Kilmacow Parish

There were several small parish type areas in the district of Kilmacow which were supressed by Queen Elizabeth I in 1565, along with parts of the modern parishes of Mullinavat and Slieverue. During the Penal Laws, the church was closed and Mass was celebrated at various locations where detection was not likely. With the relaxing of the Penal Laws, a small thatched cruciform chapel was built to the right of the present church entrance in 1753. This church was replaced by a larger one which began on the present site in 1803 when Fr. Pierce Marum was P.P. This church was built by lots of local voluntary labour and local materials under the guidance of builder Edward Shee. The church was built in the "Barn Style" with internal galleries and dedicated upon its opening to St. Senan in 1842, when Ireland's population was 8 million approximately, and the Great Famine loomed, Kilmacow parish was established, and its boundaries remain unchanged to date. The church was badly damaged by fire in 1952 and the subsequent renovations removed the galleries, leaving only the choir gallery to the rear. The internal renovations were further changed with the advent of Vatican II when the sanctuary was restyled.