The Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, Dr Laurence Ryan, says he hopes there will be unity in the parish of Carragh, Co Kildare, and that people there will be concerned for the good of the parish. He was commenting in the context of opposition by some local people to the proposed sale of 17 acres of parish land.
Dr Ryan, who approved the proposed sale after it had been approved by diocesan advisers, by Carragh's pastoral council and by the parish finance committee, said the proceeds would be used locally. He also said that up to £200,000 could be approved locally before he needed to be consulted.
A public meeting in Carragh was told that money from the sale might be used to buy another field which could be used for recreational purposes. However, it was stated that should this new field cost more than £10,000, Dr Ryan's approval would have to be sought.
Last night, the parish priest, Father Jackie O'Connell, expressed delight that the parish could spend more. "I had thought my limit was £10,000," he said. He also said that 75 per cent of the people supported the proposed sale, and he complained about being "personally attacked" and being subjected to personal abuse by some of the objectors.
The principal objectors lived more than two miles from the field, he said, while "the people in the village are not up in arms". He also said that while up to 300 people attended a July 19th meeting called by the protesters, not all of them were opposed to the sale. Father Thomas McDonnell, curate of the parish but serving in its half parish at Prosperous, said people objecting to the sale of the lands refused to believe the proceeds would be used locally. As someone who had been secretary to the Kildare and Leighlin Diocesan Trust for 10 years, he would advise them to seek its accounts in the Companies Office, to which it made returns every year.
Father McDonnell attended last Monday night's meeting at Carragh community centre. He described it as one of the most contentious he had ever attended.
In Prosperous it has been decided to sell 3 1/2 acres around the presbytery where Father McDonnell lives "using the proceeds to help fund an upgrading of facilities at the parish centre", as it was put in the May 23rd newsletter there.
However, the June 27th newsletter said a further meeting of the pastoral council had decided to retain 1 1/2 acres of the lands around the house.
Father McDonnell said he was aware of just two objections to the proposed sale at Prosperous.
One of those objectors, Mr Dessie Boland, from Prosperous, said there had been no consultation with parishioners before the sale announcement. Nor had there been any public meeting on the issue.
In Carragh, one of the leading objectors to the sale of the field there, Mrs Joan McLoughlin, said some objectors were considering going to see Bishop Ryan. They were not hopeful of a satisfactory outcome but hoped their experience would alert people in other parishes as to what could happen.
