The Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary has a proud history, tradition and heritage. Like many Churches in Ireland today the challenge is the future. Let’s see what evolves and let us put our trust in the promptings of God. Maybe this wonderful Church can reveal the what lies ahead for a vibrant Catholic faith community in Ireland.
The Parish, on the banks of the River Liffey is a confluence of many tributaries:
- A local community whose families have lived in the area for many generations
- New residents who are living in the recently built apartments
- Those who commute to City Quay frequently for work
- Visitors and tourists who stay in local hotels
- There are many people too who face extreme social challenges including homelessness and addiction
A Moment in Time – 1967
This report for ‘Newsbeat’ was broadcast on 27 September 1967. The reporter is Cathal O’Shannon.
City Quay in Dublin’s south inner city is bustling place of industry with docks and warehouses. It is also home to a community which is in decline. A decade ago this parish had a population of thirty thousand, today just two and a half thousand people live here. The majority of residents have moved under protest to newly built suburbs on the north and south sides of the Liffey, to houses built for them by Dublin Corporation, who believe that this area is better suited to industrial use. Plans to re-house local people in flat complexes were shelved by the Department of Local Government on the grounds that it would cost too much. Officialdom has condemned the parish community of City Quay to death.
The few hundred families who remain here are determined to fight, and are supported by Father Eamon McSweeney, curate at the church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Describing the area as settled and akin to a rural village community, he believes that disruption caused by moving families away to the fringes of the city has caused many to experience hardship and emotional stress, Statisticians and sociologists tell us that a settled community makes for stability. Father McSweeney would like to see housing constructed here for local people, most of whom are dock workers, as all the facilities such as schools, churches and shops are already in place.
One resident Mr Kerrigan is being forced to move to the suburbs, as the street on which he currently lives will be pulled down to make way for a car park. As someone who works in shipping, it is of benefit to him to live close to his work, which operates twenty four hours a day.
Docker Michael McDermott who moved to the suburbs two years ago has tried to return, but is unable to find somewhere to live. He would like to see a different way of doing things, keep the houses here and build the factories and all the industries outside the city.
Older members of the community are determined to stay put. One older man who has lived in the same house for fifty years doesn’t believe that moving people out of the area will result in economic benefits of any kind,
What is money…if the people are going to be happy and contented?
This report for ‘Newsbeat’ was broadcast on 27 September 1967. The reporter is Cathal O’Shannon. ‘Newsbeat’ was a half-hour feature programme presented by Frank Hall and ran for seven years from September 1964 to June 1971. ‘Newsbeat’ went out from Monday to Friday on RTÉ television and reported on current affairs and issues of local interest from around Ireland. The final programme was broadcast on 11 June 1971.