St. Joseph's Church, Ballindine

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Ballindine Church
Do you like our church? It was built in the 1880's but it was renovated in the 1990's.
This cost over €450,000. Fr. O'Connor is our Parish Priest.

The Stained-glass Window.
by Harry Clarke

There is a magnificent stained-glass window in St. Joseph's Church, Ballindine. It features the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and on it are the words - " Gift of Mary McCann - in loving memory of her parents, Thomas and Letitia Corcoran".
This window, donated in 1926, was created by the renowned artist, Harry Clarke, of Dublin, and is regarded as one of the finest examples of his work in the country.
Who was Thomas Corcoran?
Thomas Corcoran was appointed as a Teacher in Ballindine Boys school in 1853. Thomas and his wife, Letitia, are buried close to the gate in the graveyard of the Church.Mary McCann, who donated the window, was his daughter. Mary, and all her brothers and sisters were educated by their father at Ballindine National School.Mary’s sister. Anne Nolan, was Principal of the Girls School in Ballindine. Mary emigrated to California in America, where she married George McCann, also from Ireland.
In 1926, the church was being renovated and Mary McCann donated the stained-glass window for St. Joseph's Church in her home town of Ballindine, as a memorial to her late parents. Her nephew, the Rev. Michael Canon Corcoran (son of John Corcoran) and his sister, Anne Corcoran Tully, selected the design of the window.

Harry Clarke

Harry Clarke was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1889. His father was a craftsman who produced, stained glass windows. He began to work with his father in stained glass at the age of 16. From 1910 to 1913 he attended the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art, where he won 3 gold medals and 2 scholarships.

He was also an illustrator of several books. He designed stained glass windows in Ireland, Britain, Australia, and Africa. He died of tuberculosis or TB in Switzerland in 1931. He was 41 years old.
To commemorate the 75th Anniversar y of the Death of Harry Clarke, An Post issued a 48c stamp. The Stamp features St. Hubert.