Members of a prayer group in Clonmel have vowed to continue a “sit-in” protest at the Franciscan-owned friary in the town, amid the threat of a looming High Court legal action.
The Abbey House of Prayer group, formed in June 2023, has called on the Franciscan order in Ireland to either give or sell the Church back to the local people after the Franciscan friars left the building in January 2023. Members of the group, along with local TD Mattie McGrath, who has joined in supporting the protest, say that all written communication has been ignored by the Franciscans, who have announced that they are taking a High Court action against the prayer group.
In June 2023, the Abbey House of Prayer group secured permission from the Franciscans to temporarily reopen the Church after it closed in January of that year, after “much consideration and evaluation” by the order. The Franciscans said at the time that after more than 700 years in Clonmel, it was a “sad and difficult decision: but was unavoidable “as we like so many other religious bodies deal with and respond to our ageing and reducing membership.”
In May 2023, the Abbey House of Prayer Group signed a temporary caretaker’s agreement for the church with SF Trust CLG, the legal owner of the property.
The Abbey House of Prayer Group have since been keeping the 700-year-old Church open, and with the help of a number of Catholic priests, Mass is celebrated twice a week, as well as a popular St Anthony Novena, and confessions. According to the group, it is one of the busiest Churches in Clonmel, with people passing through regularly for Mass or simply to pray and meditate. The group says that with the help of local laypeople, they have raised enough funds to keep the Church functioning, and that they will not require the financial support of the Franciscans to do so.
In a statement published by RTE, the Franciscans said that they met with representatives of the group on October 29th and told them that the church building would be closed. This decision, they say, was confirmed in writing, with an initial closing date of 18th December, which was extended to the 31st December following a request from the Abbey House of Prayer Group. However, after a final Mass was celebrated on 31st December, the prayer group said they would not be handing back the keys and there was going to be a sit-in.
In an affidavit, Fr Aidan McGrath, minister provincial of the Franciscan Province of Ireland and a director of the SF Trust, said that due to diminishing numbers and the age of its membership, the province made the difficult decision to withdraw from Clonmel. Fr McGrath also pointed to the cost of maintaining the physical fabric of the historical property, which means the ongoing opening and maintenance of the church is “simply unrealistic.” He said this had been widely communicated in January 2023, and some €160,000 had been spent on upkeep since then.
Fr McGrath also said that the temporary agreement made clear to the prayer group that they should deliver up possession of the building when required to. A review carried out by the Order last October pointed to significant maintenance issues, including the roof of the friary area, along with the fixing of leaks and windows.
Mr Pat O’Gorman, a spokesperson and chairman for the Abbey House of Prayer group, claims that correspondence has been ignored, and that the group, along with local politicians, including Fine Gael TD Michael Murphy, have urged the Franciscan Order to consider mediation as opposed to legal action.
“The legal action will begin at the High Court on Tuesday,” Mr O’Gorman said.
“We have been sitting in there since the 31st December, and the reason is because we have asked several times in correspondence with the Franciscans, we have written several times to the Provincial of the Franciscans in Ireland, before, during, and after Christmas. We here in the Committee of the Abbey House of prayer have written to him, pleading with him not to close the Church.
“Mattie McGrath TD has written to the Provincial, the Head of the Order, looking for a meeting, and he has refused. St Vincent De Paul has written to him. He has ignored all letters, and all emails. The public themselves have written to the Provincial, and he has ignored that as well. We were left with no option but to stage a sit-in in the absence of communication from him.”
Mr O’Gorman said it wasn’t until this month that the group received communication, but from the Franciscan Order’s solicitors, informing them of the planned legal action.
“In early January, we received communication from their solicitors threatening legal action to remove us from the Order. They’ve proceeded with that now – we are in the High Court on Tuesday morning at 11am.”
On Thursday, Mr Justice David Nolan granted Matthew Jolley BL, representing the SF Trust, permission to serve High Court proceedings over alleged trespass on prayer group officers, chairman Joseph McCormack, and secretary Patrick O’Gorman.
