The City Mass


On a very busy weekend we recorded quite a few events to share on our website. We had the visit to Millstreet on Saturday by participants from the Rally of the Lakes (with an excellent and much praised service centre at Green Glens). On Monday we had the very successful Cloghoula N.S. Sports Day. But we begin our sharing with an annual event at Shrone near Rathmore in the sacred setting known as “The City”. Seán Murphy, Brendan Murphy and I arranged to record and to transmit (almost live) the celebration of Mass which took place at 2.00 p.m. on Sunday and by 5.03 p.m. Seán Murphy had the completed recording ready for Dan Joe Kelleher in Carriganima for broadcast to thousands of appreciative viewers. Mass was celebrated by Fr. Larry Kelly who ministers in Rathmore. The historic oil truck we noted in Rathmore village on our way home. Later in the week we shall have pics. of the Rally and Cloghoula Sports.
See all the photos below (by Seán Radley for www.millstreet.ie and LTV2 Millstreet)

Cathair Chrobhdhearg : (The City of Shrone) Rathmore: At the foot of the twin mountains “Da Chich Danann”. Historians agree this was one of the first location in Ireland to be populated, it was here on this elevated site that the Tuatha De Danann had their base naming the mountains “Da Chich Danann” (The breasts of Dana, but known locally as “The Paps”). It is one of the most ancient, historical and interesting religious sites in the entire western world which has continued its unbroken tradition of worship since its foundation as a Pagan site. A circular stone wall of 3 meters high encloses it. The Mayday festival is now a Christianised event of prayer and recital, with “cures” still taken from the City’s stones. Much of the original circular stone wall was destroyed by traders who used the stones to hold down their tents.

11 thoughts on “The City Mass”

  1. …sad to think of all that History …

    GREETING FROM BOSTON USA ..
    —
    MAY WE LIVE TO SEE MANY MORE -MAYDAYS-

    posted Mayday –2015–

    jb.

    Reply

  2. I am trying to locate the catholic church built around 1953 in the village of Shrone, County Kerry. I believe it is called St. Mary’s. If you know this church please email me <email>
    I am from Brookline, MA and my grandmother’s cousin Tmothy Scannell funded this church. I will be visiting in 2018 and my daughter this October. Any help will be very much appreciated.

    God Bless and thank you.
    Maye

    Reply

      1. Dear Michael,

        I visited the church this past June. I was so happy to be there and said many prayers. The area is so beautiful. I am still trying to find where my grandmother lived in ” the city “. Her last name was Duggan ( Margaret Duggan). We stopped in a pub in Rathmore and we had just missed a cousin named Teddy Duggan. If anyone has information for me regarding the possible area my grandmother’s house was, you may contact me directly at : <email>. Your country is a dream come true for me and I can not wait to return. Many thanks.

        Kindly,
        Maye Magner

        Reply

  3. Dear Michael,

    Thank you so very much for your response. You can’t imagine how excited I am if in fact this is the church that I am looking for. I will follow your leads and the day I stand on this very site will be one of the best days of my life.

    Kindest regards,
    Maye

    Reply

  5. I will be brining my 85 year old mother on her “dream trip” to Ireland this fall and would love to make a brief visit this site on our way to Killarney. My mother is devoted to our lady, and would love to make a brief stop, pay our respects/leave flowers for our lady/day a prayer/visit the well.

    Is there anyone I should request permission from or make a donation to in order to visit the site?
    We want to be respectful to the locals and not “trespass.”

    Reply

    1. Valerie…The first Sunday in May is when very large crowds visit “The City” for celebration of Mass and the doing of the Rounds. I presume that people often call to visit the setting throughout the year. To check out it might be a good idea to make contact with Shrone National School, Co. Kerry which is quite close to this wonderfully scenic historic religious site. Hope you and your Mum enjoy your visit to Ireland….Kindest regards – Seán Radley, Curator, Millstreet Museum.

      Reply

    2. Hi Valerie, I go climbing back there and to be honest it will feel like you are trespassing when you get there but you’re not. There’s a lot of private land and houses on the way to it but the city itself is an ancient place of worship and the locals respect that and cause no issue to visitors . As long as you park respectfully and wave hello you’ll be welcome.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.