St.Joseph's S.M.A.Church and House
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In 1879 the S.M.A. order (Society of Missionaries for Africa) purchased the land on the Blackrock Rd from Madame Maria McCarthy. (Madame McCarthy was probably related to the McCarthy's of the McCarthy Monument.) She lived in Nancy in France at that time. The S.M.A. order planned to build a college for students to the priesthood and a church on the site.
Fr Francois Devoucox, superior of the S.M.A. in Ireland, commenced the construction of the college and chapel in 1879. The college, capable of housing twenty students, was completed by April 1880 at a cost of £2,400. The chapel was completed in 1881 at a cost of £2,200. The contractors were John Sisk and Sons. The material (stone, gravel and sand) used to build the college and church was drawn from a quarry on the property - where the Rest House now stands. This quarry was not filled in until 1913.
In 1886, the chapel, which until this served as a 'private chapel' for the S.M.A. order,was opened to the public.In 1926,because of large increases in the student intake, the college (seminary) was relocated from Blackrock Rd to Dromantine (near Newry, Co Down).
Today, the S.M.A. House, Blackrock Rd., is the Administrative Headquarters of the Order in Ireland (Main Office). It is also a house of Retirement for priests returning from the Missions.
Connection
with Terence MacSweeney:
In the weeks before his arrest and imprisonment,Terence
Mac Sweeney lived in the S.M.A. House at Blackrock Road. He occupied
a room on the top storey of what is now called 'The Old House'. There was a
small washroom off the first room on the right of the stairs. A bed was placed
in this washroom. At night a large wardrobe was drawn across to conceal the
entrance to this washroom. Terence Mac Sweeney used to receive Holy Communion
at the same time as the S.M.A. students (Blackrock Road was then a major seminary
for missionary priests); he was given Communion in the side chapel, out of sight.
He spent his last night of freedom at Blackrock
Road.