A GRAND NEW BALLAD
on the New Roman Catholic Church
OF ST. BRIDGETS, Parish of Kilnamanagh, Diocese of Elphin.
Come all you pious people,
Who revere the Church and steeple?
And listen to the news that I'm going to relate -
"tis the Consecration,
And the great Dedication.
Of the grand new Church of Breedogue, that happened there of late.
On Sunday- First of Lent –
Came off that great event –
On the glorious feast and festival of great Saint Valentine;
When goose eggs are laid,
And valentines are made,
In the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Breedogue - the old place,
Where this great affair took place –
Is in Kilnamanagh parish, in the Diocese of Elphin,
Where once there was a Chapel,
Hardly fit for sheep or cattle,
But where now there is a temple which the Pope might enter in,
To see the consecration,
Crowds came of every station –
Bishops, priests, and laymen of every degree.
And Haydn never made,
Such music as was played,
At that grand and interesting ce-re-mo-ny.
One hundred boys in white,
Holding in their hand a light,
Went in grand procession whilst the foremost of the band,
Bore the symbol of salvation,
That saved us from damnation,
In a very solemn manner uplifted in his hand.
The great prelate of Elphin,
Was the first to begin –
As he marched down the Church with his mitre on his head,
So solemn and grand,
With his crozier in his hand –
And all his fine clergy walking in his tread.
The good bishop of Achonry,
So good natured and homely;
With his mitre and his crozier walked by his side;
And added all the weight,
Of his purse and his state,
To aid the -pious work which is always his pride.
They all prayed with great devotion,
And walked with solemn motion,
Three times around the Church all in the open air;
Till the Church was consecrated,
And the temple dedicated,
To the Patroness of Ireland, St. Bridget of Kildare,
Then the congregation waited,
'Till High Mass was celebrated ––
When the famous Father Fortescue of Great Jesuit renown;
Without delay or falter,
Preached a sermon from the altar,
That for eloquence and logic would entitle him to a crown.
To give you some solution,
Of his splendid elocution –
And of the great effect that it produced upon the crowd;
The people were so affected,
That hundreds were collected,
For the benefit of the chapel from the humble and the proud,
Soon after the collection,
There was solemn Benediction –
And the Bishops showered prayers and blessings on them all;
When all withdrew delighted,
At the pleasure thu11 excited,
By St. Bridget's dedication and the beauty of its walls.
Long life to Father Barrett,
Let us drink his health in claret,
Who got this temple built to the glory of the lord;
May he soon be a D.D.
As well as the P.P.,
Of Kilnamanagh parish, say we all with one accord.
And here's to his old curate,
Who gave his money to it,
To help the poor parishioners to raise the sacred pile;
May he soon obtain a living,
That is worth the Bishops giving,
For "tis time for Father Kavanagh to go and rest awhile.
And here's to Mr. Goldie,
May his Churches ne'er grow mouldy –
For he's the splendid architect that planned its noble wall –
Though Breedogue Church is smaller,
And other Churches taller –
Still in point of architecture "tis superior to them all.
And now before you go,
Let me speak of Hunt & Co.,
Who built the Church of Breedogue, which is so grandly done;
And if you want a mansion,
Built to your satisfaction, or want to build a Chapel, youshould send for Hunt & Son.
And now to make conclusion,
We must not omit allusion,
To the good parishioners who raised this noble Church;
May Saint Bridget now cares them,
And God almighty bless them,
And the generous contributors who helped to build the Church.