When Fr. Michael Nohilly celebrated an open-air ‘Station Mass’ in Fr. Meehan Place, on Friday evening, June 24^th, he was continuing a tradition steeped in history. The ‘station mass’, as it is known, had its beginning in 1691, the year the infamous ‘Penal Laws’ were introduced into Ireland. The laws imposed drastic restrictions on the freedom of the clergy, and seriously impeded the practice of the Catholic religion. Bishops and priests were outlawed and a price put on their heads, transportation and death resulted in many cases.

In 1697, the ‘Banishment Act’ was passed in the British controlled Irish Parliament and it decreed as follows :”All popish archbishops, bishops, vicars general, deans, Jesuit monks, friars and all other regular popish clergy and all Papists exercising ecclesiastical jurisdiction, shall depart out of this kingdom before the 1^st of May 1698. If any of the said ecclesiastical persons shall be at any time after the said 1^st of May, 1698, within the kingdom, they and every of them shall suffer imprisonment, until he or they shall be transported beyond the seas; and if any person so transported shall return again to this kingdom, they and every of them shall be guilty of high treason, and suffer and forfeit as in case of high treason.” In other words, if they returned to Ireland after transportation and were rearrested, the offending clergy would suffer death and forfeiture of their goods. Many of the clergy ignored the act and went into hiding, and from there, they attended to the spiritual needs of their flock. Mass was celebrated surreptitiously in remote places, and to this day, ‘mass-rocks’ can be pointed out in many parts of the country.

Several notorious people became ‘priest hunters’ and were rewarded for any Catholic clergyman they could capture. In our own area, John Mullowney stands out. He captured several priests and it is said that he killed at least one priest in his efforts to capture him. Legend has it that John, known as Sean na Saggart (John of the Priests) was himself killed by Friar David Bourke whom he was pursuing in a wood near Partry. He was buried in the grounds of Ballintubber Abbey.

In the beautiful June sunshine of Friday evening, all thoughts of such awful events were far away from the minds of celebrant and congregation, as they celebrated their mass in peace.

The pictures below show the celebrant Fr. Nohilly, and some of the congregation.

Fr. Michael Nohilly continuing a tradition.

Communion being distributed.