Clonaslee Parish

Parish Priests of Clonaslee 1678 to the Present Day

1. KEDAGH Dunne was made parish priest of Rosenallis, Rearymore and Kilmanman in 1678 He was born on 3-2-1645 . He was ordained inNavan in 1669 by Patrick Plunkett,Bishop of Meath. He lived at Cappard. His suretys were Bryan Dunne of Corbally ,Barony of Tinnahinch and Roger Conrahy of Skerry also of Tinnahinch, a farmer. Fr.Kedagh died on 6th July 1714 and was buried at Reary churchyard.
2. Rev Bryan Dempsey succeeded Kedagh Dunne.After ten years he was moved to Monastrevin where he died on the8th December 1754 .He was then 76 years old and was buried at Harristown, Monastrevin.
3. Rev. John Keenan became P.P when Fr.Dempsey left. He lived at Derry in the parish of Rosenallis and died on the 10th May1734 and was buried in Reary.
4. The Rev. Valentine Dunne presided over the parish from 1737 to 1780. He was a native of Clonaslee and he lived near the castle of Coolnamoney.He was a chancellor of the diocese of Kildare. He died in the 2nd of May 1780. He is also buried in Reary. In March 1770 the parish of Mountmellick was formed over which Fr.Thady Dunne was made P.P.
5. Very Rev Dr. Patrick DunneV.G became P.P on the death of Fr.Valentine Dunne. He was changed to Kilcock in 1793 and died there in 1796.On the removal of Patrick Dunne the parish was divided into two parishes, Clonaslee and Rosenallis.
6. Fr.John Stapleton D.D was made P.P of Clonaslee .He lies buried at Clonaslee Church He died on the 23rd August 1810 at 60 years of age.
7. In 1811 Fr.Thady Dunne who had been P.P of Rosenallis since 1802 received charge also of Clonaslee which was again reunited with Rosenallis.He was a native of Clonaslee and was born about 1768.His studies were in the College of Lombard in Paris.On his return he was ondutyinDublin.In 1802he was made P.P of Ballon in Co.Carlow but he immediately with the consentof the bishop exchanged parishes with James Conran then P.P of Rosenallis.In 1813 he built the present church in Clonaslee.He died on the 6thof April 1828 at the age of 60 and was buried in Reary.When he died the parishes of Clonaslee and Rosenallis were again separated.
8. Rev. Michael Graham who had been curate for a long time was then made P.P of Clonaslee. He died on 11th August 1840 and waqs buried in the church where an inscription after recording the date of his death says that "By his will he left £300 to improve the education of the poor of the parish."
9. The Rev. Richard Cullen was the next P.P. He died in March 1844.
10. Rev.Andrew Phelan was his successor. Fr.Phelan died in 1847.
11. Rev. Richard Buggy was the next P.P . He died in October 1864.
12. Rev. Fr.Michael Kenny was the next P.P. He died on 4th October 1884
13. His successor was Fr. Thomas Moloney. He died in 1903.
14. Rev.P.Maher was P.P. from 1903 to1907. He retired fom illness.
15. Rev.Thomas Byrne was P.P from 1907 to 1913.
16. Rev. Fr.Murray was P.P from 1913 to 1947. His house went on fire and he was accidently burned in the fire.
17. Fr. Fanning suffered from ill health and was P.P. for a short time.
18. Rev Fr Thomas Ryan was P.P from 195_ to 1966. He was then made P.P of Abbeyleix.
19. Rev.Fr.Thomas Mahon was the next P.P from 1967 to 1969
20. Rev.Fr.Alphonsus Kehoe was PP from 1969 to 1985.
21. Rev. Fr.Joseph Shortall was P.P from 1985 to 1997.
22. Fr.James Gahan was P.P from 1997 to 2006.
22. Rev.Fr Thomas O'Reilly is the present P.P .Author of "An Acre Sown", an account of St.Patrick's Missionary society in Brazil.He spent 15 years on the South American mission, mainly in the states of Bahia and Sao Paulo,Brazil.2006-

Historical Dates
1690 Battle of the Boyne
1703 Penal Laws
1739 Methodists founded
1750 Waltz becomes popular
1755 Earthquake in Lisbon
1762 Mozart(6) gives first concert
1768 Australia discovered
1776 American Independance
1782 Grattan's Parliament
1792 French Revolution
1798 Wexford Rising
1801 Act of Union
1812 Battle of Waterloo
1813 Present Catholic Church built
1814 Church of Ireland built
1828 Catholic Emancipation
1831 National Schools Act
1832 First NationalSchool
in Clonaslee
1836 RIC formed
1847 GreatFamine
1867 FenianRising
1884 GAA founded
1889 Clonaslee win SHC
1909 Girls' School built
1914 First World War
1916 Easter Rising
1922 Civil war
1932 Eucharistic Congress
1939 2nd World War
1949 Republic Declared
1954 Last execution in Ireland
1955 NFA Founded
1961 Teilifís Éireann started
1963 JFK assassinated
1979 Pope visits Ireland