Killannin Chalice

The silver chalice dates from the early Georgian period and contains the inscribed date of 1730. A number of hallmarks and assay marks are present.

It is inscribed “Pray for ye Soules of Fran^s  Darcy & His Wife Megg Darcy Alies French & their Posterity 1730” and has been in service in all 3 churches within the parish. It is in use to this day.

The chalice when commissioned served a much bigger parish.  At one time the parish was under the Archdiocese of Tuam.  How large the parish was, is indicated by Lewis in his Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, compiled in 1837.

In it he noted that Killannin parish had 8,967 inhabitants and that it stretched from Galway Bay to Lough Corrib and westwards to Gorumna and Lettermore islands. It also took in the bays of Cashla, Scalp and Bunahown. This vast area contained a single chapel at Killannin.

The Chalice also has a number of engravings, one shows the crucifixion of our Lord. Another the words ‘Parish Church Killanin’.

The chalice in question was used by Fr.Patrick Roche, one of the heroic priests of penal times. He was buried in Killannin in 1768.

Credit  Tom May’s publication ‘Churches of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora’ .