THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: Kilskeery Parish Church is reopened by Bishop of Clogher after renovation work

From the News Letter, March 14, 1890
Kilskeery Parish Church of Ireland. Picture: Kenneth Allen/Geograph.org,ukKilskeery Parish Church of Ireland. Picture: Kenneth Allen/Geograph.org,uk
Kilskeery Parish Church of Ireland. Picture: Kenneth Allen/Geograph.org,uk

The old parish church of Kilskeery (located between Ballinamallard and Trillick), was reopened by the Lord Bishop of Clogher this week in 1890, reported the News Letter.

The bishop was accompanied by the Archdeacon of Clogher, the Reverend Canon Finlay, and a number of other clergymen from the district.

Of the repairs to the church the News Letter’s correspondent wrote: “The whole of the old fittings of pews, pulpit and gallery have been removed and the building has been completely renovated and restored, with a new framed open roof of splendid construction and new floor and pitch-pine open benches with a very handsome pulpit desk and communion rail.”

In addition to this the aisles were laid with encaustic tiles and the church was heated with “Porrit’s hot air apparatus”.

All-in-all, added the correspondent the parish church at Kilskeery was “now one of the most handsome country churches in the diocese”.

The architect of the improvements was Mr Thomas Elliott of Enniskillen and the contractors had been Messrs McClelland of Londonderry.

The work itself was carried under the supervision of Mr Mills Boyd.

The costs of the improvements of the church were put at £800.

This money, added the paper, had been raised “by the indefatigable exertions” of the Reverend W E Fleming, the rector of the parish.

But it was also acknowledged that much of the funds for the restoration had come from abroad.

The News Letter reported: “Captain J H McCullagh, New York, sent a magnificent donation of £100. . . Mr James Browne also erected a beautiful font in memory of his father.”

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