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Parishioners Memories about some of
the Clergy
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Fr. Anthony Cluderay
Fr. Cluderay started a youth club just after he came to the parish
in 1948. When he left in 1951 the youth club was taken over by
Fr. Daly.
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Fr. Eugene Daly
In the 1950s St Augustine’s had a football team and had matches
against other teams in an amateur Sunday league. Fr Daly was one
of the players and appears to have had a positive influence on
his team members. Another player, Peter Cunningham remembers well
the match where he was the recipient of a ‘dirty tackle’,
and when he swore “as one does”, Fr. Daly was quick
to gently reprimand him by saying “Now now Peter”. He
was also seen playing hurling at Corpus Christi in a team of priests.
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Fr. Daly was also involved with the church cleaning. Agnes
O’Conner recalls that one year during Holy Week, Fr. Daly said
to Martin her husband “you sit in that box (a soap box with a cushion
underneath) and I will pull you round the church” and Martin said
“what for” and Fr. Daly said “to polish the floor!”.
There was no carpet on the floor then and so they put the polish on
the floor and Fr. Daly and Martin took turns pulling each other around
the church in the box, polishing the floor as they went along.
Also among Agnes’ memories of Fr. Daly is when he
was new to the parish and visited her home for the first time. Wanting
to make a good impression she was embarrassed that her husband and Paddy
McCavera were hiding in the kitchen with some budgies they had purchased
on the market. Needless to say, Fr. Daly left with one of the budgies
under his arm and subsequently presented it to Fr. O’Flaherty’s
housekeeper as a present.
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Fr. Bernard Battle
When Fr. Daly left Fr. Battle took over the running of the youth
club and took a group of the boys to London for the weekend. One
of the parishioners who went said that they had a great time and
were allowed to stay up all night. They hadn’t booked any
overnight accommodation.
Sadly when Fr. Battle left the parish in 1956 the
youth club closed.
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Fr. Patrick J. Reeves
“He was very kind and nothing was too much trouble”
was a statement made by a parishioner about Fr. Reeves. “He
had a car and gave me lifts when I had hospital appointments.”
Fr. O’Flaherty was parish priest at the time and he was seen
walking everywhere and was frequently heard refusing lifts from
Fr. Reeves.
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Pilgrimage to Monsignor Spelman’s
Grave
Monsignor Spelman was buried in his family’s grave
in County Roscommon, Ireland. Mary Kirton took
parishioners on a pilgrimage to his grave for ten consecutive years
following his death.
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Left - A group of pilgrims relaxing in the hotel
in the Spring of 1998
Right - The 10th and last Pilgrimage. Pilgrims pose for
a photograph after praying at Monsignor Spelman’s graveside.
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