1962 – Christ the King Church, Cooleragh, Co. Laois
Foundation stone laid in 1961, opened in 1962, with seating for 500 parishioners. Its necessity was brought about through the development of the village which sprang from local Bord na Mona bog supplying a peat fired power station in Allenwood.
Built as a portal framed structure with a concrete tiled roof and exposed block work internally. Externally finished in brick and roughcast render, there is a tall modern campanile linked to the eastern side of the church building. The sanctuary was remodelled in the early 1970s but originally had a plain marble altar and a tabernacle of marble and bronze. A baldacchino hangs over the altar. As with many churches of this period, it has a good collection of modern stained-glass windows by Murphy-Devitt Studios. The sanctuary has a 30ft. by 10ft. window depicting Christ the King, while other windows depict St. Brigid, St Conleth (Patron St of the Diocese), and St. Patrick. At the entrance to the choir gallery, is a 30ft. by 7ft. stained-glass window depicting each of the twelve apostles. The Stations of the Cross are made of broken stained-glass clippings and arranged in mosaic form.
Published February 3, 2025