St. Brigid's Church Of Ireland
The
Church of Ireland church in Rosenallis was consecrated in 1797 and
is dedicated to Saint Brigid. It is situated on an ancient site in
the village and is surrounded by a graveyard. The church was not
built originally with it's magnificent stone tower and spire. These
seem to have been added nearly eighty years later.
In 1980, a major restoration of the church was begun when under the
care of the late Canon Day a new roof was installed and some of the
windows replaced or restored. In 1992 the next phase of the
restoration work took place when the overgrown graveyard at the back
of the church was cleared and landscaped. In the process of doing
this work several artefacts were uncovered including a small
sandstone cross slab and a Sheela Na Gig statue (symbol of
fertility), both of which are now in the care of the National Museum
in Dublin. The discovery of this sandstone cross leads us to believe
that this site had Christian connections dating back to the seventh
and eighth centuries.
In 1995, A complete refurbishment of the church building was
undertaken with much of the labour supplied by FÁS. The church was
re-opened in 1997 marking 200 years since it's first construction.
Times of Worship: Sundays at 9:30am
Contact Information: Rev. Olive Donohue M.A., The Rectory, Mountmellick, Co. Laois. (057 862 4143)