Catholic Church

St Fachtna’s Parish Church Rosscarbery: The history of Rosscarbery can be traced back to the founding of a monastery by St Fachtna, in the late 6th Century. This was located on the site of the present-day St Fachtna’s
Cathedral. This location has been a site of Christian worship since the 11th Century.
- Following the gradual reform of the Penal Laws in the late 18th century, a small
church was built at the southern corner of the Fair Field (where Star Garden houses are now built). This was replaced by the old chapel of Ross Rock – the present location of Ardagh Boys NS. 
- The Belfry, built on the hill west of the church, was only demolished in the 1960’s.
- The bell which hung there was given to the Frs. Horrigan, and taken to Biafra in south-west Nigeria, where it is still used to this day.

Circa 1820 the present church was built by Fr Jeremiah Moloney (the elder). The building was designed by Brother M A O’Riordan, a noted architect and member of the Presentation order. It is believed that the land owner/landlord was Thomas Shorten; it is not known if the site was donated. The builder’s name is engraved in the roof timbers in the attic. The stone used for construction came from Kingston’s Quarry in Ardagh.

The bell tower (campanile) was built on the rock behind the Church; there is a fine picture of it in the Lawrence Collection. The tower is long since demolished, no one in Ross remembers it, and there is no trace of even its foundations today.
- The present ornate ceiling was done by a local builder, who lived next door to the Abbey Bar.
- Local tradition recalls that the first mass celebrated here was on Christmas Day 1819. The church was not consecrated until 15th August 1880 and was intended to be the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Ross.
- In 1896 the Church organ was installed following the arrival of the Sisters of Mercy in Ross.
- The church was extensively repaired, improved and decorated during the 1870’s, but was not consecrated until all renovation debts were cleared.
- Apparently, there is a record of a subscription list from 1819 towards the initial building fund. There are two subscription lists from 1896 towards cost of organ.
- The Town Gallery, the Farmer’s Gallery & Choir Gallery were built from funds raised from the local community.

in 1928 the church was extended and the present sanctuary, as well as the sacristy and nuns’ choir were built. The sacristy wasbuilt of a size to hold the regular diocesan meetings.In 2013, major renovations of the church were undertaken, internally and externally. These included; the social area located on the raised patio at the main entrance, the opening up of a main processional aisle to the centre of the Sanctuary, the reorganisation of the Sanctuary to comply with the present-day liturgy, new lighting etc. A specially commissioned set of icons, of the Stations of the Cross written by the Sisters of the Monastery of Hyning, Warton, Lancashire, England were installed. The church was rededicated on 23rd August 2013, by the Most Rev Dr John Buckley, Bishop of Cork & Ross.