The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Toovahera

Echoing architectural aesthetics of its time, the church is named in memory of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary, recognized as Our Lady of Lourdes, to a young Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, in Lourdes, France. These divine visitations and ensuing miraculous healings transformed Lourdes into a spiritual haven, attracting pilgrims worldwide seeking solace and healing.

Motivated by these miraculous events and the Virgin Mary's devotion, the people of Toovaghera paid tribute to Our Lady of Lourdes by erecting this sacred structure. Its sanctuary showcases an exquisitely carved altar dedicated to the Virgin Mary, accompanied by resplendent stained glass windows narrating the life journey of Christ and His Holy Mother.

“People would take in large stone from the wall outside to sit on.”

The first stone of this chapel was laid in 1847 but it was not completed until 1848 due to the hardship of the times. It was built to serve the new parish of Lisdoonvarna, formed when the parishes of Killilagh, Kilmoon and Killeany were united before 1844. It replaced a small thatched chapel at nearby O’Grady’s Cross. Seats were installed from the altar to the door and these were sold at £5 - £7 to the families whose initials were carved on them. Until 1887 the back of the church had only an earthen floor. People would take in large stone from the wall outside to sit on. In the porch is set a stone carving of the crucifixion, similar to those found in Egypt from the early Christian era. It was previously incorporated in the chapel at O’Grady’s Cross and possibly came originally from the nearby church of Killeany, the earliest in the present parish and destroyed in Cromwellian times.

Kilmoon Church Ruin

Situated just off the Ballyvaughan road, the Kilmoon Church, now in ruins, dates from the early Christian era, with the later 14^th or early 15^th century addition of a chancel like structure. A side chapel, or tombhouse, standing five feet from the church is thought to date from the late 15^th century.

In a field a few yards to the west of the church is the site of St Mogua’s well, also known as Tobermoon where once there was a holy tree and altar. As late as the 1960’s prayer rounds were practiced there. Until the early 1900’s there were round stones at the well, known as cursing stones, as found in many ancient sites in Ireland. It is said that these were turned against the sun to lay a curse on someone. Such was the credence given to the effectiveness of this ritual that at the turn of the century a man, accused of laming an old woman, was acquitted when he made the defence that the woman had threatened to ‘turn the stones of Kilmoon agin him’. It is recoded that such stones were also used as ‘a sort of Rosary’ for counting prayers.

*With thanks to Frances O’Donahue

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Story of the 2021 restoration of Our Lady of Lourdes, Toovahera

A couple of years ago Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Toovahera had to be closed for health and safety reasons. The wooden floor had decayed and become dangerous.

With the support of the Diocesan Property Manager, a new and modern concrete-based floor solution was designed by a Chartered Building Surveyor with particular expertise in this field.

It promises to be a very long-lasting solution,a firm foundation for the overall health of this much-loved local chapel long into the future. The sacristy also needs new furniture to replace inbuilt work that has been destroyed by dampness. We are so very happy to have re-opened the Church for weekly Mass, for Eucharistic Adoration,  for personal prayer, and for local baptisms, weddings, and funerals.

Clare County Council's Heritage Fund  kindly offered a grant of €10,000 to the project, that was paid after the work was completed and the rest of the fund were raised locally. It was completed by early October 2021. The local committee in charge of this fundraising project were:

Catherine Fogarty, Councillor Joe Garrihy, Seanie Healy, Patrick O'Donohue, Peter O'Loughlin

We are very grateful to this group for their enthusiastic work for this project  and to all who joined in generously supporting the effort. Please remember that donations over €250 were increased by up to 45% more - at no extra cost to the donor - through the Charity Rebate Scheme. That just involves signing a simple form and you can get more details on that from me or from any of the fundraising committee.

Phase 1 of the project was successfully accomplished with a clearing-out of the Church done by an amazing army of local volunteers and the gift of their time and work was a huge saving in cost to the whole project. Fair play to all involved!

Then Phase 1's initial demolition and removal work was swiftly undertaken after a competitive tender process, and we were able to finance this from funds raised from parish families who took up the option to acquire burial rights in Toovahera cemetery. This option is still available and the funds are ring-fenced for the restoration project.

All of this progress has informed the current budget requirements, including the cost of renovating the sacristy, and hence the target amount for this fundraiser for Phase 2 is €20,000. Phase 2 will commence after another competitive tender process.E

€20,000 is a significant amount but we are confident that parishioners, and friends of the parish elsewhere in Ireland and abroad, will be generous and supportive, and keen to play a part in repairing and re-opening this beautiful chapel.

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