‘I enjoyed 25 happy years at Taghmon Turin’
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Oliver Scally made a presentation to Fr Smith on behalf of Clonkill GAA.Image 2 of 21
Padraig Flynn and John Nooney on Saturday evening.Image 3 of 21
Ériu and Rian Devine from Crookedwood.Image 4 of 21
Enda Murray and Niall Brennan at the hall in Taughmon.Image 5 of 21
Donie Cassidy, Sean O'Toole and Declan Leonard at Fr Smith's party.Image 6 of 21
PJ Fitzpatrick and Micheál Duffy on Saturday.Image 7 of 21
Lily and Holly Bloom from Crookedwood with Ethel Conry from Clonkill.Image 8 of 21
Richard Shaw and Marion Bate after Saturday's mass.Image 9 of 21
George Savage and Brian Gillen at the going away party for Fr Smith.Image 10 of 21
Fr Smith cutting his cake.Image 11 of 21
Pat Davitt presented Fr Smith with a wooden bowl.Image 12 of 21
Eamon McCormack, chairman of the Pastoral Council, presenting a painting by local artist Caithriona Devine to Fr Declan Smith at his farewell Mass in Taghmon on Saturday.Image 13 of 21
Veronica Daly and Mary Cahill with an oak bowl sculpted by local craftsmen John Daly and David Scally and presented to Fr Smith at a social in Taghmon Hall on Saturday.Image 14 of 21
Julia and Gregory Mitchell after the Mass.Image 15 of 21
John McGrath from Clonkill and Joan L'Estrange from Turin.Image 16 of 21
Peter Curran, Matt Murray and Henry Abbott from Taghmon.Image 17 of 21
Mary Murray and Mary Glynn from Turin.Image 18 of 21
Jimmy, Louise and Ellie Muldoon from Clonkill.Image 19 of 21
Phyllis Fitzsimons, Maria Murtagh and Anne Fitzsimons at Saturday’s celebration.Image 20 of 21
Geraldine Cleary from Turin and Bridie Scally from Clonkill.Image 21 of 21
Rosie Keogh and Mary Murtagh on Saturday in Taghmon.Kate Pendred
“I had hoped I’d be left here, at least until I retired,” and “be buried across the road with my predecessors Fr John Holmes and Fr Fintan Cassidy”, remarked Very Rev Declan Smith, PP of Taghmon Turin Parish, at his farewell Mass in the Church of the Assumption on Saturday.
In a poignant address to the large congregation, Fr Smith said: “Fr Holmes was parish priest of Taghmon for 34 years and, after him, I am the longest serving PP in this parish in more than three centuries, and perhaps the last parish priest of Taghmon and Turin.”
Fr Smith is being transferred to Kilskyre/Ballinlough parish and Fr Norman Allred is being appointed curate in Taghmon. “Effectively, the parish becomes part of the wider Mullingar parish,” Fr Smith said. “I will miss Taghmon. I enjoyed 25 very happy years here and made a lot of friends.
“Of course, you can’t be in a place that long without stepping on some people’s toes, and I apologise to anyone, or indeed the many I have offended,” he stated. He paid tribute to the sacristans in Turin – Kitty Heffernan, Mary Conlon, Marie Daly, Lily Tansey and Olive Kelleghan, and Mary Greene, sacristan of Taghmon church for 40 years, “who made life a lot easier for me”, and those who succeeded her - Anne Shaw, Pat Davitt, Kay Browne, Joan Brennan, Frank McCrum, Brian Gillen, Marian Bate and Padraig Flynn.
Fr Smith thanked “all who made parish life possible” - the choirs, flower arrangers, readers, Eucharistic ministers, and the many volunteers on the various Boards of Management and committees. “I hope Fr Norman finds this place as nice as I found it,” he concluded to rapturous applause.
The Lessons at the Mass were read by Anne Shaw. Eucharistic Ministers were Anne Shaw, Eithne Scally and Mary Farrell. The Mass was an anniversary Mass for Joe and Josie Bartley, late of Monkstown.
“We are sorry to see you go, you will be missed,” Eamon McCormack chairman of the Pastoral Council told Fr Smith. He described Fr Smith as a humble kind, thoughtful and compassionate man, dedicated to his church and to the parish. He praised Fr Smith for the preparation he put into his weekly sermons and eulogies at funeral Masses.
“Thank you for your faithful service and unwavering dedication, your wisdom and kindness have made a difference to us,” Mr McCormack concluded, also to loud applause.
A painting of St Munna’s Church by local artist Caithriona Devine was presented to Fr Smith. Further presentations were made to him at a social in the local hall where Fr Smith cut a cake adorned with a map of the townlands of the parish, designed by the Taghmon/Turin Women’s Group.
Pat Davitt presented Fr Declan with a bowl sculpted by John Daly and David Scally from the wood of an oak tree that was blown down on the Daly farm. Presentations were also made by Oliver Scally on behalf of Clonkill hurling club, and Richie Shaw of the Parish Finance Committee.