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Page 13 of 14
Early History
As we approach the dawn of the second millennium, the parish of Claregalway has one church, a parish priest, and one curate, catering for an ever-growing population. However, should the population explosion that is now taking place, due to the influx of an increasing number of suburbanites, be sustained, we might again be blessed with two churches, as we had in the eighteenth century, prior to the establishment of the parish boundary as we now know it. The parish church of Claregalway was situated in Lakeview, adjacent to the present church, while the parish of “Lydecane,” which is currently spelt “Lydacan” had its church in Cregboy.
When the history of this millennium was being recorded in the so-called "Dark Ages,” the parish of Claregalway did not exist in its present form. Records show that in 1484, the then Archbishop of Tuam gave the parish of St. Nicholas in Galway, which had been attached to his diocese since 1324, the status of "exempt jurisdiction". Why he decided to give this parish a type of independence is unsure, but what is known is that he subsequently annexed the Parish of St. James at Balenclear (now Baile an Chlair). Eventually these latter territories and others were assimilated, until a district was arrived at which corresponds basically to the present diocese of Galway. When Pope Innocent VIII ratified the Archbishop's decision, it freed Galway and Claregalway, both originally part of the Annaghdown diocese, from the Tuam Archdiocese. In earlier centuries Tuam had been at loggerheads with Annaghdown, which had long striven for its own identity.
Before this independence was bestowed upon Claregalway, information on priests in the parish is scarce. Among the names recorded in the late fourteenth or early fifteenth century are: David Valensis, James Cachyr (1418), Cormac O’Callanayn ( 1419), Urmanus O’Madagayn (1419), Brandon Ymulcroyan ( 1429), Philip Macmaylayn(1430), Donald O’Mulcroyan ( 1430), John O’Douna ( 1480), Risteardus de Burgo ( 1492), Gilleduff O’Brouder ( 1648)
It is recorded that Cormac O’Callanayn required a papal dispensation to qualify for ordination, as he was "the son of an unmarried man and an unmarried mother." He became the Canon of Annaghdown and then he was transferred to what was called the ‘Vicarage’ of Claregalway. An unverified story says that a son of his was later Parish Priest of Claregalway.
The Old Church, about 1974
Church Building (1839 – 1974)
The previous church building, which was demolished in 1974, was similar to the majority of churches that were built in the 19th century. Cruciform in shape, it was somewhat smaller than the current day structure. A large stained glass window adorned the gable end at the front of the church. It had three doors, one on each transom, and one at the rear. There were three galleries, named locally as the Carnmore gallery, the Claregalway gallery, and the grand gallery. Mass times on Sundays and holy days were at 8.30a.m., referred to locally as first Mass, and at 11a.m. or second Mass. The vast majority of worshippers went to first Mass.
There were many local customs, as there undoubtedly were in all rural communities. The women occupied seats on the left, the men on the right. Men, except for members of the choir who used the Claregalway gallery on occasion, occupied both galleries over the transoms. It is said that a woman never set foot in the Carnmore gallery. Women, almost entirely elderly, occupied the seats on both transoms. They usually had their own favourite seat. Both sexes used the grand gallery. Those customs were adhered to with few exceptions. Maybe the occasional traveller might inadvertently stray into “foreign” territory, and that “separatist” custom was tailor made for the “show off” who craved special attention, and would break ranks just to be noticed.
Confessions were held on Saturday afternoon. One day for the girls, one for the boys, one for the women and one for the men. At Sunday Mass this order was repeated for communicants, the girls to receive 1st etc. If there were 5 Sundays in the month, members of the Sodality would be first to receive Holy Communion.
Many parishioners were saddened by the demise of the old church, but the “comforts” of the new church compensated somewhat. Undoubtedly, the same sentiments will be expressed sometime in the future.
Pre-Reformation Church Building This is situated close to the handball alley, directly south of the Friary. There is a path or driveway leading to it from the riverbank. Almost nothing is known about this building. It is assumed that it was built around the same time as the friary and was destroyed during the time of the Suppression of the Monasteries in the 16th century. However according to local folklore the building was a hospital or infirmary that was associated with the Friary. People with infectious diseases were normally kept apart from the rest of the congregation. Parts of the walls are still standing. It was used as a burial ground.
Graveyards
The parish has one graveyard currently in use, which is situated adjacent to the Claregalway Friary. However, other burial grounds (small graveyards and lisheens) are scattered throughout the parish. The most notable being: Montiagh, Waterdale, Lydacan, Carnmore, Kiltrogue, Kiniska, Cahergowan and Clogher. Undoubtedly there are others, like the previous mentioned ones, which have fallen into disrepair, no one having been buried in them for the greater part of the century.
The last account we have of a burial taking place in one of those small graveyards was in Montiagh in 1933. It was a young child, whose father was originally from the village, but was residing in Bohermore, Galway. He was a man by the name of Duggan, and he brought his deceased child out to his native village for burial.
One of the reasons for so many little graveyards scattered throughout the parish was more than likely due to the many deaths that occurred during the famine years. Many were buried in beds of straw matted together, because there were no coffins, and this procedure was referred to locally as “Mata Taoi”.
There is a lisheen in Eddie Hanley’s field in Carnmore West that is sited within a ringfort. There were people being buried there up to the mid 1950s. Michéal Ó’Heidhin, Carnmore, tells us:
“I myself was at a funeral there of an infant about 1946 but there were a few more buried there afterwards. I remember four or five funerals there when I was going to school (most I believe from Mountain West, Oranmore). There are two headstones there – one of them has two names: James Grealish and Michael Cooley on the one stone with a date of 1890. The other one has the name Mary Donoghue aged 53, buried 1898.”
Those burial places are often referred to as children’s graveyards, because it was mostly unbaptised children that were buried in them. The Montiagh burial ground might be an exception because there was a monastery nearby some centuries ago. That was before any road existed between the village and Galway. The priests at that time used a short cut to Galway that was later called “The Priest’s Way” (Clochán an tSagairt).
The oldest recorded date on a headstone in the friary is 1648. The engravings on many of the old headstones near the friary are unusual in that many denote the particular trade or occupation that the person had. For instance an anvil, hammer or pincers while another shows a plough. There were many other engravings.
The new graveyard that was added on to the friary about 1900 was under the Galway County Health District and the earliest record of caretakers is 1936. The following is a list of caretakers:
Mr. Patrick Lenihan (1936 to 1939); Miss Sabina Lenihan (1939 to 1945); Mr. Patrick Monaghan (1946 to 1947); Re. P. O’Dea PP (1947 to 1948); Mr. James Hession (1948 to 1988); Mr. Seamus O’Connell (1988 to present time)
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