Ballyoughter Church in the Newspapers
This section brings together newspaper references to the Church of the Sacred Heart, Ballyoughter, from the laying of the foundation stone in 1874 through to the centenary period in the 1970s. These articles give small but valuable glimpses into how the church, its clergy, parish events and local community were recorded in the press over time. Together, they help connect the history told across the church pages with the voices and reports of the period.
Dedication of Ballyoughter Church, 1874
Following the dedication of the new Church of the Sacred Heart, Ballyoughter, in October 1874, Rev. John Lambert Furlong, Administrator of Enniscorthy, delivered a sermon to the congregation. His address described the dedication as a day that would be long remembered in the parish and placed the new church within the wider story of Catholic faith in Ireland. Drawing on images of ancient churches, ruined abbeys and generations of worshippers, the sermon connected the new building at Ballyoughter with the endurance and renewal of the Irish Church.
A Curious Incident - 'Needless to Say!'
This brief report, published in The People on Saturday, 17 December 1892, records an unusual incident near Ballyoughter Chapel. A man named Breen, travelling with a female companion, was reportedly struck by small shot while passing along the road near the chapel. The article states that the shot came from a gun being used on adjoining lands and that the incident was entirely accidental. Although a minor report, it offers a curious glimpse of Ballyoughter as it appeared in the local press at the end of the nineteenth century.
Newspaper images on this page are reproduced with the kind permission of Wexford County Council Library and MediaHuis, formerly Independent News and Media PLC.