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.

Diocese of Clonard (Part 1)

The Catholic Heritage Association had a great privilege to make a first pilgrimage to St. Finian's Church, Clonard.

The history of the See of Clonard, subsumed into the Diocese of Meath, is extensively set out in Fr. Anthony Cogan's The Diocese of Meath Ancient & Modern (Published: Dublin, 1862 by John F. Fowler):

"There were anciently eight episcopal sees in the present diocese of Meath viz Clonard, Duleek, Kells, Trim, Ardbraccan, Dunshaughlin, Slane and Fore. All these dioceses except Duleek and Kells were consolidated and their common see fixed at Clonard before 1152.

DIOCESE OF CLONARD

There are few places in Ireland with which so many remembrances are connected or which were so closely identified with the literary and religious glories of our native country as the ancient and far famed Monastery of Clonard. Slane was a great religious establishment in its day, so too were Duleek, Ardbraccan, Kells, Trim, Dunshaughlin and Fore. They were the centres of the various dioceses into which the ancient kingdom of Meath was subdivided. Eahan, Durrow, Fennor, Kilskyre, Trevet, Skryne, Dulane, Castlekieran, Donaghpatrick, Donaghmore, Lann Leire, not to mention other places were pillars of light in the war of religion with the powers of darkness. And in subsequent years the great abbeys of Bective, Athboy, Ballybogan, Beaubec, Drogheda, Meath side Kilmainhambeg, Lismullen, Navan, Newtown, Odder, Ballinamore, Kilbeggan, Mullingar, Multifernham and Tristernagh perpetuated the literary and religious renown of Meath, shed lustre on the Pale, and handed down through generations the sacred deposit of Faith. Yet over all these homes of sanctity above all these halls of science and learning towered like a colossal mountain the genius and piety of Clonard. Its schools rivalled for centuries those of Armagh, Bangor, Clonmacnoise and Lismore. It trained up some of the ablest scholars sent forth from its peaceful shades the greatest ornaments and lights and as an indication of the esteem in which it was held as a proof of its recognized career of usefulness few abbeys were more frequently plundered bore more vivid traces of the cupidity and Vandalism of the ruthless Scandinavian or were more generously rebuilt and reendowed by the faithful and grateful Irish than the great Abbey of Clonard.

Clonard indeed is gone. Lismore is gone. Armagh, Clonmacnoise, Bangor, Glendalough, Kildare, Devenish - all these ancient landmarks have been swept away. The hand of the spoiler has torn up these sanctuaries of the faith and charity of our fathers. Their halls are no longer filled, the door of hospitality is no longer open to the poor man the traveller or the wayfarer. Silence, the silence of the grave, reigns around these holy places where the cheerful laugh of youth the pious chant of the monks the sacred song and the holy sacrifice amidst incense and ceremony once resounded. All that the powers of this world could effect has been done. The monastery the gorgeous temple the abbey church have disappeared The abbey lands have been seized the patrimony of the poor was confiscated. As if to show the strength of God's word, the interposition of His providence and His merciful designs for the Irish nation all the external aids which the charity and philanthropy of past ages have conferred on religion were permitted by Him to be torn away."

The Religious Houses of Trim

From Thomas Walsh's History of the Irish Hierarchy:

Ruins of the Abbey at Trim

Trim in the barony of Navan and situated on the Boyne. St. Loman the founder of the see of Trim in the 7th century.

A.D. 741 on the 17th of February died the bishop, St. Cormac, the son of Colman. This saint has been confounded with Cormac, archbishop of Armagh. Cormac of Trim is said to have been of the royal house of the Nialls. Three brothers of his are mentioned in the Irish annals: Rumond a very wise man deeply skilled in history and antiquities and who died A.D. 743. In the annals of Tighernach his death is thus recorded: "Ruman MacColman poeta optimus quievit." Ruman is styled by Irish annalists 'the Virgil of Ireland.' St. Baitellach, abbot of Trim, whose death is marked at the 5th of October 752, and Ossan, a priest whose death is not dated and who is not to be confounded with his namesake of Rath Ossan
A.D. 1110 died Flann O Kionedha dean and abbot of Trim and a poet in high esteem.
A.D. 1444 great miracles were wrought before the image of the blessed Virgin which was preserved in this abbey Sight was restored to the blind speech to the dumb and the use of their limbs to the weak and decrepit This is not to be wondered at in other countries similar miracles are recorded. On the 23d of July, 1418, a Swiss soldier struck with his dagger a stone image of the blessed Virgin placed at the corner of the rue aux Ours and the rue de Salle au Compte in Paris and the blow made the blood spout forth in abundance from the stone statue. Similar occurrences have taken place in Italy and a few years ago the conversion of a Jew Monsieur Ratisbon, now a priest, suddenly took place in Rome having been viewing a painting of the blessed Virgin who appeared to him while his friend was praying at the great altar of the church of St. Andrew delle Fratte.
A.D. 1454 Robert Acton senior a canon of this house was elected abbot.
A.D. 1464 numerous miracles were wrought in presence of this image.
A.D. 1484 a parliament was held in Trim.
A.D. 1538 the famous image of the Virgin Mary was publicly burned. The four Masters record the proceedings of this memorable year in the following words: "A heresy and a new error sprang up in England through pride vain glory avarice and lust and through many strange sciences so that the men of England went into opposition to the Pope and to Rome. They at the same time adopted various opinions and among others the old law of Moses in imitation of the Jewish people and they styled the king the chief head of the Church of God in his own kingdom. New laws and statutes were enacted by the king and parliament according to their own will. They destroyed the orders to whom worldly possessions were allowed namely the monks, canons, nuns, brethren of the Cross and the four poor orders: the minors; preachers; Carmelites and Augustinians, and the lordships and livings of all these were taken up for the king. They broke down the monasteries and sold their roofs and bells so that from Arran of the saints to the Iccian sea between France and England there was not one monastery that was not broken and shattered with the exception of a few in Ireland of which the English took no notice or heed. They afterwards burned the images shrines and relics of the saints of Ireland and England. They likewise burned the celebrated image of the blessed Virgin Mary at Trim which used to perform wonders and miracles which used to heal the blind the deaf and the crippled and persons affected with all kinds of diseases and they also burned the staff of Jesus which was in Dublin performing miracles from St Patrick's time to the present and had been in the hands of Christ while he was among men said to have been given to St Patrick in the island of Lerins. They also appointed archbishops and sub-bishops for themselves and though great was the persecution of the Roman emperors against the church scarcely had there ever come so great a persecution as this from Rome when Pagan. So that it is impossible to narrate or tell its description unless it should be narrated by those who saw it."

