Saint Patrick's Church, Trim

As the noticeboard of the Church tells us, this is the second such building erected on the site.  Bishop Thomas Nulty laid its foundation stone on 11th October, 1891.  Designed in the neo-Gothic style by the architect William Hague, Fr. Hugh Behan was parish priest when construction began.  The project quickly ran into difficulty due to the Parnellite controversy and work had to be suspended for four years.  Fr. Philip Callery recommenced the work in 1895.  When the architect William Hague died in 1899, the then parish priest, Fr. Michael Woods engaged the Dublin firm of William H. Byrne and Sons to complete the interior.  The estimated cost of the project was £16,000.  The new St. Patrick's Church was opened and solemnly dedicated by Bishop Matthew Gaffney on 12th October, 1902, in the presence of Michael, Cardinal Logue.

The Church is one hundred and fifty four feet long.  Its spire, including the cross, is two hundred and eight feet high.  The Dublin firm of James Pearse and Sons designed the High Altar and Reredos.  Oppenheimer Ltd. of Old Trafford, Manchester, executed the mosaics in the sanctuary.  The  stained glass windows depecting St. Patrick and Our Lady of Trim were designed by Franz Meyer and Co. of Munich.

The Feast of Our Lady in Spring

Today is known in the Irish Language as Lá Fhéile Muire san Earrach (the Feast Day of Our Lady in Spring) or Lá Theachtaireacht an Aingil (the Day of the Coming of the Angel).

The unequalled love of the Gaelic Race for the Mother of God is woven into the very words of everyday language. Even as the Anglophone will speak of Mary-down-the-street and Mary-the-Ever-Virgin-Mother-of-God by means of the same word, the Gael will call his neighbour Máire and the Immaculate Queen of Heaven Muire.

The Mother of God was a practical part of everyday life, as shown in the traditional Gaelic Milking Song or Cronan Bleoghan:

Thig, a Mhuire, ’s bligh a bhó,Thig, a Bhride, ’s comraig í,
Thig, a Choluim-chille chaoimh,
’S iadh do dhá laimh mo m’ bhóin.Thig, a Mhuire, dh’ fhios mo bhó,
Thig, a Bhride, mhór na loin,Thig, a bhanachaig Íosa Críost,
’S cur do lámh a níos fo m’ bhóin.

This roughly translates as:

Come, O Mary, and milk my cow,
Come, St. Brigid, and attend her,
Come, St. Columba, the kind one,
And in thy two hands cradle my cow.

Come, O Mary, to meet my cow,
Come, St. Brigid, great of beauty,
Come, O milking woman of Jesus Christ,
And put thy hand beneath my cow.

*The image of the Annunciation on this post is the Cestello Annunciation on tempera by Sandro Botticelli c. 1490 in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence.