Readers of last week’s blog on St John’s Church, Tralee, have requested a background or history of a number of other Kerry churches. So today it is St. Michael’s Church, Lixnaw. I am quoting directly here from the 2005 publication The Diocese of Kerry formerly Ardfert: Working in the Fields of God, edited by Fr. Kieran O’Shea:
‘The Catholic parish of Lixnaw, in the deanery of Listowel, is bounded by the rivers Feale, Brick and Smearla. It is typographically divided between the limestone fertile land of the western end and the upland blanket bog at the eastern end. Traditionally the people of the western side have gravitated towards the town of Tralee for commercial purposes and the eastern side have been served by the market town of Listowel..
EarlyChristianIreland.net
The richness of its ecclesiastical history is illustrated by the presence of ruins that point to a varied and interesting past, the oldest, Kilshenane, reputedly founded by St. Senan of Scattery after spending a Lenten observance there. Other ancient sites include Kilfeighney (an eighth-century monastery that cared for leprosy victims). Dysert d’tralaight (linked by the ancient road to the monastery at Rattoo) and Kiltomy (containing the remains of a ruined church that was liable to flooding).
There is a strong devotion in the parish to the two holy wells. St. Michael’s well near Lixnaw village points to the devotion to St. Michael that the Norman settlers brought to the area. The Pattern Day held there on St. Michael’s Day is very well attended and was one of the largest gatherings of pilgrims in north Kerry in the late nineteenth century. St Senan’s holy well is accepted as having curative properties in its water for eyes and skin and is visited throughout the year. In Pena times local people attended Mass at Mass rocks – one of which is still to be seen at the townland of Gortacloghane.
To-day the worshipping communities of the parish are served by three well-maintained 
churches. Over a hundred years ago a handsome church was built in Rathea, dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption. The present Church of Our Lady and St.Senan at Irremore was renovated in the 1960s to accommodate six hundred people, and it replaced the first thatched church built in the 1830s. In the 1860s the Church of St. Michael was opened in Lixnaw village. It was designed by J.J. McCarthy and is one of the finest examples of his work. Local limestone was used and its fine style is labelled ’round arched style’. The church was opened by Bishop David Moriarty, who was from the parish and who also invited the Presentation Sisters to the parish. Happily, they still contribute to the life and well-being of the parish from their convent next to the church.
There are three Primary Schools in the parish with almost three hundred pupils in attendance in 2005.
Today it is one of the few parishes in Ireland that can boast of two hurling clubs, two football clubs and two drama clubs.’
Kieran O’Shea, The Diocese of Kerry Formerly Ardfert: Working in the Fields of God, (Strasbourg, 2005), pps. 112-113.
Mka Blog – St Michael Church, Lixnaw – Interior
MKA Blog – Lixnaw St Michaels Church
Thanks Kay, All around the stamping ground of my Hanlon ancestors.
Thanks,
Ken
Hi Kay!
Would love it if you would do a post on Dingle Churches, more specifically, St. James in Dingle Town, Garfinny & Ventry parishes.
Thanks!
Bridget in Canada
I echo Bidget’s wishes as my Irish ancestors emigrated to Canada and although their origin is stated to be Dingle, I am not sure which townland they are from. Mullane is cited on a marriage record to be the maiden name of my maternal 3xGrandmother married to SHELLY(SHELLEY).
Thank you Kay…..I have your informative book on Kerry Ancestors!
Jan
Lovely to read about Lixnaw, Kay as my great/great grandfather was baptised there on 27th Nov 1812. Your’e a mine of great information. Tnx again.
Your articles are always great, Kay. Do you know of any books or resources about the COI churches of Kerry? My ancestors were all Protestants, and all left Ireland. They were staunch members of various COI churches, including Aghadoe, Killorglin, Templenoe and Sneem. Only the last of these is still in use as a church. Killorglin Church has found new life as a tapas restaurant, and I see now that Aghadoe Church is up for rent at €500/month (https://dngwhgiles.ie/properties/aghadoe-church-killarney-county-kerry/). Not sure about Templenoe. I have seen all these churches from the outside but would love to know more about their history.
David, I would like to get more information on the Church of Ireland churches. I have very little myself on them and a visit to the local history archives in Kerry Co Library would be on the cards, but I am ‘imprisoned’ at the moment – day 34 of the Covid 19 restrictions here. I will make a few enquires – and it might take some time but hopefully I will get more information to enable me include those churches in the list I will be doing.
I think St. James in Dingle is a Protestant church. It was also a starting place for the Camino in Spain.
Mary, yes the present St. James Church of Ireland was built in 1807. I will be doing St. Mary’s Catholic Church Dingle shortly.
I would like info on St. Michael in Sneem
Edgar, Yes I will cover Sneem. There are a few ahead but I should get to it in the next two weeks. Kay
Hi, Kay –
Loved this blog post about St. Michael’s and other N. Kerry churches. I was so moved when I visited the church in Rathea several years ago and realized my maternal great-grandfather Michael Lynch (the schoolmaster) and his family would have worshiped in that same church, as would have my Gortaclahane ancestors. Would I be correct in thinking my father’s family (they were from Dromerin and Lacca) would have attended St. Michael’s, or would they have gone into Listowel’s St. Mary’s?
NYC about to go into citywide lockdown (again). Strange times we’re all living through, but then again, how did our ancestors survive famines, wars, civil unrest, etc. They were made of strong stuff!
My best to you for the holidays,
Joanne
Joanne, I know the house that the Lynches (schoolmasters) lived in. I think my father was friendly with one of them. Your ancestors from Dromerin would have been parishioners of St. Mary’s Church in Listowel and would have had their baptisms and marriages there.
Thanks, Kay. I saw the schoolhouse on a trip several years ago, but not the site of the cottage. If you remember, you found the church record for Michael in Duagh for me quite a few years ago. I’m forever grateful for your help. Joanne
Joanne, good to hear from you. I have been busy during this Covid lockdown finishing off my book on the Fitzmaurices of Lixnaw. As you know they owned a lot of the land in Duagh (as well most of north Kerry south of the River Feale – from Fenit to Abbeyfeale up to 1820. So they were probably Michael’s landlords going away back. The Fall of the Fitzmaurices: The Demise of Kerry’s First Family..