🎄 Just a reminder that Sunday, 12th April, is the next play & pray Mass. Hope to see you all there.

Newsletter

PARISH OF LISDOONVARNA, KILSHANNY, TOOVAHERA, AND DOOLIN. March 21/22, 2026 Fr. Robert Mc Namara PP, 065 7074142, 087 0949030 lisdoonpp@galwaydiocese.ie Lisdoonvarnaparish.ie

CORPUS CHRISTI, LISDOONVARNA 10am: William Hillary, Lisdoonvarna and Ruan, 3rd anniversary. Marian Hannon. Kitty and Jimmy O' Donnell, William Scales, Delia and James Scales and the deceased of the Connole and O' Donnell families, Ballinahuon. Next week, Palm Sunday: Martin Lafferty, 3rd anniversary. John, Annie, and Gary Manning, Loughrea. Tom Howley, 5th anniversary. Palm Sunday Mass will begin with a procession from the curate's house behind the church, weather permitting please God. Monday 23rd, 9.30am Lisdoonvarna: Nancy Kildea, Noughavan, anniversary.

Saturday, March 21st 7pm in Toovahera: Eileen O' Loughlin, 1st anniversary. Pat, Gerard, Rita, Tom, and Pap Fogarty.

Saturday 7pm evening Mases in April: April 4th is Holy Saturday. The Easter Vigil is on in Kilshanny at 7pm on Saturday, April 4th, (Michael Hynes). Because of that, Doolin Mass this month is on Saturday the 11th, sorry for any inconvenience caused. Doolin 11th and Toovahera, Saturday 18th: no bookings as yet.

North Clare Historical Society: Forgotten Lives- the Co. Clare Mother and Baby Home/County Nursery, 1922-1932, by Rita Mc Carthy, Monday, March 23rd, 8pm, Courthouse Gallery, Ennistymon.

LISDOONVARNA FAILTE: thanks to all who supported the quiz and raffle which raised 425 for Lisdoonvarna Town Team. Spring events in the Pavilion: Tuesdays 11am, Zumba Gold, 7pm, body conditioning. Fridays 10.30 skills share meet, 12 noon, Move and Mobility for all ages. Thursdays 8pm Bingo.

THANKYOU FOR LAST WEEK'S COLLECTION: 1364 No Mass in Lisdoonvarna on Spy Wednesday, April 1st.

SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION: on Saturdays before 5pm Mass in Lahinch. "Come and See" day for men considering becoming a priest: Knock House Hotel, Saturday, March 28. Please encourage any young or older man whom you think might be suitable. Contact Fr. Robert.

HOLY WEEK LITURGIES: Holy Thursday, April 2nd: Mass of the Lord's Supper, Toovahera, at 7pm.

Good Friday, April 3rd: Remembering the Lord's Passion, Lisdoonvarna, 3pm. Stations of the Cross, Doolin, 7pm.

Holy Saturday, April 4th: the Easter Vigil, Kilshanny, 7pm. (Michael Hynes). Doolin Mass this month will be on the 11th. Sorry for any inconvenience caused. EPILEPSY AWARENESS DAY Thursday, March 26th. See purpleday.org

TOOVAHERA CHURCH CAR PARK UPDATE: Thank you for your patience with this matter. As you know, the pastoral landscape of the North Clare area of our Diocese is changing rapidly. Even in the almost-five years since I arrived, I have seen changes I didn't expect happening at a speed I didn't anticipate. Even now, things are not yet fully decided, as we reflect at diocesan level on the greater pastoral needs of the North Clare Deanery, which in turn will depend on the health and deployment of the existing small number of clergy we have.

Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Toovahera, is sadly not exempt from these changes. You will recall that, a couple of years ago, Pat and Frances O' Donohue, with no financial benefit to themselves, generously offered to the parish their land adjacent to the church for a 15-year rolling lease for use as a possible car park, contingent upon the church continuing in regular use as a parish church. Thank you very much to them.

The expenditure of parish funds on successfully securing planning permission for a car park was made in good faith. The only concern was the safety of our parishioners attending services at Toovahera church. Meanwhile, the recent changes which have taken place in our parish, and indeed across the Deanery due to the retirement of some priests, have focused our minds with regard to the changing context for all smaller churches. The Diocese tells us that, going forward, it will not be possible to guarantee that Toovahera or indeed any of our smaller churches will be in regular use as parish churches. Alongside this, we are assured by diocesan authorities that, even though we have obtained the necessary clearance from Clare County Council, the outlay to surface the car park, install lighting and fixtures, and bring it up to health and safety requirements, would be considerable. We as a Parish finance committee did consider installing parking spaces on the land on the Corkscrew side of the church but were advised that this would entail repeating the process already undertaken for the original site. At this stage, the Parish Finance Committee is questioning the expenditure, of multiples of the planning costs, on the further development of a car park. I would be grateful to hear your views on this before a final decision is made.