Succession of Pastors
THOMAS REUGH appears as the priest of this district in 1612.
In Dr. Ram's Return of that date (See Yol. 1, p. 242), "of priests resorting the
diocese and the ordinary harbourers of them"-he names "Sir Thomas Reugh, priest,
keeping about a xii. month since at the house of Garrat McTeg of Ratellick, in
the parish of Killabban: where (his arm being broken) he lay at cure, but since
I have not heard of him."
BRYAN MOORE was appointed P.P. in 1686. In the Registry of
1704, he is returned as residing at Ballinagawle in the barony of Slemaregagh,
aged 49 and some months, P.P. of Killabban, Grange-Shruile, and Sletty, now and
for eighteen years past was ordained at Cloghilla, Co. Kilkenny, in 1678, by Dr.
James Phelan, Bishop of Ossory, and his sureties were Theobold Denn of Killabban,
gent., and Thomas Muleahill (Mulhall) of Doonane, gent. He was still P.P. in
1733, as appears from Dean Skelton's List (Vol. 1, p. 274), In the burial-ground
at Arles, a stone marks the grave of the Rev. Bryan Moore, who departed this
life August the 3rd, 1746, aged - years." The age is obliterated; but if this be
the grave of the P.P. appointed in 1686, as there is every reason to believe it
is, he was 92 years of age at the period of his death.
WILLIAM TAAFFE succeeded. In a Parliamentary Return made in
1766 we find "the reputed parish priest of Killabban, William
Taaffe; reputed assistant, - Roche." How long subsequently Fr. Taaffe survived
does not appear. It is most likely that he lies interred at Arles, where there
is an inscription to a Rev. James Taaffe, who died in 1763, aged 35
years - probably a relative of the P.P. - his namesake
EDWARD ROCHE, whom we find named as assistant in 1766, was
appointed to the pastoral charge of the parish on the death of Fr. Taaffe. He
died in 1794, when he was succeeded by
The Very Rev. JEREMIAH LALOR, Penitentiary of the Diocese. Fr.
Lalor died, January 1st, 1821, and was interred at Arles.
Rev. PATRICK HICKEY was then translated to Arles from
Hacketstown. He died November 26th, 1857, and was interred at Arles.
Rev. DANIEL M'CARTHY succeeded, for particulars regarding whom
see Vol. 1, p. 203. Father M'Carthy survived till 1881, but having been
afflicted with mental infirmity during the last 20 years of his life, the parish
was placed in charge of Administrators, viz.: -
- Rev. JOHN BOLAND, appointed P.P. of Conmore in 1866;
- Rev. JOHN D. WYER, appointed P.P. of Leighlin in 1870;
- Rev. JAMES BRAY, who died Feb. 5th, 1879, and is interred at
Arles;
- Rev. THOMAS A. TYNAN, appointed P.P. of Leighlin in 1881;
- Rev. FINTAN PEELAN, who, from being Administrator, became P.P.
on the death of Father M'Carthy.
Source: Rev M Comerford "Collections
relating to the Dioceses of Kildare and Leighlin" Vol. 3 (1886)