St. Coman’s Church announces events for National Heritage Week
This year marks the 250th anniversary since St. Coman founded his first monastery on the site of the present church building in Roscommon Town.
St. Coman's Church of Ireland in Roscommon town has announced an exciting programme of events to coincide with National Heritage Week.
The theme of these events is 'Exploring Our foundations' which will celebrate the church's place in the community.
This year marks the 250th anniversary since St. Coman founded his first monastery on the site of the present church building and is a major historical and religious site in the county, cherished by successive generations of Roscommon people.
A major cultural event will take place today, Wednesday August 20th from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m., entitled ‘Aspects of the History of St Coman's Church’. This eagerly awaited event will incorporate a performance by the Roscommon One Town Voice Community Choir and a fascinating talk by local historian, Albert Siggins.
The illustrated talk will focus on the history of the church, its graveyard and its people. Coinciding with the talk will be the launch of a booklet of the same name, written by Albert Siggins to mark this special anniversary year. This event has been made possible with funding from Roscommon County Council.
Also on Sunday, August 24th from 2 p.m., there will be a talk on the Cross of Cong which holds particular connections to Roscommon town. The Cross enjoys particular connections with Roscommon and these will be explored during this talk.
As part of a series of Open Afternoons, the church building will be open for visitors to learn of the significance of the site itself, the present church building and its graveyard through some visual displays and memorials in the church.
These open afternoons take place from Wednesday August 20th to Saturday August 23rd inclusive from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday, August 24th from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m..
All events are free of charge, with an opportunity to make a voluntary donation which will be divided between church funds and Roscommon Tidy Towns Association. Further details are available on www.heritageweek.ie and social media - FB: Roscommon Church of Ireland.
St. Coman's Church of Ireland on Henry St, Roscommon has been part of the streetscape of the town since the building opened in 1775, though the ground where it is situated has been associated with St. Coman for a much longer time.
The present building underwent thorough restoration in the 1880s, with internal galleries removed, windows inserted and a side transept added. A millennium project launched in 1999 saw major restoration work to the clock and the tower, supported enormously by the people of the town and local community.
The current Select Vestry (committee) members planning these 250th anniversary celebrations see themselves merely as custodians of this building, endeavouring to honour its past and safeguard its future in the town which derived its name from the saint who founded his first church on this site.
Select Vestry Committee member Susan Compton said visitors to these events will acquire an increased awareness of the significance of St. Coman’s and his historical legacy.
“Our events offer the public a unique opportunity to explore the influence of St. Coman. St. Coman’s Day is celebrated on St. Stephen’s Day (December 26th). Like St. Patrick, St. Coman was a visionary figure and his legacy lives on in the wonderful Church we have in the centre of Roscommon town. These events during National Heritage Week emphasise the importance of St. Coman’s as a unique figure in the story of our county,” said Susan.
For more on these and other events during Heritage Week in county Roscommon, visit https://www.heritageweek.ie/event-listings?q=&where%5B%5D=roscommon#listings and select a particular event from the events showcased.
