Church of the Most Holy Rosary

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    Church of the Most Holy Rosary

    Midleton

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Mass Times

Mass times by church and day
ChurchSaturdaySundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday
Church of the Most Holy RosaryMidleton
  • 10:00
  • 18:10 (Vigil)
  • 08:00
  • 10:00
  • 12:00
  • 08:00
  • 10:00
  • 08:00
  • 10:00
  • 08:00
  • 10:00
  • 08:00
  • 10:00
  • 08:00
  • 10:00

Confessions

Saturday – 12.00 – 1.00

Adoration

Monday-Friday: 09.00-22.00

History of Midleton Parish

Midleton Parish as we know it today is an amalgamation of former Civil Parishes, Monastic sites and churches that formerly stood in the area. It is also the principal church of the Midleton Deanery which is comprised of ten parishes in the East Cork area.

Within Midleton Parish, there are currently two churches – St. Colman’s Church in Ballintotis and Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Church in Midleton.

Building the New Church (1892–94)

In 1892, Dr. William Hutch was appointed Parish Priest of Midleton. During this time, he harnessed the support of the people of Midleton to build a new parish church. An agreement was drawn up with Lord Midleton on the 18th July 1893 to purchase a plot of ground off St. Mary’s Road, covering three acres, valued at £295 as the site for a new Church and cemetery. A seventeen-member committee charged with the building of the new Church sought tenders for six-foot walls surrounding the site by September 1893 and for the Church building itself by January 1894.

Ashlin’s Gothic Design

George Coppinger Ashlin (1837-1921) the leading Church architect of the time designed a new building in what is known as the Gothic style. Simply put, this style featured pointed arches and favoured height and more and bigger windows. A feature of the Gothic style is the timber roof resting on corbels which are decorated stone projections that convey the weight of the roof to the walls. In Holy Rosary Church there are two sets of corbels, one placed between the arches and the other set higher up between the rose windows. The separate stones or bricks of the arches are arranged in curved lines to retain their position by natural pressure. The pillars of Aberdeen granite give rest and resisting points to the arches. The outer walls of the Church are built of unusually shaped but perfectly fitting local limestone. The contract for the building was awarded to Jeremiah J Coffey & Son whose workforce based at the Coolbawn employed 14 stone cutters, 20 carpenters and over 40 other workers. The cost of the building and furnishings was £19,920 at the time of the Dedication on October 14th1896.

Foundation Stone & Dedication

On the 13th May 1894, Archbishop Croke of Cashel blessed the seven-and-a-half-ton foundation stone (located to the right of the main entrance door), the four corners, and the place of the high altar which was marked by a wooden cross. Dr Croke was a curate in Midleton from 1853-1857, he also had the privilege of performing the Dedication Ceremony. High Mass for the Dedication was celebrated by Bishop Browne and the sermon was preached by Cardinal Logue of Armagh.

Completing the Spire (1906–08)

Following a public meeting in April 1906, the Church Building Committee was reappointed, funds raised and a spire including a bell named Dominic was completed by June the 1st 1908. Canon Hutch died in 1917, the Mortuary Chapel (now the Adoration Chapel) was dedicated to his memory – built in 1922.

Consecration (1928)

The Consecration of the Most Holy Rosary Church, marked by the cross and candle holder beneath each Station of the Cross, took place on Sunday, 7th October 1928. On the day, Bishop Browne who presided said in his sermon said, “this magnificent Church is a credit to the zeal of the clergy and people of Midleton and for all time will stand as a memorial to what this generation and their forefathers did for God”.