Mags Gargan
Communities come together to celebrate famous figure
Over the weekend of June 14-15 the Castlepollard and Fore communities of north Westmeath came together to honour the area’s most famous historical figure, Archbishop Luke Fagan.
It was 300 years ago this year, in 1714, that Fr Luke Fagan was appointed Bishop of Meath and, 15 years later, in 1729, he became Archbishop of Dublin.
Following a day of activities and visits on the Saturday to different locations associated with the Castlepollard man, the life and times of Archbishop Fagan were outlined that night in a lecture by historian and author, Dr Paul Connell, President of St Finian’s College, Mullingar.
Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Charles Brown joined Bishop Michael Smith to concelebrate Mass on Sunday morning in St Michael’s Church.
After Mass Bishop Smith unveiled a granite sculpture in memory of Archbishop Luke Fagan, and Fr Patrick Moore, Castlepollard PP, invited Archbishop Brown to unveil a plaque in honour of the recently canonised St Pope John Paul II on the parish centre renamed in his memory.
Bishop Michael Smith and Archbishop Brown also made a personal visit to St Peter’s Centre, Castlepollard where children from the former mother and baby home were interred, and had a private meeting with a former resident.
