St Colmcille's BNS

St Colmcille's Church

If we turn come back up Seatown Road and turn left, we will arrive at St Colmcille’s Church and the Graveyard. The archives of the Vatican mention a church and residence in Swords as early as 1608, with Niel Kiernan, a priest of the Diocese of Armagh, being referred to as priest for the area.

                            Marble Plaque

There is a marble plaque at the back of the Church which lists the parish priests of Swords from 1608 onwards (Kiernan is spelled as Ciernan).

Father John Murphy

During the Cromwellian era, the priests were forced to hide otherwise they would be imprisoned, but by 1660, this persecution had ceased, and Fr John Murphy, Parish Priest, was allowed back into Swords. In 1665, Fr Murphy presented a sliver chalice to Swords, and this implies that the first public chapel was established around this time.

Reverend James Carey

James CareyIn 1806, Rev. James Carey, OP was appointed as parish priest, and he ministered in Swords until his death in 1850. He was a member of the Dominican Order, and special permission was given for him to work in Swords. In 1827, he replaced the old chapel by building St Colmcille’s Church on a site presented by Mr James Taylor of Swords House. In 1879, the two-storey vestry at the rear of the church was added on. The main altar, side altars and communion rails were erected to the memory of Fr David Mulcahy PP who died in 1912. 

                           Renovations

In 1924, the façade of the Church was altered to its present appearance. On 16 March 2001, renovations to the altar and altar rails were completed, and the sanctuary lamp was restored. While the renovations were being done, a bottle was found under the altar which contained a note saying erected by Michael Mc Gunny, Charles Coates, John Davis, John Mc Grane and John St Lawrence. This note was dated 10 October 1881.

Postscript

On the wall outside the church are a number of iron rings which were used to tie up ponies and horses which brought people to Mass. A man named Jack Salmon was the self-appointed minder of the horses, and for this task, he was given a few shillings in tips by the farmers.