History of the Parish of Kilfarboy (Miltown Malbay)
The origins of the ancient parish of Kilfarboy are difficult to trace with any degree of certainty. According to Archdall the monastery of Kilfarboy was founded by St. Laichtin in 741 A.D. However there is evidence to suggest that it may have been founded more than a century before this date.
Laichtin is commemorated in the Feilire Aenguish on the 19th. March and also on that date in O’Clery’s calendar
Laichtin Mac Toirbin Acad Uir in Osraighe, acas o Bealach Feabrath anno domini 622.
(Laichtin , son of Toirbin Abbot of Acad in Ossory and of Bealach Feabrath died 622 A.D.)
“Bealach Feabrath “ where Laichtin is said to have founded his monastery is not however identified by O ‘Clery.
According to Westropp The place was probably founded by St. Laichtin /Laughteen.
He may have been a friend of St. Senan in 550 A.D. or another of the same name who died in 622 A.D.
It possibly got its name from the pass of Bealach Fearbraith, where a monastery was founded in 740 A.D.
which was later governed by a bishop named Cormac who died in A.D. 837.
He also records that in June 1394 an important Papal letter licensed
Cornelius O Deayg sub deacon of Killaloe, to get the tonsure and benefices of Killnafearwagy.
Ordinance Survey Papers of County Clare
“The parish of Kilfarboy in the barony of Ibrickane in the County of Clare, is bounded on the north by the parish of Kilmannaheen , in the barony of Corcomroe, on the east by the parish of Cloony in Corcomroe barony and the parish of Inagh in the barony of Inchiquin. On the south by the parish of Kilmurry in the barony of Ibrickane, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean
The name of the parish is of ecclesiastical origin . The church appears in The Papal taxation 1302-7 as Kellinfearbregay. The present form of the name is that by which it is known in the memory of the oldest inhabitant and it is also by that name the parish is set down in the book of Regal Visitation . The name as it is spoken would be spelled Cill Fearbaigh , i.eThe church of St. Fearbach , but of this St. Fearbach , no historical account has reached us.”
By the late 16th. Century the parish church at Kilfarboy was closed to catholics and an era of persecution had begun. During the 18th.century Mass was offered in small thatched “Mass houses” with most of the congregation out in the open.. In the second half of the 18th. Century there was one of these “Mass houses” at Ath an tSagairt in Clonbony. In the early !9th. Century there was a thatched chapel at “ Barr an Bhaile” near the gates of the present church. It was used as a national school when the new church was built in 1839 and was demolished when the national school was built at Clonbony in 1862. (now Vaughan’s garage)
During the 18th. Century the parishes of Kilfarboy and Kilmurry Ibrickane were amalgamated. Fr Anthony McGuane was the last parish priest of the united parishes. He was appointed in 1809 .His brother Fr. Patrick McGuane was curate. At that time they contained more than 18,000 people. The McGuanes decided to build two new large churches , one in Miltown Malbay and one in Mullagh. On “the night of the big wind” - 6th January 1839 the church at Mullagh was almost completed . It was so severely damaged by the storm that plans to erect a tower and steeple had to be abandoned.
Fr. Anthony McGuane died in March 1839 and Bishop Kennedy decided to divide the parish in two , making Fr Patrick McGuane parish priest of the new parish of Miltown Malbay. ( It was at this point the former parish of Kilfarboy became known ecclesiastically as the parish of Miltown Malbay)
Fr. E. Barry (nephew of Fr. McGuane) became parish priest of Kilmury Ibrickane.
The town lands of Carhuduff , Dunsalagh , Knockliscrane and Killernan remained part of Kilmurry Ibrickane parish . A later division , probably when Fr. Moran was parish priest of Kilmurry Ibrickane made the Annagh river the parish boundary and Carhuduff , Dunsallagh , Knockliscrane and part of Killernan became part of Miltown Malbay parish.
The new church was completed by the end of 1839 or early 1840. The tower and steeple were not added until 1861 and 1863. It is likely that it had a clay floor and very little seating . Such a large building could easily hold three or four thousand people.It is reported that when Bishop Kennedy visited the parish to administer confirmation in 1840 seven hundred children received the sacrament.
The Church Bell is embossed “Murphy Founder 1868” .
The Stations of the Cross were presented to the Church by the parishioners to honour the memory of Dean Michael Bugler who was P.P. 1859 - 1871.
