Fr. Mc Manus’ Native Kinawley Parish in County Fermanagh
Historic Parish of Kinawley—which includes Swanlinbar, County Cavan— was divided by England’s imposed Border by the 1920 Government of Ireland Act (Partition Act).
Photos and information below from Parish website
Saint Mary’s Church, Swanlinbar
(Parish website)
The first Saint Mary’s church was built along the Claddagh River in 1828, the land having been leased from Major Thomas Burrows to the parish priest at the time Father Philip Kiernan for an annual rent of £5. In 1868, the parish priest Father Peter Whelan refused to pay the annual rent. When the sheriff arrived to seize the property in 1869, he was met by over 1,000 men armed with a great variety of weapons. The rent continued to be paid however until 1940 when Father Patrick Mallon reached an agreement with the owners making a final payment of £59-14s-4d. Renovations were carried out on Saint Mary’s church in 1927 and gain in 1959 which cost £21,000. Swanlinbar, being a border town was affected by the ‘Troubles’ and on 8 December 1874, this fine church was destroyed by a bomb which had been placed on the floor of the church. The church had to be demolished and the new Saint Mary’s church was rededicated by Bishop Francis Mc Kiernan on 15 August 1978. The new church, which has a floor sloping towards the altar, is a modern design which was influenced by the Vatican Two directives on liturgy. Hubert Duffy was the architect. The church can seat 600 people and it has a day chapel which can seat 60 people. In the year 2000, while Father Hannon was parish priest, a Prayer and Peace garden was developed in the church grounds to mark the Jubilee Year.