Pride of the Parish; St Paul's Church in the Curragh, Kildare

St Paul’s Church sits perched on Ballysax hill, on the Curragh plains. It has been there since 1826. It goes without saying that quite a bit of time has passed since then and like everything else in the world, the church has changed quite a bit since 1826.

If you fancy some futile but fun historical context, this was the year in which Thomas Jefferson died, 50 years on from signing the Declaration of Independence.

One of the most fascinating men of that time in Ballysax was Rev Dr George B Wheeler. His reputation in his field of editing several classical textbooks in Greek and Latin led to his appointment as only the second ever editor of The Irish Times soon after it was founded in 1859, a position which he held until his death.

In 1865, he was appointed to the parish of Ballysax where, according to his obituary, ‘he used to repair with delight every Saturday morning, the occupations of which parish were a healthful and mentally most beneficial relief after his week’s drudgery at the press.

Each Sunday in Ballysax would bring another installment of Wheeler’s sermons to a congregation typically made up of British Army soldiers who came to the Church of Ireland venue.

The following night, Wheeler would return to Dublin to resume his role in charge of The Irish Times editorial team and it was while travelling on one of these journeys that he died, when his horse-driven car overturned.

His burial place at Ballysax is marked by a high obelisk and it carries the words — ‘He tried to do his best’.
The Church was closed to public worship in 1972, and as a result the parishes of Ballysax and Ballyshannon became amalgamated with Newbridge. The building remained uncared for and in a state of decay for many years.

Despite the church being unused for those years, it was cherished by locals as part of their heritage. In 1991 an approach was made via the rector to purchase the building for restoration as a centre for arts, heritage and culture.

However, it was not until 1994 that a local community action group became successful in their attempts to obtain the building. The committee was set up and the initiative driven by the late David Knowles. This culminated in the formation of a voluntary community action group, the Friends of Saint Paul’s.

The Friends of St Paul’s say they do this work in the hope of preserving the heritage of the people of Ballysax for generations to come

Derry Nolan, a committee member for over 20 years with the Friends of St Paul’s, said of his role with the church, “I started in the late 90s as a committee member and in 2005 took over as treasurer from the late Tom Kiernahan. I still hold that position now.”

In addition to documenting the finances of St Paul’s, Derry and chairman Arthur Benz do the maintenance around the grounds to keep the venue in its pristine condition.

“We are so grateful to all the people who make donations to facilitate the upkeep of the church. I love the church and where it is, it’s a fantastic local heritage and commnity site,” Derry said.

“We have had visitors from Italy, America and Australia who have come to visit the church when travelling. Some of whom have to come to find out about their ancestors who have been buried here.”

Many events have been held at the church, including a number of Christmas carols celebrations. With many couples choosing to host their special day at the Ballysax church.

Most recent of these was Laura O’Byrne from Newbridge, who had her wedding to her husband Barry in St Paul’s recently.

“It was just brilliant. When I got there the sun was shining and I arrived in a horse drawn carriage. But everyone was talking about the church and now my sister is going to get married there in August. My sister was a bridesmaid and her husband was a groomsman and when they saw the church they said they had to have it as well,” Laura recalled.

Laura and Barry O'Byrne who were married in St Paul's Church in Ballysaxhills, the Curragh last month

“It’s a little gem and people didn’t know about it, that was what all our guests were talking about, that little church.”
Barry added, “The location up on the hill, the surrounding scenery, it’s lovely.”

St Paul’s has played host to many brilliant events while under the care of the Friends of St Pauls, and the committee are now extending a callout to the public to get involved in any way they can.

You can get involved by volunteering, donating and new committee members are always welcome to help make more special memories for people in this stunning venue in the Ballysax hills.

To get involved you can contact Derry Nolan at 086 3139589 or any member of the committee.