Anthony St. Leger, knight, and Richard Hayne obtained the possessions of this monastery from Elizabeth. The steeple usually called the yellow steeple was a lofty and handsome square tower one half of which was demolished by Oliver Cromwell against whom it held out a considerable time as a garrison.

Gray friary which was dedicated to St. Bonaventure was originally founded by King John for the order of strict observants. Others say it was founded by the Plunketts. The Observantines reformed this house before the year 1325.
A.D. 1330 the Boyne overflowing its banks the building was undermined and a great part of it fell. Maurice was the last prior who was found seized of the church and steeple, a dormitory, hall, three chambers and sundry other offices within the precincts and of no value. Its possessions in land about one hundred acres &c with appurtenances were granted to Lodwyche O'Tudyr, parson of Roslaye, John Morye, parson of Walterstown and John Wakely at the annual rent of 2s 10d Irish money. This friary has been totally demolished. In the church of this friary assizes were held before the erection of a session house on its site. Father Richard Plunkett who wrote an Irish Dictionary now in the public library of Dublin resided in this convent.

Dominican friary situated near the gate leading to Athboy was founded in honor of the Virgin Mary, A.D. 1263 by Geoffrey de Geneville, lord of Meath.

A.D. 1285 a general chapter of the order was held here.
A.D. 1291 on the Sunday next after the feast of St. Matthew a general meeting was held in this abbey, the four archbishops bishops deans &c attending and enacting measures for the good of the Irish church.
A.D. 1308 the founder of this abbey assumed the habit of the order. In 1273 he had been viceroy of Ireland.
A.D. 1314 died the pious founder and was interred here.
A.D. 1315 a general chapter of the order was held here.
A.D. 1368 the church was consumed by fire.
A.D. 1418 Mathew Hussey, baron of Galtrim and a great benefactor of this convent, was interred here.
A.D. 1446 in a parliament held here it was enjoined that the Irish should not wear shirts stained with saffron.
A.D. 1484, 1487 and 1491 parliaments were held here
A.D. 1756 Sir Arthur Cole created Baron Ranelagh by George II occupied the possessions of this abbey. There were at this time seven friars in the vicinity of their convent Patrick Lynham, prior, Michael Wynn, Thomas Hussey, pastor of the parish of Donore, Thomas Curtis, Philip O Reilly, William Cruice and Vincent Coffey.

Crutched Friary, Trim

Brethren of the cross bearers. This priory was dedicated to St. John the Baptist. A bishop of Meath is said to have been the founder and his successors in the see were great benefactors to it. The last prior, Hussey, with his brethren, abandoned their monastery on the 4th of February and in the twenty seventh of Henry VIII. Its possessions were a church and belfry, chapter house, dormitory, hall, three chambers, a store, kitchen, stable and cemetery, three gardens with an orchard within the precincts. These and other appurtenances were granted for ever to Sir Thomas Cusack, knight, at the annual rent of 8s 5d Irish. This priory was a truly magnificent building.

Nunnery founded in Trim but no account of its history remains.

Greek church. An ancient church existed here of old. A fact which shows that Ireland was the mart of literature and that students from all quarters of Europe flocked to her celebrated schools.

Chantry. A perpetual chantry was founded in the parish church of St. Patrick. Contrary to the statute, they, the priests, acquired a castle and ten messuages in Trim with eight tenements and ten acres of land in Donderry and Irishtown in the county of Meath. In return for the intention of the founder some meek minister of the reformed creed must be incited by the private spirit to curse pope and popery as well as execrate that faith which prompted the pious bequest which gives him aliment while he may be celebrating the victories of the glorious and immortal memory in a bumper of genuine Boyne water.