“Your heart will always be in Holycross and will always be green.”
So said Archbishop Dermot Clifford when addressing former curate of the parish, Mr Willie Hayes, one of the driving forces behind the restoration of the famous Holycross Abbey, at a packed St Michael’s Community Centre in the picturesque village this week.
Archbishop Clifford Chaired the launch of Willie Hayes’ much anticipated book ‘Holycross The Awakening of the Abbey’ , a comprehensive detail of the huge volume of work which went into restoring the Abbey to it’s former glory back in the late sixties and early seventies. The mammoth task was embarked upon following a suggestion from an official in the Board of Works that the Abbey, which stands on Holy ground, should be restored. At the time, plans were at an advanced stage to redevelop the parish Church, which is now the community centre, but they were later abandoned in favour of the ambitious restoration of the Abbey which defines the village of Holycross and makes is renowned, the world over.
Parish Priest, Rev Father Tom Breen was on hand to welcome the huge attendance to the launch and told people that Holycross Abbey would not be what it is today without the vision, energy and drive of Willie Hayes. Furthermore, he added that Willie Hayes’ love of the past, of history, of tradition and all things Irish, forced him to bring this book to fruition, and what a wonderful book it is.
There followed great entertainment from the fifth and sixth class pupils of St Michael’s National School under the watchful eyes of teachers Margaret McCormack, Tomas McGrath, Principal Ger Corbett, and former teacher Una Crowe. They recited two poems – Patrick Kavanagh’s ‘Heaven’ and William Butler Yeats’ ‘Had I the Heavens Embroidered Cloths’. They topped these with the parish anthem Moonamoe which was penned by the late Bard of Moonamoe, Pat Burke of the Two Ford Bridges.
‘Holycross The Awakening of the Abbey’ was launched by Dr Peter Harbison, renowned author, historian, speaker and a voice of authority on heritage and national monuments. He was present on October 5th 1975 when Holycross Abbey was re-opened as a place of worship and he spoke of the many exceptional features contained within the walls. “They say the Lord works in mysterious ways – one of the ways he worked was in making sure that Willie Hayes should be in Holycross at the time he was needed,” he said.
There was a real sense of parish in the community centre on the night – a special evening indeed for all those who chatted and enjoyed the refreshments prepared by locals to enhance the celebration of the return of a man whose handprints are indelibly ingrained in the parish.
The publication was part funded by North Tipperary Leader Partnership and is available in the Abbey bookshop and local bookshops in soft and handback version.