St. Michael’s Church, Cootehill

The first Catholic Church was built in the Cootehill area around 750A.D. in what is known locally as the old graveyard in Church Street. It was dedicated to St. Michael. The Irish Church at this time was Monastic rather than Diocesan. It wasn’t until 1111 AD that a reorganisation of the church began which included the setting up of parishes with a resident priest for the first time.

In 1826 a church was built in the townland of Munnily at the bottom of “Chapel Lane”.
In July 1923 Fr. Hugh Brady was appointed PP and he continued the fundraising drive for a new church begun by his predecessor Fr. O’Connell. In May 1926 Mr John Carney sold the site for the present church for £60. Work commenced on the new site in 1927 and the Architects for the building were Hugh Brady & Son, Dublin who also designed the cathedral of Ss Patrick & Felim in Cavan. The work was carried out by Mr. Wynne from Dundalk. The entire cost of the building was £50,000.

St. Michael’s church was dedicated on Sunday July 1st 1930 by Bishop Finnegan. In 1993 the sanctuary of St. Michael’s was redesigned by the then parish priest Canon Desmond O’Dowd.