Plans for the future of The Friary church building in Clonmel are awaited

They should wait and see what the Franciscan Order has in mind for The Friary Church in Clonmel, which is due to close its doors for good on January 6, the town’s first citizen has stated.
District Mayor Pat English said it was very sad news that the church in Clonmel would close early next year.

The Franciscans had served the town well over the past 753 years and he hoped they would come up with a suggestion that would keep the church in the town.
He told a meeting of Clonmel Borough District that the council was available to help if any support was needed. The fall in vocations was behind the decision to close the church.
Cllr English thanked the Franciscans for the outstanding service given to the people of the town, and he also acknowledged the role played by the staff at The Friary.

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Cllr Siobhán Ambrose asked what communication management within the council had with the Franciscan Order regarding the possibility of taking ownership of this wonderful church building. If the council was fortunate enough to take ownership of The Friary it could include this wonderful building as part of the council’s upcoming application to the next round of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), which would shortly be announced by the Government.
Cllr Ambrose said that if the council was gifted the building for a nominal amount of money, such as one euro, it could make sure that the public would still be able to access the building, which was in great condition.
She said the closure announcement was a sad day for the town because there was huge devotion to St Anthony in Clonmel. However the closure of Franciscan churches was happening across the country, including in  Carrick-on-Suir and Waterford city. It would be ideal if there was a chance of keeping the Clonmel church open, but an ageing clergy meant that was no longer an option.
Cllr Niall Dennehy said there had to be some window of opportunity and they had to explore all the options for keeping the church open. What was happening was reminiscent of what had happened to Clonmel Corporation, Kickham Barracks and St Michael’s Hospital, which had all closed.
The current difficulties faced by the Franciscan Order were miniscule compared with what the order had suffered through the centuries, including around the time of the Penal laws, he stated.
Cllr John FitzGerald said he understood Cllr Ambrose’s suggestion for the council to take ownership of the building, but they could be pre-empting the Franciscans’ plans for the church. It was lamentable that they intended to stop their ministry in Clonmel. They had a very proud history in the town and people had great devotion to the Franciscans, he said.  
District Manager Sinead Carr said it was disappointing to hear that The Friary would close.The council would be happy to support the order with whatever decision it reached regarding the future of the building.
District Administrator Carol Creighton said the district management had contacted the Franciscan Order to thank them for their enormous contribution and service to Clonmel and its environs over the past 700 years. It was also noted that they had left a very real and lasting legacy, for which the town would be forever grateful.
Ms Creighton said the Borough District had also offered any support or assistance that the order might need in the coming months.