St. Brigid's Garrison Church 50th Jubilee

[Matt McNamara]

The Curragh community celebrated the Golden Jubilee today of the opening of the modern St. Brigid’s Garrison Church. The Church, community and military put on a fine display and ceremony. The jubilee Mass was celebrated by the Most Rev. James Moriarty, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin to a packed church. Many of the previous Priests and Chaplains to The Curragh Camp also returned to celebrate the Mass as did Msgr Eoin Thynne, Head Chaplain to the Forces. The Defence Forces were represented by Lieutenant General Dermot Earley, Chief of Staff, Major General Sean McCann, Deputy Chief of Staff Operations, Brigadier General Conor O.Boyle General Officer Commanding, DFTC.

Photographs from the ceremony can be seen at this link.

Golden Jubilee: www.curragh.info/articles/jubilee.htm

Regards

Matt

[gercollinsfurlong]

Hi Matt
Well done on the photo's another piece of history captured well, and Mr Kelly would like to read the history behind all those meddles well done.

Geraldine

[kellquinn]

Hi Matt and all,
Well done on the speed of the Golden Jubilee contribution,You should have told me and I could have had a better pose.
The Medals worn by myself, Top Row. are 21 Year Service, Nobel Peace Prize Medal awarded to all who served with the UN.Cyprus Medal, Lebanon Medal and FCA service Medal. Bottom Row, UN Veterans Medal,50th Anniversary UN Veterans Medal and finally O.N.E Medal.

I had the great pleasure today of meeting Father Larry Fleming now aged 87, he is a real gentleman, and I always loved serving mass for him when I was a young lad, he took a great interest in the youth of the Camp and was instrumental in promoting soccer for the lads, kind of frowned on in those days what with the grass roots of the GAA embedded in our schooling and heritage. He was a great man for the racing and loved it with a passion. Also met Father Colm Swan another who served for a good while in the Camp, he is incidentially a member of the UN Vets Post 11 the Curragh.

While driving through the Curragh this morning I was amazed at the amount of flooding across the plains, never seen it that bad before, is this global warming. or just to much rain?.

Regards to all
Joey

[gercollinsfurlong]

Hi Joey
Nice to know what the medals represent well done.Two of the priests you mentioned Fr swan and Fr Fleming the last time i saw them i was just a kid i would not have known who they were the last time i seen Fr swan he had black wavy hair a nicer man you could not meet and Fr Fleming also.I have a photo some where of Fr Swan in his younger years must send them on to Matt.The flooding across the plains have never seen it that bad before it does have a lot to do global warming nothing like that when we were growing up.

Geraldine

[joemurray]

Great photos Matt of the Church,next best thing to been there.Fifty years ago now I know I must have made my communion in the old church.I wonder has anyone got photos of the interior of that building.It did not look much from the outside but I always had a soft spot for it.

[kellquinn]

Hi all.
Noticing again the flooding on the plains, if you are driving from Newbridge towards the Curragh the largest pool on the right hand side always reminds me of the Map of England.
Maybe a legacy from the past.

Regards

Joey

[Matt McNamara]

Hi All

The Curragh Church in conjunction with the Defence Forces have printed a small commemorative booklet to mark the Golden Jubilee. This booklet was freely available at the back of the Church for all. However when the mass was over and all had left I gathered up a few remaining booklets and now have them in my possession. If any Curragh Ex-Pats would like a copy of the booklet for themselves please e-mail your home address to my e-mail [e-mail] and I will post one out to you. As I have already said I have only a few, so don’t leave it too long if you want one.

Regards

Matt

[Matt McNamara]

Fr. Foley, Fr. Swan, Bishop Moriarty, Fr. Fleming, Fr. Conlon

[kathyo]

well done matt
the phothes were brillent i cant belive i was just eleven at the time,and liveing
in mcdonah bks, every body was so exicted it was like a carnevel, we all had our best clothes on
it was wanderful
thank you matt
all the best katheyo

[rose5mcdonaghtce]

Hi Matt, Joey and All,

Love the photos, great job, well done. How the mass brought back memories of Corpus Christi just like the old days. The pipe band playing outside the church, the strains of the music wafting up, enough to bring a tear to your eye for all that was.

Remember my first ever visit to St. Brigid's, was just out of hospital, Monica decided she would take me up and show me around our new place of worship, we had to sneak out, thought it was the middle of the night probably about six o'clock in the evening, can remember being in awe at the size of the place when Peter Hickey appeared and asked Monica what I was doing out in the cold and she told him it was alright she had put my pixie on. Joey spoke about Miss Carolan, I remember her well, Mam asked her to pray for me that time I had been in hosptial quite ill, her green coat and little brown felt hat and the rosary beads around her neck.

Rose.

[rose5mcdonaghtce]

The monthly sodality on I think the first Saturday of the month, do you all remember, we would go to confessions on Frdiay morning, (great you missed arithmetic) and then Saturday morning we had to be in the church for I think nine o'clock the priest used to spend a lot of time in the pulpit and we would repeat everything he said, there would be mass and holy communion. Walked down to light a candle after Mass and never noticed the pulpit is it still there?

Rose.

[Matt McNamara]

Hi all

While we are on the subject of St. Brigid's Church Curragh. I just noticed in the last week that a number of large spotlights have been installed on all sides of the bell tower at the top. It is a really spectacular sight after dark. The tower is lit up for miles and can be seen from Newbridge, even yesterday evening I was late home from work and it was dark as I approached the Curragh from the Dublin direction, the tower can be seen for miles. It is truly a welcome sight on the night skyline. So the next time you are passing keep an eye out for it.

Matt