Colliery Church
The Colliery Church on the main Dublin Road
175 YEARS OF WORSHIP ON 10TH OCTOBER 2004
The Church celebrated it's 175th Anniversary with a service of thanksgiving directed by the local Rector, Rev. Thomas A. Sherlock.
Readers were Miss Frances Bradley, Mrs. Rachel Treacy, Miss Siphia Shirley and Mrs. Edna Smyth.
Churchwardens : Mrs.Alice Condell and Mr.Herbert Wilson.
Organist : Mrs. Emelda Ward
Preacher : Right Rev. P.F. Barrett, Bishop of Cashel and Ossory.
On October 10th 1829, the Colliery Church was consecrated by the then Bishop of Ossory, Bishop Robert Fowler. Prior to this, St. Mary's Church Castlecomer, which is a distance of three miles away, was the nearest place of worship for the Anglican (Church of Ireland) congregation.
At this time the mode of transport was a horse and cart if you were lucky, otherwise you walked. This was a huge hardship on children, during the winter especially.
Lady Ann Wandesford saw the need and provided the site and funds to build a chapel of ease for the largely mining community living outside the town, and so alleviate some of the hardship on this section of the parish. She took an active part in the building of the Colliery Church which is similar in design to St Mary's Church, but smaller.
The Rector was Henry Richard Dawson who was also instrumental in the building of this church and he later went on to become Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. He died aged 48 in 1840 and his remains are interred in the nave of St. Patrick's Cathedral.
There is a bust of Dean Dawson in the Colliery Church and a marble memorial in St Mary's, and also a large memorial statue in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin commemorating his life and work.
The five most recurring names :- Boyle, Booth, Bradley, Smith and Wilson.