Churches
St. Joseph’s Church
Ballyadams, Athy, Co. Kildare
The church of Ballyadams dates back to the 19th century at least and among the first recorded Pastors in the area was Father Kedagh Moore, 1680-1709, who resided in Corbally and Father John Brady, 1704, onwards approx. Around 1720 came Father Gerard Byrne, , Parish Priest of Stradbally, Timahoe, Ballyadams, Doonane and the districts belonging to them. He died in Luggacurren on the 24th July 1724, aged fifty seven years.
They then follow, in almost unbroken succession, all down through the following centuries until the present day, such as the Reverend James Byrne, Parish Priest of his native Luggacurren, Ballyadams and Wolfhill, who died on the 7th February 1816, and so on. Father Waldron, Father Hugh Doyle, Father William Prendergast, Father Lawrence Fleming, Father Jimmy Doyle, Father Gerard Breen and Father Dan Dunne, are of present or recent memory. A school was opened in 1810 in Ballyadams. It had one hundred pupils and Mr. John Hart was Principal. It taught the ‘Three R’s and Book-Keeping’.
Mass Times
Sun: 11am
Holy Rosary Church
Luggacurren, Co. Laois
Luggacurren, which includes the old parish areas of Clopook and Teclom (Corbally), is part of the Slievemargy mountain range and had its present Church built in 1823 approx on a site given by Lord Landsdowne. The Curates residence followed some years later on a site also given by Lord Landsdowne as a reward to Father Cummins for establishing peace in the area following attacks by the Whiteboys and some agrarian strife. A school was opened in Luggacurren by a Mr James Farrell in 1822 and it was well attended. In the 1830’s it is estimated that there were over 3,000 Roman Catholics in this area – now there are some hundreds.
Mass Times
Sat: 7.30pm
Tues – Fri: 10am
St. Mary’s Church
Wolfhill, Athy, Co. Kildare
WOLFHILL CHURCH is a large structure built with local stone and is said to have been built over a period of seven years, mostly summer work. Fr. Fenlon P.P. donated most of the cost of the original building.
The Grace family of Gracefield House donated the roof. In 1979-1980, renovations took place under architect Mr. Michael Crowe. The builder was Mr. Michael Regan. The cost of the work was €110,000. The interior stone walls were pointed in 1964 by Andy Morrin and cost €3,034. The stained glass window over the altar was destroyed in the Big Wind of 1903 but the present window was installed in that year and was gift of Fr. James parkinson, P.P. (1900-1920). Nearby is a plaque erected by the Wolfhill ’98 committee starting that the area of Slatt Lower was where Fr John Murphy and Wexford Rebels camped in June 1798. This was the furthest that this group had traveled, and failing to find support in the midlands they headed back towards Wexford.
Mass Times
Sun: 10am