Kilquiggan Church

Kilquiggan church was consecrated to saint Finian in 1890.

It is a standard church of the period featuring a main church building with two doors a main door facing the road and a side door facing the original car park which now also serves as a disabled entrance. The main door is wide with a arch on the corner stone, to the left is a carved cross and on the right corner stone a carved anchor.

The hall was built inside the door in the 1990’s to block the winter winds which come directly in from the east coast. Just inside the door is a granite holy water font which is the only remaining item from the original church which stood further up the hill in Kilquiggan village, which was affectionately known as the harbour locally.

There is a single gallery to the rear and a hall and vestry  on the north side. The vestry was once heated by a open fireplace but this has long since been replaced by oil heating the main church is now heated by gas. It has a white marble alter. The original alter rails were wooden  but were replaced by marble in the 1980’s by Fr Kaye.  He also replaced the seats.

There is an Italian marble  baptismal fountain to the right of the alter which was presented to the church by the brother and sisters of the late and most beloved Lady Alice Fitzwilliam. Lady Alice is buried in the grounds to the north side of the church, her memorial reads Alice Mary Wentworth Fitzwilliam 18th October 1922 Daughter of the 6th Earl Fitzwilliam K G and F H countess Fitzwilliam. Lady Alice was the aunt of the last earl Fitzwilliam,  Peter who was killed in a plane crash in France with Kathleen Kennedy sister of JFK president of America.

Also buried in the grounds are three parish priests  Fr O Brien PP 1932 to 1958 Fr Joseph O Byrne 1972 and Fr Micheal Kaye 1972 to 1992.

On the walls of the church the stations of the cross hang each sponsored by families of the parish as follows; Reverend Patrick Keenan cc.Thomas and Mrs Kenny Coolkenno, Patrick and Mrs Maguire, Knockatomcoyle,Reverend William Byrne pp, Patrick and Mrs Byrne Seskquin, Garreth and Mrs Tallon Strahnakelly , William and Mrs Abraham Monahullen, Leg and Mrs Byrne Kilquiggan, Thomas and Mrs Shepard Boley,  Joe and Mrs Maguire Coolkenno,  Joseph and Miss Gahan Boley,  Loughlin and Jane Kelly Kilquiggan,  Thomas and Mrs Kelly Gould, Lec and Mrs Tallon Stranakelly and the windows,  Arthur and Mary Smyth Conmore.

See also on this website:

A photo of cross head and base at Kilquiggan church

Ballynultagh, Stranakelly and Mullinacuffe – The Old Road PURE Mile