The High Altar was consecrated by Archbishop John McCarthy of Zanzibar with the authority of Michael Fogarty , Bishop of Killaloe on 24th. June 1948.
In 1872 when Fr. O’Shaughnessy was parish priest a church was built in Moy , mostly by voluntary labour. The site had been acquired in the previous decade by Fr. Bugler from the local landlords, the Fitzgeralds. Frank “caoch” Moroney had refused permission for the church to be built on his estate.. He is reported to have said that he would prefer to see two Roman Catholic churches being demolished than one being built.
In 1929 a religious community was established for the first time in the parish ,when the Sisters of Mercy took up residence in Sea View House. A secondary school was opened in September that year . In 1947 the Sisters acquired Miltown House which was renovated for use as a convent. This was formerly the residence of the Morony family. In 1954 a chapel was built adjoining the convent . It later came to be used as a public church for the Spanish Point area. It is no longer used as a church and now forms part of St. Joseph’s secondary school.
Extensive reconstruction was carried out on Miltown Malbay Church ( 1978 - 1980 ) and it was re-dedicated by the Bishop of Killaloe Most Rev. Michael Harty on 16th.March 1980.
The sesquicentenery of St. Joseph’s Church was celebrated on 18th. June 1989.
| Parish Priests (1839 - 2004) |
Curates in the parish ( 1846 - 2004) |
| Fr. Patrick McGuane 1839 - 1846 |
Rev. John Hill 1846 - 1852 |
| Fr. John McMahon 1846 - 1859 |
Rev. John Fahy 1859 - 1865 |
| Fr. Michael Bugler 1859 - 1871 |
Rev. John Cahir 1865 - 1871 |
| Fr, Edward O’Shaughnessy 1871 - 1876 |
Rev. P. Leyden 1867 - 1868 |
| Dean Patrick White 1876 - 1891 |
Rev. Charles Stuart 1871 - 1889 |
| Fr. John Kingston 1891 - 1911 |
Rev. Daniel Garry 1883 - 1892 |
| John Canon Hannon 1911 - 1931 |
Rev. P.J. Quinn 1892 - 1897 |
| Denis Canon Murphy 1931 - 1949 |
Rev. D. Vaughan 1892 - 1898 |
| Thomas Canon O’Reilly 1949 - 1973 |
Rev. J. Darcy 1897 - 1899 |
| Jerome Canon Holohan 1973 - 1989 |
Rev. J.J. Hogan 1899 - 1906 |
| Seamus Canon Mullin 1989 - 2004 |
Rev. M. Gleeson 1899 - 1903 |
| Fr. Sean Murphy 2004 - |
Rev. M . Kinnerk 1903 - 1905 |
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Rev. W. Foley 1905 - 1908 |
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Rev. Dan O’Meara 1906 - 1909 |
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Rev. M.J. Corcoran 1909 - 1911 |
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Rev. M. Dwan 1911 - 1911 |
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Rev. J. Enright 1912 - 1921 |
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Rev. A Lawlor 1917 - 1920 |
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Rev. T. O’Molloy 1921 - 1925 |
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Rev.R. Burke 1922 - 1925 |
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Rev. T. Doheny 1921 - 1922 |
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Rev. P. Smyth 1925 - 1928 |
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Rev. T. Hughes 1926 - 1927 |
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Rev. M. O’Rahilly 1928 - 1932 |
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Rev. J. Fogarty 1928 - 1932 |
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Rev. J. O’Kennedy 1932 - 1934 |
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Rev. T. Neylon 1932 - 1941 |
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Rev. E. Maxwell 1934 - 1934 |
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Rev. Ml. McKenna 1934 - 1939 |
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Rev. D. Kelly 1939 - 1942 |
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Rev. M. Lynch 1941 - 1949 |
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Rev. E. Hogan 1942 - 1947 |
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Rev. T. Mulally 1949 - 1957 |
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Rev. Ml. Greene 1947 - 1949 |
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Rev. P. Stuart 1949 - 1956 |
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Rev. J. Minihan 1956 - 1963 |
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Rev. J. Hannon 1957 - 1969 |
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Rev. E. Fitzgerald 1963 - 1970 |
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Rev. P. Walsh 1969 - 1972 |
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Rev J. O’Keeffe 1971 - 1990 |
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Rev. C. Lyons 1971 - 1971 |
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Rev. P. Carmody 1972 - 1989 |
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Rev. Sean Murphy 1990 - 2004
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