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St.Tighernach’s Day cultural event to celebrate history of Clones

 


St. Tighernach's Parish Church Clones.


The second annual St. Tighernach’s Day will take place in St. Tighernach's Parish Church, Clones on Thursday, 4th April, known as the feast day of the Patron Saint of Clones.

Many Schools, Clubs and other organisiations in the area use the name St Tighernach.

Last year the inaugural event was held on a date closest to the Feast Day organised by Clones Community Forum.

This cultural event arose from a visit to the Cassandra Hand Centre by Minister Heather Humphreys from the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

St Tighernach, Patron Saint of Clones and Bishop of Clogher (506-549) died on 4th April 549 in Clones.

The monastic settlement of Cluanois (Clones), which included an Abbey dedicated to Saint’s Peter and Paul, was still active before the dissolution of monasteries in the late 1530’s by King Henry VIII.
St Tighernach is said to have taught a great many to serve God in primitive purity and simplicity which was the way of the Coptic Church before the influence of the Roman Empire. Blind in later life and living like a hermit, Tighernac died of the plague in 549AD.

The Clones Stone Tomb, House Tomb or Sarcophagus in the Round Tower Graveyard is reputed to have been built to house the remains of St. Tighernach and is still in situ today. This is also the location for a nearly intact Round Tower, two almost unique features of Ireland’s Monastic past.

Nearby is a 9th century Celtic Cross relocated from near the Abbey/Round Tower to the Diamond in front of St. Tigernach Church of Ireland. These along with many more heritage and historical features are all located in the very old Monastic town of Clones.

As part of a cross-community inter-denominational annual event to commemorate the feast day of St.Tighernach, Clones Community Forum will host St. Tighernach's Day on Thursday 4th April 2019 starting at 7.30pm in St. Tighernach Church of Ireland, The Diamond, Clones, continuing afterwards to the Round Tower and finishing with refreshments in the Cassandra Hand Folk and Famine Centre.

This event is open to everyone and the organisers hope everyone will attend and enjoy the programme.