Parish History
Church founded by Saint Patrick
Ardtole Church is the last standing of the eight churches that stood in the area in the 1300s. The site was abandoned after a cruel massacre by local chieftain in the late 1400s.
The site was an inspiration to Jonathan Swift in Gulliver’s Travels. The ruins were excavated in 1914 by Francis Joseph Bigger. The largest collection of the oldest stained glass in Ireland was found here.
Saint Patrick’s Well
The Well is an ancient site of pilgrimage with legends of Saint Patrick. The waters of the well are said to cure any ailment.
Saint Patrick founded Ardtole Church which can be seen on the horizon. In the next field at low tide Saint Patrick’s Road becomes visible. This was to be his route to the Isle of Man but when a red haried woman crossed his path he seen it as a bad omen and didn’t make the journey.
The modern wall was erected in the 1950s. The bottom of the well was secured by one of the millstones from Sheepland Windmill.
St Patrick’s Well Pilgrimage
St Mary’s Church
Saint Mary’s Church was built at the meeting of five roads in 1791. The builder was Rev. Edward Mulholland who is buried in the graveyard. He visited the medieval churches to gather artefacts and bring them to the new church.
Above the porch is a cross dating to the 900s from Ardtole Church. Two fonts line the path. The square one came from Dunsford. The stone one from Tollumgrange which is marked with a cross.
Under the steeple is the restored statue Our Lady of Dunsford. This dates to around 1300 and is contemporary with many on the continent. It was restored in 1908 by Francis Joseph Bigger when all fragments were found. It is the oldest stone statue of its kind in Ireland.
St Mary’s Church 1956
St Nicholas’ Church 1958
The Little Sisters of Jesus
The little sisters of Jesus were present in the parish of St Mary’s in Dunsford/Ardglass from 1994-2019. Little Sister Anne Ellen (Foy), made final vows here in 1995. She died in Bishopscourt Oct. 12, 2004 at 48 years old and is buried in Dublin.
Little Sister Joanna Beata (Misiak- pictured) arrived in 2009. She was born in Oswiecim Poland July 19, 1964. A gifted athlete she swam for the Polish National Team but a radical conversion in her student years led her to join the little sisters of Jesus on Oct 3, 1989. Inspired by Saint Charles de Foucauld, the congregation wished to be a contemplative presence in the world of the poor. She made her First Profession in Czestochowa March 24, 1993, and final vows October 7, 2000. She was immediately asked to take on a 6 year term as regional superior for the little sisters in Poland. Following a time of renewal, she was sent to the community in Bishopscourt. She immediately felt an affinity with Northern Ireland, declaring, “I feel like I was born here.” In harmony with the community’s charism, she found a job as a cleaner in “Paddy’s Barn” in Saul. Her warm, affectionate character endeared her to many and the pub owner nicknamed her, “The peoples’ nun.”
In March 2015 she became ill. On learning of the severity of her condition, she asked Fr. G. McCloskey to be buried in the parish cemetery in Dunsford. She died May 5 2015.
The Little Sisters of Jesus being no longer present in Ireland, and her family being in Poland, the parishoners of Saint Mary’s area kindly asked to tend to her grave.
I am the resurrection. Anyone who believes in me, even though he dies, will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Jn 11:25-26