'A wonderful tribute:' Friar Seamus Hegarty statue is unveiled in Buncrana
The sun shone at Father Hegarty’s Rock in Buncrana on Friday afternoon as the public artwork commemorating Fr Seamus Hegarty was unveiled.
The statue commemorating Fr Hegarty was created by local artist Rory Harron and funded under the Community Recognition Programme, an initiative of the Department of Rural and Community Development.
Under this programme, Donegal County Council in partnership with Buncrana Tidy Towns have undertaken a programme of works at the popular Fr Hegarty’s Walk, which have also included repairs to some areas of the walkway, new signage and access improvements.
The statue, located just above Fr Hegarty’s Rock itself along the shores of Lough Swilly, was officially unveiled by His Excellency, Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor, Papal Nuncio and Minister of State for Sport and Policy, Charlie McConalogue TD.
They were joined by Bishop of Derry, The Most Reverend Donal McKeown, Parish Priest Father Francis Bradley, Father Damian Polly OP Dominican Friar and Cathaoirleach of the Municipal District Councillor, Jack Murray, as well as local representatives and hundreds of members of the local community.
Scoil Naomh Iosaf Community Choir, harpist Tracey McCrory and Uilleann Piper Chris McMullan provided beautiful music at the event, during which there was also a Laying of the Wreath by Fr Polly and local schoolchildren.
Prayers were said by Fr Bradley, who also recited a passage from JM Synge’s play ‘Riders to the Sea’, while Bishop McKeown blessed the water from Porthaw Well and the Fr Hegarty sculpture.
Brian Cannon, Donegal County Council’s Director of the Inishowen Municipal District said that the day was a ‘very special one’ for the community, which was also echoed by Colr Murray, who described Friar Hegarty, who was martyred in 1711 as ‘one of Inishowen’s greatest sons’.
Friar Hegarty, a Dominican Friar who was the Dean of the Diocese of Derry and became Parish Priest of Fahan and Desertegney in 1704, was, added Colr Murray ‘a man who was willing to stand by his people against oppression and discrimination and ultimately, would lay down his life in doing so’.
"In a world in which so much oppression, bloodshed and oppression still persists, we should be proud that our community produced a man like Friar Hegarty and celebrate the life that he lived.”
Colr Murray paid tribute to all those who were involved in the project and also mentioned John O’Donnell, Michael P McLaughlin and the late Peter Gorry, who many years ago took measures to preserve Fr Hegarty’s grave and Porthaw Holy Well.
He also thanked North West Memorial Company who restored the grave and plaque free of charge.
"It is a proud day for everyone in the community.’
Min McConalogue described the statue as ‘a wonderful tribute to a man who has played such an important role in the history of this peninsula’.
His Excellency Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor said that while it was history that brought people together on this occasion, ‘to remember a dark moment in the past’, it was also history ‘that invites us to look to a brighter present and future’.
He added: “My own fervent wish and my prayer is that our commemoration on this day may stretch dynamically beyond a past moment that saddens us and may embrace, today, joyful opportunities we have to create, with God’s help, the new reality that Fr Seamus envisioned as he took his final breath.”