The judge said he was satisfied there was a prima facie case, and said that while it had not been yet determined at trial, it is alleged that the defendants in the case “decided to have a sleep-in in a building they do not own, and have no right to be there”.
However, Mr O’Gorman says that he believes “the will of the people is being ignored” and that locals have donated to keep the church open.
“The people in Clonmel love this Church. It’s a historic building, it’s a heritage building. It has been there for over 700 years. It is probably one of the oldest buildings in Clonmel, but they want us out and they want to lock us up,” Mr O’Gorman said. “People have been incredibly generous in terms of financial donations so there is money to run this Church at no cost to the Francisicans. Yet they don’t seem to be interested. We cannot understand why.”
“The Order wants us out of here so that they can lock it up. The same has been done in Athlone, even after locals protested. We feel that the will of the people is being ignored. What is annoying the people of Clonmel is that they supported the Franciscans back through the generations. It was the people of Clonmel who built the Church and they now feel it is being taken from them. It was the people who built this beautiful church when the Franciscans had no money. Why don’t they hand it back to the people?”
“We are hoping that the Franciscans would maybe hand the Church back to the community, or sell it back. This has happened in Drogheda, and elsewhere in Tipperary. If they are worried about the costs, we have offered money towards insurance and maintenance. If they are worried about the cost of upkeep, we would say give it back to the people instead of closing it – and we’ll gladly take it.”
“The Church is unique, and it’s incredible that people want to go into a Church in Ireland and they’re being knocked out. It goes against the Franciscan teaching. We feel that to lock up the Church would be very anti-community.”
“We have the busiest Church in Clonmel, I would say,” Mr O’Gorman adds. “There is constant footfall throughout the day. The church includes St Anthony’s Shrine, which is very popular. Lots of people every day, including young people and maybe people who wouldn’t normally be Church goers. There’s a lot of devotion to St. Anthony because of course people lose things and pray to him. Others just go in to pray and to meditate because it’s a beautiful church. Why would you lock up a beautiful building like that and deprive the people of the town?”
Mr O’Gorman says the group have asked the Franciscans what they intend to do with the building, but claims that there has been no answer.
“We have asked the Francisans why? Why do they want us out? What is their plan for it? But they are not saying,” he adds. “We thought that it may potentially be converted to accommodation for Ukrainian refugees, but they have denied that. But questions have not been answered.”
The Franciscans have previously said that no decision has been made about the future of the building, while also saying that the order will not allow the listed building to fall into disrepair.
Mr O’Gorman says there is an attachment to the Church in the case of many local people, whose parents and grandparents before them supported the Church and the Franciscans.
“It’s very sad, and people are very upset about this in Clonmel.”
TD Mattie McGrath told Gript that he is joining the sit-in tonight, but that local people are there around-the-clock.
“I’ve written to the Franciscan Provincial four times and that’s not been acknowledged. It’s a shocking situation. It’s awful. I can’t believe the shepherds are putting the flock out of the fields,” the Tipperary Independent said.
“This Committee has been there for a year and a half. They’ve ensured we can have Mass there on Tuesday mornings and Saturday evenings, and they have kept St Anthony’s Shrine open. They’ve paid their bills and kept the Church active, clean, warm and safe. Suddenly this happens, and it seems to me that maybe the Francisans are shocked that the Committee was this serious, and were able to run and keep the church.
“We have been calling for mediation for a long time. The fact that the Franciscan Order will not listen to any mediation and want to bring this to court is disappointing. It’s a great shame to see this happening when the people have supported the Friars here for seven centuries, and now they are bringing the Abbey House of Prayer Group to the High Court to get them out of the Church. It’s bizarre.”
“Masses have been full, and the group has been supported by people far and wide. Priests come from a 20 mile radius to say Mass and hear confession, which has been hugely appreciated by the people. Massive crowds and huge donations to pay the bills and the insurance, so we do not understand what the issue is,” the TD said.
Alongside Deputy McGrath, local Fine Gael TD Michael Murphy has written to the Franciscan order offering to mediate. The TD said it was regrettable that the order had now gone to court, and that he had hoped that some form of resolution could be achieved through mediation.
The Franciscan Order in Ireland have been contacted for further comment.