1897 – St. John’s Church, Ballybunion, Co. Kerry

Replacing a church of 1829, but sadly the intended spire was never completed perhaps due to the death of the building’s benefactor. The funds for building were donated by Mrs Mary Young in memory of her husband, John Young. Mary was born in Ballybunion. When her husband died, Mary Young inherited his estate, and used much of it to finance building the convent in Ballybunion in 1887, and Saint John’s Church, which cost £8,500. Building began in 1894, and the first Mass in the church was celebrated on 6 August 1897, after the death of Mary Young. Happily much of the original fixtures and the sanctuary area still exists as finished. Restored including many of the stained-glass windows at a cost of €2.2 million in 2014.