Abbeyleix Church

Abbeyleix church is where I go to find my ancestors.

There is a beautiful stained glass window in the church that Uncle Dick donated in memory of my grandparents, James and Martha Hartford.

Also, as you enter the church, turn left and on the wall is a plaque that a few years ago Muriel donated in memory of our parents. There is a table donated by Aunt Fanny in memory of Uncle Dick and the prayer desk made by my father in memory of Margaret. I donated hymn books in memory of my parents but they are no longer in use and Muriel donated two vases. Sandy's memorial window in the sanctuary is where I sometimes sat and contemplated and thought of the brief friendship I enjoyed with him in Dec 1943.

I went away from Oldtown to Rochelle in Sept 1940 but when I returned for my first holidays at Christmas it was to an ex-Serviceman's cottage in Ballytarsna, a mile out of Abbeyleix on the Rathdowney Road. I hated it from the beginning. It was semi-detached and I missed the lovely grounds and the spacious house in Oldtown. Coming up to each end of term, I hated going home to that house but it became home to my parents and from there we all left home,one by one, and my mother missed us so much. I used to go back just to see her but I never wanted to stay long.

Sometimes during the summer holidays I would play the organ in the church to let Mrs Mitchell have a break and often Mrs Nevill asked me to take the Sunday School class. I was confirmed in Abbeyleix Church in April 1943, rather than in St Finbarre's Cathedral in Cork where I had been prepared but being at home for Easter it was sensible to be confirmed in Abbeyleix.