St Mary's Renovation Under Way

As announced in the newsletter of 9th November, work on the renovation began last month and is continuing apace as can be seen. Truly a historic time!  Thanks to the opening of the new St Mary's school next door and the consequent freeing up of the space behind the church previously occupied by the old school's temporary buildings, we now have a fine spacious car park, so badly needed. The whole landscape is indeed changing before our eyes. Last year marked historic anniversaries for the churches in Newcastle and Rathcoole, a bicentenary and a 25th respectively. The launch of the bicentenary book round this time last year crowned what was a momentous year for St Finian's. (By the way, copies can still be bought from Bridget Breen.) This year and next, we hope and pray, will see St Mary's lose its faded look and, all the scaffolding and sheeting finally removed, shine like never before in all its regained neo-Gothic splendour!

Tomorrow night there will be a Carol Service in St Mary's, starting at 7.30 p.m. and next Tuesday 16th, there will be a Festive Night in St Finian's NS, starting at 6.30 p.m. Please see the newsletters for more news: 14.12.14,
7.12.14,    30.11.14,    23.11.14                       

Mass for the Repose of the Souls 

of Those Who Died in 2014

This Mass will take place on Friday 21st at 7.30 p.m. in the Church of the Holy Family, Rathcoole. The following newsletters contain the names of those who died since mid-September: 14th,   21st,  28th  September;  5th,  19th  October;  2nd  and 9th November.

Below is a photo taken in Rathcoole church on the evening of Tuesday, 12th June 2012, on the occasion of a lecture given by John Bradley (History Department, National University of Ireland, Maynooth) on the subject 'The Early History of the Parishes of Saggart/Rathcoole/Brittas and Newcastle'. The lecture was one of the events organised in our two parishes as part of the Eucharistic Congress of that year. I'm sure that those who heard John speak that evening will be saddened to learn of his death on Friday 7th last, at the age of 59. One of his many writings is an article on the medieval boroughs of County Dublin (1998), including Saggart, Rathcoole and Newcastle Lyons.

May all our deceased parishioners, and friends of the parishes such as John, be rewarded in heaven for all their good work on earth.

Donal McMahon, John Bradley, Fr Michael Shortall

The New St Mary's National School

BEFORE  :  JUNE  2014

AFTER  :  1 SEPTEMBER  2014

Click on photo to enlarge.