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A letter to all parishioners went out from Fr Boland. This was to be the first of a series of bulletins, which would keep people fully updated on developments in the newly forming parish.
He told them that a temporary "Hut" had been built and although it was in a very rough and ready condition he planned to celebrate mass there on Easter Sunday.
It was a very small building and only accommodated about 100 people and it was rather uncomfortable but it tided the parish over until the school hall was ready..
FR Boland had asked his Grace the Archbishop, for permission to place this new area under the protection of St Jude The Apostle and he willingly agreed.
| The first bulletin appeared with updates on the development. Fr Boland welcomed new parishioners and told them they parish of over 2,000 houses would become a parish in its own right. He looked forward to meeting them when he would bless their house. They were for the moment part of the parish of St Pius X Templeogue.
A gift of seven acres by the Columban Fathers and a gift of five acres by the Holy Ghost Fathers as sites for the church and schools were exceptionally generous. This land was worth about £20.000 an acre. The Parish owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to these religious orders who could have sold the land and used the money for their missions.
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"The Hut" (temporary portacabin) was on the church site and was on loan free of charge and was used for daily and Sunday Mass, Confessions and other purposes. It was a rather primitive and uncomfortable place but tided the parish over until the school hall was ready.
The first Primary School was under construction at this stage and was scheduled to open in June 1975. It was a 16 classroom coeducational primary school costing £162,000 of which £18,000 was the local contribution.
Plans for the Church, were under way and it was to be built more or less where the Hut was situated-beside the shops
The House-to-House collection was to start in May as the first payment for the school was falling due during the year.
The Census Parishioners were to be given at least three months to settle into their new houses before being invited to contribute to the house-to-house collection. Fr Boland asked for parishioners to assist him in taking a census of parishioners and asking each household whether they were interested in contributing towards the cost of the church and schools. Upon completion of the census a box of envelopes will be given to each house willing to contribute and an authorised collector will collect a sealed envelope every week.
Fr Boland assured the parishioners that he would endeavour to meet them all when blessing the houses.
September 1974
The next bulletin appeared with updates on the development. Fr Boland again welcomed new parishioners and told them they parish of over 2,000 houses would soon become a parish in its own right.
It was stated again what a tremendous debt the parish owed to the Columban Fathers and The Holy Ghost Fathers for their gift of the site for the schools and the church. This land was extremely valuable on the open market and relieved the newly forming parish of an enormous financial burden
The first Primary School was under construction at that stage and was scheduled to open in June 1975. It was a 16 classroom coeducational primary school costing £162,000of which £18,000 was the local contribution.
Plans for the Church, which had to be built on very economic lines and on a tight budget, were well advanced. The difficulties of raising even a modest loan and servicing it in the current financial climate were considerable.
"The Hut" on the church site. It was on loan free of charge and was used for daily and Sunday masses.
The House-to-House collection had started in May 1974 and had accumulated over £2000, which was considered very good considering the small number of houses occupied in April when the first parish census was taken.
The new parishioners were to be given at least three months to settle into their new houses before being invited to contribute to the house-to-house collection. Fr Boland asked for parishioners to assist him in taking a new census of parishioners and asking each household whether they were interested in contributing towards the cost of the church and schools. Upon completion of the census a box of envelopes will be given to each house willing to contribute and an authorised collector will collect a sealed envelope every week.
Fr Boland assured the parishioners that he would endeavour to meet them all when blessing the houses.
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