Castlebar Church's
editChrist Church in Castlebar
editChrist Church in Castlebar sits at the edge of the town's park known as The Mall. The church was built in 1739 but the tower and clock came later in the 1800s.
The church is directly situated across from the original Bingham residence and is connected by a path that cuts through The Mall. This path was a private, tree-lined walk for the Lucan family to attend their services. The park was known then as The Green but the walk covered with the trees lent it the name The Mall, by which it is still known today.
The church was damaged during the rebellion of 1798 and underwent renovations. It was restored again in the 1990s and is still in use today. While there are fewer services now than there used to be, the church is often used for concerts and it is a main venue for the annual Mayo International Choral Festival.
Located on the Mall in Castlebar, County Mayo, Christchurch was built in 1739 and renovated between 1800 and 1828. It is one of the town’s most important historical monuments.
Christchurch is one of the oldest buildings in Castlebar, County Mayo, as its first stones were laid in 1739. From 1800 to 1828, the house of worship underwent renovations. Inside, visitors can explore the history of the town from 1590 to 1914 through numerous commemorative plaques.
The church is located on the tree-lined Mall, which today serves as the town park.
Church of the Holy Rosary
editThe Church of the Holy Rosary, located on Chapel Street, is the largest church in the parish of Aglish (Castlebar, Ballyheane and Breaghwy). The old St Mary’s church, dating from 1800, was to the east of the present building, and included a rear public gallery and organ loft.
At the instigation of Archbishop John McHale, Archbishop of Tuam, a new church was started in 1876, to a design by J.J. O’Callaghan. Much of the funding for the project came from the diaspora in the USA. This church was on a higher site opposite the original church. Progress slowed when the parish priest Canon James Magee died in 1885. His successor, Canon Patrick Lyons, demolished the half-completed church in 1891, much to the consternation of parishioners and donors, and built the present church alongside the old St Mary’s church.
The present church, designed by Dublin architect, Walter G. Doolin , was started in 1897 and opened in 1901, dedicated to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. James Pearse, the English father of Padraig Pearse, made the marble altar, and the stained glass was by Meyer of Munich, Germany. The large, five-lancet window over the altar, features images depicting scenes from the fifteen mysteries of the rosary, and was presented by the Archbishop of Tuam, Dr. John McEvilly.
The Church of the Holy Rosary was dedicated on Sunday 7th October 1901. However, plans for a new church went back to the 1860s. Archbishop John Mc Hale laid the foundation stone for the new church in 1872 on an elevated site directly across the road from where this church stands.