Ballintubber - the abbey that simply refused to die
By Tom Gillespie
FIFTY-seven years ago, in September 1966, Ballintubber Abbey celebrated 750 glorious years as the only church in the English speaking world where Mass had been celebrated since 1216 - making that 793 years this month.
Two broadsheet pages marking the 750th anniversary of the abbey were published by The Connaught Telegraph under the heading ‘The Abbey that refused to die'.
A major £32,200 restoration project had been completed at the abbey to coincide with the 750th anniversary.
The project was undertaken by Fr. Thomas Egan, C.C. in the parish.
The article recalled that the original monastery on the site was founded by the Canons Regular of St. Augustine who were succeeded by the Augustinian Fathers.
These two Orders were represented at the concelebrated Mass by the Archbishop of Tuam, Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Walsh, by Right Rev. Charles J. White, Provincial of the Canons Regular, Cornwall, and Very Rev. J. King, O.S.A., of the Friars of St. Augustine.
Also among the concelebrants was the direct descendant of the abbey’s royal founder, the O’Conor Don, Very Rev. Charles O’Conor, S.J.
The other concelebrants were Right Rev. Monsignor Mitchell, president, Maynooth College, a native of the Tuam Diocese, and the following priests (all of whom were born in Ballintubber): the Lord Abbot of Roscrea, Right Rev. Dom Columcille O’Toole; Very Rev. Patrick Tuohy, Adm., City Quay, Dublin; Rev. Patrick Cornell, California; Rev. Bernard Staunton, O.F.M., Dundee; Rev. Fr. Pacificus, O.F.M. Cap, Cork, and Rev. James Quinn, Ceathru Rua, Co. Galway.
Military honours were rendered during the Elevation of the Host by a colour party of Army Officers drawn from the Western Command and led by Comet James Crowley, O/C, Fifth Motor Squadron, Castlebar.
The President, Mr. Eamon de Valera, the Taoiseach, Sean Lemass, and Mrs. Lemass, Government Ministers, four bishops and provincials of religious orders headed the list of distinguished visitors who joined with the people of this 135-family parish (1966) in their day of rejoicing.
From early morning parishioners gathered at the ancient abbey and they greeted the President warmly when he arrived from Sligo.
A military honour guard awaited Mr. de Valera at the abbey gates and he was escorted to the 13th century Chapter House where the three processions to the abbey for Mass started.
The first procession was that of the provincials of religious orders, and they were followed by the President, his A.D.C. and chaplain. The third procession was that of all the clergy, preceding the Archbishop of Tuam.
Speaking at a luncheon in the Travellers’ Friend Hotel, Castlebar, later, the President said he was very pleased to have been invited to the 750th anniversary celebrations.
Sparking in Irish, he said: “Fr. Thomas Egan and His Grace the Archbishop have accomplished a wonderful task, and I am sure that the people of Ireland will take tremendous interest in the restored abbey.”
Referring to the prophecy mentioned in Mr. Douglas Hyde’s ‘Religious Songs of Connaught’ that ‘when Ballintubber is roofed, Ireland will be set free again’, the President said he hoped it would not be long before the second half of that prophecy came true.
Rev. Fr. Thomas Egan, C.C., said he had often wondered if it was merely a coincidence that the restoration had been completed for the 750th anniversary.
Humanly speaking, it seemed purely accidental that restoration was begun in 1963, but now, as he looked back, they could almost see the hand of God directing operations to enable the work to be completed for this unique anniversary.
“I often wonder,” said Fr. Egan, “if it is merely coincidence that the O’Conor Don, the direct descendant of our royal founder, Cathal O’Conor, King of Connacht, should be another Cathal O’Conor.
“For the first time in history of that illustrious family, he happens to be a priest and one of the concelebrants of the anniversary Mass today.
“There is the final coincidence that another of there concelebrants should be Dom Columille O’Toole, Lord Abbot of Roscrea, who is a native of Ballintubber. In the abbey he was baptised and where he received his First Communion and, perhaps, heard the promptings of a vocation to the priesthood.”
Fr. Egan continued: “It has been well said that the world owed much to the little ‘five foot high’ nations of the world. We might also say that Ireland owes much to the little ‘five foot high’ parishes such as Ballintubber, for this tiny community had completed a task that might have daunted stouter hearts.”
Fr. Egan said they were conscious of the fact that Ballintubber Abbey was rapidly becoming a bridge between all Christians. At least 40 per cent of their visitors were Christians of other denominations, who came to visit the abbey that was 300 years old before there was any division in Western Christianity.
So far in 1966, he said, restoration of the abbey had cost them £32,200. Of this sum, they had raised £22,000 over the past two years, the tiny community of Ballintubber contributing £5,000 of it.
They also acknowledged the very generous grant of £8,000 from Bord Fáilte. They still needed £15,000 to meet their present commitments and to enable the abbey church to be completed.
It was their earnest hope to see the renovation of the Chapter House and then Ireland would have one 13th century abbey fully restored. He again appealed to the people of Ireland to help them finish the work.
Dr. T.J. O’Driscoll, director general, Bord Fáilte Éireann, said: “We should not think of Ballintubber as an exceptional case. There are many other monuments throughout this land which deserve the same attention - and time is not in our favour.”
Mr. Percy Le Clerc, Inspector of National Monuments, proposing the toast ‘Our Guests’, said that Ballintubber showed that not only had we fine buildings in Ireland but that we had the skill to rescue them and make them live again in the 20th century.