|
St Matthew's Church Crosskeys |
||
|
|
 |
Introduction There
was a chapel in the townland of Loonogs in the late 1700s and early
1800s. It was a thatched
chapel and the walls were built with poor quality irregular stone. Like
many of the chapels of this period it was used as a school during the
week. In 1837 Samuel Lewis, in his Topographical
dictionary of The
present St Matthew’s Church was built in 1839. It was in the process
of being built when the roof was blown off by the ‘Big Wind’ on the
night of 6 January 1839. It
is a rectangular building with high Romanesque windows.
This church has served the people of the Crosskeys area ever
since then. When Fr
Michael Young was appointed parish priest of Denn in 1928 he reported
that the church was in a very bad state and it ‘presented the
appearance of decay and neglect.’
In 1929 the church was re-plastered inside and outside. New
windows were inserted the following year. In 1931 a new gallery was
added. The stations of the cross, which were made in |
|
|
||
