <\/span><\/div>
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STATUES <\/span>- Four granite statues standing over eight feet in height and each weighing four tons adorn the drum of the exterior dome depicting Saint Patrick, Brigid, Colmcille and the Sacred Heart. They are the work of the noted architectural sculptor of the Celtic Revival, Albert Power (1881-1945), a pupil of Oliver Sheppard (1865-1941), who created the iconic Cúchulainn masterpiece in the GPO in Dublin. <\/span><\/div>
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STATIONS OF THE CROSS<\/span> - rendered in the style of traditional ecclesiastical painting by an unknown artist, they were brought to Carndonagh by Fr. Philip O’Doherty, MRIA (1851-1927), a noted historian who built the Colgan Hall. It is believed they were sourced in Italy.<\/span><\/div>
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PORTRAIT OF JOHN COLGAN (1592-1658)<\/span> by Sr. Aloysius - it can be seen to the east of the altar. Colgan, a native of the area who joined the Franciscans in 1620, lectured in Achen and Mainz, and became head of the Louvain School of History. He later served as Commissary of the three Irish Fraciscan colleges at Louvain, Prague and Wielun. He wrote the Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, a history of the saints of Ireland from January to March but only volume 1 (January to March) was published before his death; he also wrote the Triadis Thaumaturgae, an account in Latin of the three patrons of Ireland, Patrick, Brigid and Colmcille. <\/span><\/div>
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THE TWO ALTARS<\/span> - The front altar is made of Portland stone. At the back of the Sanctuary, above a section of the original marble high altar, there is a triptych formed from three restored stained glass nineteenth-century windows which were taken from the old church. Featuring symbols of the Four Evangelists, part of the marble topped altar rail of Caen stone can be seen before the side altars. Mrs. W. J. O’Doherty presented the altar rails.<\/span><\/div>
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THE TABERNACLE<\/span> was donated by the Lanigan family. Their shop was demolished to provide a pedestrian entrance from the Diamond. Six acrylic panels by the Derry artist Mary Kelly adorn the shrine of St. Anthony. Tapestries in an appliqué medium add colour to the sanctuary. The candelabra is made of burnished brass and the sanctuary lamp was donated by the Doherty family of Tiernaleague. Elizabeth Keenan Ryan designed the gilded bronze cross in the sanctuary. The wooden cross, hewn from Magheramore bog oak, has been carbon dated to 3,500 BC.<\/span><\/div>
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NEW ORGAN<\/span> - Johannus Rembrandt 3000, 3 manual, was installed in 2000. Vera Butler (1910-2011) served as musical director for over sixty years. RIP.<\/span><\/div>
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THE COLGAN HALL<\/span> - situated just below the church was built in 1914 in memory of John Colgan. The architect was W. J. O’Doherty. It is now a community resource centre.<\/span><\/div>
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THE CRUCIFIXION SHRINE<\/span> - in the sanctuary, dating from the late nineteenth century, was donated by the local Mercy order and contains brass symbols of the Crucifixion. On the back is a Latin inscription, from the time of Pope Leo XIII. The sisters also donated the statues near the sanctuary. The marble panels on the sanctuary pillars are from the original pulpit; the decorative artwork is by Art Glass, Derry.<\/span><\/div>
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Places of Interest<\/h3>\n\n
THE CARNDONAGH CROSS<\/span><\/h3>THE CARNDONAGH CROSS - dates from the seventh century and is the first free-standing cross in Ireland. It is ½ kmfrom the Church of the Sacred Heart and features a crucifixion scene. There are four pillar stones depicting a fish symbol, a harp, St. David, and a bishop holding a book, crozier and bell; the bell is a reminder of the ancient Donagh bell, which was acquired by the Royal Irish Academy and later the National Museum. The Marigold Stone can be seen in the graveyard. Other monastic sites can be visited at Cloncha and Carrowmore, near Culdaff. <\/span><\/div>
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MASS ROCK<\/span><\/h3>Under 1 km from the Carndonagh Cross, the old Mass rock can be seen off the Ballyliffin road. Mass was said in this ancient woodland during Penal times. The white cross on the top of the altar stone is from the old church.<\/span><\/div>
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