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Thursday, 25th July 2024

Canonisation of Oliver Plunkett recalled ahead of next year’s 50th anniversary

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September 29th,1979: The relic of Saint Oliver Plunkett was taken from St. Peter's Church in West Street and transported to Killineer for the Papal Mass from Pope John Paul 11. Photo: Andy Spearman. 

By Sean Collins

Next year is the 50th anniversary of the canonisation of Saint Oliver Plunkett and a local committee is already planning the celebrations.  Historian Sean Collins delves into the archives for us...

Growing up in Drogheda, whether you came from Dooley Gate or the Faa Side, one thing we all experienced was a visit to the shrine of Oliver Plunkett, the martyred Archbishop of Armagh, at St. Peter’s Parish Church in West Street. 

On the 23rd May 1920, the venerable Oliver Plunkett was beatified in Rome at a ceremony attended by his descendant George Noble Plunkett, a papal count and father of the 1916 Proclamation signatory Joseph Mary Plunkett. Dr. William Bradley from Laurence Street was the only Drogheda representative in attendance. 

It was a different story entirely when, in October 1975, it was announced that Blessed Oliver Plunkett was to be canonized as a Saint. The ceremony was to be held in Rome, but the people of Drogheda were determined to be part of the celebration set for Sunday 12th October. 

From early on the Sunday morning Drogheda was buzzing with pilgrims and visitors from the thirty-two counties. Special trains arrived from many of the troubled towns and cities of Ulster. 1,000 members of the Order of Malta arrived from all over Ireland to support and swell the ranks of their Drogheda colleagues.

Captain Desmond Healy and Captain Dermot Kierans of the Order of Malta organized the venture which was titled “Operation Invalid”. 6,000 invalids came on pilgrimage to be blessed with the relics of the new St. Oliver Plunkett.

 Sunday 22nd February 1941 - Members of the first Drogheda Unit Order of Malta being inspected prior to the annual Oliver PLunkett Mass by the President of the Ambulance Corps BJ McKenna (left), Volunteer W. O’Reilly. Cpl. D. Healy, Volunteers J. McCabe, JP Madden, E. McKenna and M. McElherron.

As Anne Kane later reported in the Drogheda Independent: “scenes reminiscent of earlier and more fervent decades were witnessed”. Masses were celebrated in all the local churches to meet the demands of the pilgrims and many varied sermons were given on the whole notion of the saint. 

At two o’clock 900 invalids were brought to St. Peters where they were blessed with the relic of St. Oliver by Fr. Arthur McInerney. A guard of honor at the church was organized by the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides of the dioceses of Armagh, Down and Connor.

Noel Peart, the President of the Order of Malta, led a procession of eighteen knights and five dames of the order, Captain Pat Kelly a founder member of the organisation in Drogheda, acted as Mr. Peart’s aide-de-comp on the day. 

The chief concelebrant on the day was Fr. Michael Dorman joined by priests from all the churches in the town. Deputy Mayor Ald. Dick Branigan led the members and officials of the Drogheda Corporation. 

The readings were given by Desmond Healy and Dermot Kierans and the historian Fr. Diarmuid Mac Iomhair gave the sermon. The prayers of the faithful were said by Lt. James MacMahon, Dolores O’Rourke, Jacinta O’Reilly, and Declan Collins. Twelve young cadets of the Order of Malta brought the gifts. I wonder was Catrina Leddy, Theresa Farrell and Sandra Finnegan in that group? The Drogheda Brass Band provided a fanfare of trumpets. Drogheda and particularly St. Peters was en-fete. 

Meanwhile in Rome the Sunday was one of the worst on record weather wise. St Peter’s Square was described in one newspaper as wind swept with pelting rain. The Irish delegation included An Taoiseach, Mr. Cosgrave and Archbishop of Armagh Tomas O’Fiach.

Drogheda was represented by the Mayor Peter Moore and his wife Kate. The Mayor presented two doves to the Pope during the ceremony. Pope Paul had visited the shrine at St. Peters in West St when he was called Cardinal Montini. Miss Grace Carroll of Killineer also attended in Rome. 

So on the day, good weather or not, Oliver Plunkett a native of Oldcastle in Co. Meath was canonized a saint and almost 60,000 of the faithful attended including groups from Louth, Meath and Dublin. 

At the monthly meeting of Louth V.E.C. Mr. Elmore proposed a day’s holiday for all the schoolchildren of the county to celebrate the canonization of Oliver Plunkett. But it wasn’t to be, two delegates Donnacha Mac Raighnall and Frank Carney objected on the grounds that the VEC was not sectarian. On a vote which tied at 4/4, the casting vote of the Chair Mrs. B. O’Rourke the motion was defeated, so no day’s holiday. 

During his time in Drogheda, Monsignor Francis Donnelly commissioned a new shrine and reliquary. Working on advice from the National Museum and the Chester Beatty Library, the new reliquary was designed by Jeffrey Johnson and created by Vincent Byrne of Church Metals Dublin.

Byrne’s Grandfather had made the original reliquary. The shrine was re-dedicated by Archbishop Daly on a sunny Sunday in May 1995. Fr. Paddy Rushe acted as M.C. on the day. A ceremony I fondly remember attending.

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