Early Days at Queen of Peace
Who was our first Sacristan? Paddy O' Reilly son of James O'
Reilly who was sacristan in Holy Redeemer from 1919 until his death
in 1959.
Those early days in Queen of Peace were very
interesting. The Church was consecrated in 1946 by Archbishop
John Charles McQuaid. The Priest in charge was Fr Maguire, who
was transferred from the Holy Redeemer Parish. Paddy donned
the sacristan vestments for Dr McQuaids arrival. The Cross
bearer was Tommy Kinsella, who trained alter boys for many years in
the "Big Parish".
He recalls that the present picture of the
Crucifixion behind the altar originally hung in St Cronin's in the
Main Street, which was the P.P.'s house. Paddy served Mass there for
Canon Bowden P.P. who was crippled. The Canon died about
1940.
Paddy was a craft metal worker employed by John Smith and
Sons of Wicklow Street, Dublin. With the assistance of Joe
Brierton of Kevin Square, he installed the Altar Rail of wrought
iron with brass scrolls. Paddy was also involved in the
manufacture of the high altar candlestick the round bases of which
were cast in bronze and then hammered by hand to produce the
finish.
The tabernacle was also made by the same firm whose
Managing Director was Mr James of 2 Edward Road, who later became a
collector for the new parish.
Fr James
Healy
Bray's most famous priest was Fr James Healy from
Little Bray. Believe it or not he was one of a family of
twenty-three and was born in Francis Street, Dublin on
December 15th 1824. A brilliant performer when it came to
playing on words and sentences he became known as the Bray
wit.
The Priests who have
served
The first curate in the Queen of Peace was Fr Peter Maguire. Queen of Peace was then part of the Holy Redeemer
Parish and remained so from 1946 to 1954 when it became a
Parish. The first Parish Priest was Rev Fr John Mulcahy who
came from Avoca to Bray. He was assisted by his curate Fr Dan
Barrett. At the time the parish had only two priests.
When Fr Mulcahy was transferred to Dublin he was replaced as P.P. by
Fr Wm Murphy. After his death Fr Denis O' Floinn became
P.P. The next Priest was Fr Wm Kenny who died some years
ago.
Among the curates who have served in the parish were Fr Bill
Laffin, Fr Maurice Courtney, Fr Brian Fitzgerald, Fr Gerard Ellis,
Fr Dan Breen, Fr Philip McManus, Fr Jim Henley, Fr John Mary
Mulligan S.J., Fr Michael O' Keefe, Fr Paddy Moran, Fr Brendan
Madden, Fr Eamann Cahill, Fr Denis Doyle, Fr Finbarr Mullanne, Fr Emmanuel Makola, Chaplain
and present parish clergy
Fr. Larry White, P.P., C.C., . and Fr Jean Marie Mbombo,
Chaplain.
