Second phase of a 'Mass Paths' survey to get under way in Kilkenny

Kilkenny County Council have announced the launch of Phase 2 of Mass Paths in Memory – A Mass Paths Survey in County Kilkenny.

Mass paths are an important and under-recorded part of our cultural heritage. They serve as reminders of the challenges faced by Catholics during the penal times, and also reminders of a later era when they were used by people in rural areas as pedestrian routes to mass, to visit neighbours and for going to school. If they are not recorded in the near future, their presence and value will have faded from the public memory.

In 2023, Kilkenny County Council engaged heritage consultant Pat Reid of Wicklow Willow to undertake Phase 1 of this project, with the support of the Heritage Council and Kilkenny County Council. This initial phase identified Mass Paths in two areas in the county, Conahy and Goresbridge, and created a methodology for the recording of Mass Paths nationwide.

Funding has now been awarded for Phase 2 of this project by the Heritage Council and Kilkenny County Council. This will involve the identification and recording of ten further Mass Paths throughout the county.

As a key element of this phase, training will be undertaken with interested groups to provide the skills necessary for recording Mass Paths and many other heritage assets at a local level. This phase will enable community and heritage groups to continue this work into phase three of the project – identifying, recording and ensuring the history of their local Mass Paths is captured for future generations.
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Pat Reid will once again lead this project and he is looking for information on Mass Paths all over Co. Kilkenny. If you have information on Mass Paths in your locality, please contact Pat by email at info@wicklowwillow.ie or by phone on 087-9587503.  You can also contact the Heritage Office at Kilkenny County Council at heritage@kilkennycoco.ie or 056-7794923.

Please help to secure the memory of Mass Paths in your area of County Kilkenny. This is an action of the Kilkenny County Heritage Plan.

“Mass paths are a valuable part of our history," said Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council Michael McCarthy.

"Preservation of these paths is essential. It is great to see this project take another step forward. I look forward to seeing it come to fruition."