Churches
CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS (Roman Catholic)
There are no positive records of the date of this building but indirect proofs from some letters of Robert Cornwall, landlord of Myshall, to his Uncle Sam Faulkner of Castletown, Carlow show it to have been established in or about 1776. He granted the site for the “Chappel” and even though it was a swamp that was a great concession on the part of a landlord in those times.
It was built in the form of a cross and in 1888 even the football club
at the time wore this cross on their jerseys, calling themselves
“Myshall Crusaders”. Later galleries were added a belfry was built in
1900. The building has a proud record of continued unbroken worship for
over 220 years.
Church of the Holy Cross, Myshall
Holy Angel's Garden at the Church of the Holy Cross, Myshall
Holy Angel's Garden at the Church of the Holy Cross, Myshall
There are three significant memorials in the cemetery surrounding this Church – inside the gates on the right hand side is a memorial to the Byrne Family, parents of Dr. Byrne, benefactor of this parish through the ‘Byrne Trust Fund’.
On the way into the main entrance of this Church is a granite seat that was given by the parishioners to former Parish Priest of the parish Fr. John Hayden on the occasion of his platinum jubilee. Fr. Hayden was Parish Priest of Myshall and Drumphea from 1968 until he retired in 1991. He celebrated his Golden,(1988) Diamond, (1998) and Platinum (2008) Jubilees in this, his beloved parish and he was laid to rest in nearby Lismaconly Cemetery in April 2009 aged 95.
As one enters the main door of the Church one might notice a
commemorative plaque to Fr. Kavanagh who was parish priest of the area
in 1798. He is reputed to have negotiated a ‘deal’ with the then
landlord Robert Cornwall, to build a road, now known as the
Croppy Road in exchange for rebels
being freed.