Local History by Seán Beattie

Uncategorized

Inishowen Church Magazine 1933

Eighty years ago the Inishowen Protestant churches produced their own magazine which contained an  interesting insight into the social life of the period. The earliest issue of 1933Cover was dominated by the death of a much loved Moville churchman, Bishop Montgomery. In Buncrana, there was excitement in the Griffin household as the daughter Mary secured a place at St. Moibhi’s Preparatory Training College in Dublin where she would train as a teacher. There is also an interesting feature on Agnes Jones, who was born in Cambridge in 1868 and came to international recognition for her role in nursing the sick. She was struck by typhus at the early age of 35  and was buried in 1868 in Fahan graveyeard. Mrs. Alexander, the great hymnist, wrote a poem in her memory.The family of Col. McNeese suffered heavily in the war and it was good to see the return of happier times with the wedding of John Frederick MacNeese to Barbara Hinks. One of the sons, James Douglas Gaussen MacNeese was killed in World War One. (See note below.)The happy couple resided at Castlecary, Redcastle. Events of the parish of Donagh, Clonmany and Cloncha were dominated by church festivities in Malin under the eye of the rector of the three parishes, Rev. H.J. Langtry and assisted by members of the Harvey family. 

One of the children of the Colonel was James Douglas Gaussen MacNeese and he died in WW1. A beautiful bronze memorial dedicated to James in Redcastle church was stolen recently. The church is no longer in use and was on the market for £50,000. Strangely, a large notice has been erected with the words NOT FOR SALE on the pillar of the main entrance.

Leave a Reply