End of an era with the deconsecration of St Michael and All Angels Church in Rathmolyon and St Ultan’s, Rathcore

Two Church of Ireland buildings in the Rathmolyon Union of Parishes were deconsecrated in moving ceremonies last week.

Bishop Pat Storey conducted the ceremonies at St Michael and All Angels Church in Rathmolyon and St Ultan’s, Rathcore last Tuesday.

Among the parishioners who attended the ceremonies were members of a non-profit community CLG group that are in the final stages of purchasing Rathcore Church for use as a community and heritage centre.

"We are the final stage of buying Rathcore Church. The deconsecrating was the final step in the process to enable the parish to sell it. Later this month we expect to conclude the process," said Percy Foster of Friends of Rathcore Church.

The local congregation will now attend Agher Church near Summerhill, which will become the principal church for Rathmolyon Parish.

Meanwhile the Friends of Rathcore Church plan to restore and conserve the historic building and surrounding grounds of St Ultan’s, Rathcore as a shared heritage, cultural and community space. Three long term local parishioners, Hazel Bye, Linda Young and Percy Foster who have attended the church with their families for many decades came together to devise a plan to restore this historic listed building.

"Our families have a deep connection to the former church going back over 100 years," said Percy Foster.

"During the last two years the wider community, former Tánaiste and Ministers have lent to support to the plan.

"We have visited former churches around the country which have been transformed into community spaces - from Kerry to the Tin Church in Monaghan - they have lent support and guided us in our journey.

"We are ever so grateful to the Rathmolyon Parish Select Vestry and Bishop Storey in supporting our plan to restore the former church into a community, heritage and music venue. We hope the example in Rathcore will act a template/model for other churches which close and we have already been recently assisting the community in Rathmolyon to come together to follow our example," he said.

The group hopes to provide a local hub for community gatherings, music concerts, exhibitions, and heritage events and are exploring the feasibility of a remote working hub. The plan is to preserve, promote and maintain the former church and its cultural heritage for future generations and highlight the former church’s association with several distinguished and historically important individuals. They also hope to establish an annual local heritage festival to highlight historical attractions.

"Whilst it was a sad occasion, the future looks bright for Rathcore with the creation of the new community and heritage centre due to the foresight of Bishop Storey and the parish select vestry," said Mr Foster.

"We have uncovered a huge connection to WW2 from a boy who grew up in Rathcore who went to Rathcore Church. In the famine times the Church of Ireland would give you food if you converted to their religion. One person in Kerry did this and then because a Church of Ireland rector in Rathcore - Reverend Murphy. His son, Dr Frederic John Murphy C.B.E., CB, M.B, BCh, DPH, CSt grew up and was educated in Rathcore, he later became Air Vice Marshall of the Royal Air Force. He was the person in charge on D Day in WW2 on the evacuation of wounded allied soldiers from all the Normandy beaches. He was also the first doctor into the first concentration camp found by the British. He later became Honorary Surgeon General to King George VI from 1947 to 1951," says George.

"The graveyard in Rathcore is a shared one of Roman Catholic people buried on the right and protestant on the left. The site is very ancient with the site having a ring fort/ Rath (hence the name Rathcore) in which the chieftain, around 700AD, gave the site over to religious purposes.

"Two years ago, the graveyard was overgrown and former Councillor Niamh Souhan used some of her council discretionary funds as well as a donation from a Church of Ireland parishioner to hire a tree surgeon to cut back the 50 overgrown leylandii trees and all the big trees/shrubs in the graveyard. This led to the creation of a cross-community garden gang of 15 people of both religions to meet every fortnight during the last two summers to continue cleaning up the graveyard. It was also led to the creation of a job in the local community employment scheme - for someone who maintains the graveyard now."

Among the works that will be require are the installation of a new roof, removal of cement plaster, new windows on west side and new timber on bases of all windows, new floor and door in vestry, new roof and ceiling in the porch, new gutters, new drainage system for rainwater from gutters and ensuring the building is fire regulations compliant.