Saint Oliver Plunkett Church in Blackrock marks being 100 years-old

Saint Oliver Plunkett Church in Blackrock is 100 years-old this year. Coinciding with the sacred dedication of the church a centenary ago, a Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Archbishop Eamon Martin is planned to take place on August 31 next.

This will be the culmination of a weekend of celebrations that will feature a Festival of Flowers in the church for which preparations are underway and for other events to mark the Centenary.

A local group has been set up to oversee plans and the preparations, and would be grateful for the loan of photographs of the original site and of the building as work progressed and any significant aspects of the history of the church and changes to the structure in subsequent years to the present.

Those in possession of or access to such memorabilia are kindly asked to hand it into Saint Oliver’s or Saint Fursey’s Church or Parochial House, Haggardstown for the attention of the Centenary Group and will be safely returned.

Saint Oliver’s Church stands on an elevated site overlooking Dundalk Bay close  to the village’s main street. It was solemnly consecrated on Sunday, August 31 1924, five years after the foundation stone was laid on the same date in 1919.

His Eminence Cardinal Logue presided at both ceremonies.

The church was designed by Ralph Byrne, Dublin and built by James McAdorey & Son, Dundalk.

It was constructed with coarse limestone rubble with Newry granite dressing and green Cumberland slates at a cost of E18, 480.