Porterstown asks a question. What makes St Mochta’s Church special? It is more than just bricks and mortar. It has a story woven through centuries. The present St Mochta’s Church was built near the end of the 19th century. It served as a chapel of ease to Blanchardstown Parish.
St Mochta himself was quite the figure. Born around 445 AD, he lived until approximately 535 AD. His feast day falls on August 19th. He was known as the last of St Patrick’s disciples. St Mochta also became the first Abbot of Louth. He even founded a church at Coolmine. It was called “The White Church of St. Machutus”. Sadly that original church disappeared by 1490.
Let’s jump ahead to more recent times. The Parish of Porterstown was established in 1984. Back then, it was one of the smallest parishes in the Archdiocese. Only about 480 homes were within its boundaries. Fast forward twenty years and things had changed dramatically. The parish grew to include over 6000 homes. To give you an idea of the population boom, think about this. Twelve years prior to that, St Mochta’s National School had one junior infants class. But then, just last September, they enrolled ten junior infant classes across the three parish schools.
The church is part of a bigger community. St Mochta’s National School shares its name and history. The school has a long history. The original school building opened in 1854. It still stands tall on the banks of the Royal Canal. In 1963, a new school building replaced the original. It was a three-classroom Boyd Barrett building. Locals called it “The White School”. Another move occurred in 1986. An eight-classroom school was built. By 2000, it expanded to sixteen classrooms. Due to Dublin 15’s growing population, it eventually became a 32-classroom school. Sixteen of those classes were in pre-fab structures.
A major project took place between 2017 and 2019. A new state-of-the-art building was constructed for St Mochta’s. The original “White School” was incorporated into the design. The renovated “White School” now serves as the administrative area. The new school boasts bright classrooms. Excellent IT resources are available. There is a servery, a library, and a hall for indoor activities. A four-ball court sits outside. St Mochta’s continues to work with pupils, parents, and the Clonsilla community.
The school crest features a willow tree. Cluain Saileach means “The Meadow of the Willow Tree”. A new willow tree was planted outside the pupil entrance in October 2020. The school motto is ‘Ag Críost an Síol’. This is the first line of a poem. It translates to “To Christ belongs the seed”. It embodies the Catholic ethos.
The current Parish Priest is Very Rev. Fr. Damian McNeice. Very Rev. Fr. Paul Ward serves as Team Assistant. The parish office is open Monday to Friday. The hours are 10.30 am to 1.00 pm. Rev. Deacon Tim Murphy is also involved. Ciara Holmes is the Pastoral Coordinator. June Phelan is the Parish Secretary. Bernie Lanigan is the Sacristan.
So, as you stand before St Mochta’s Church, remember its journey. From its connection to St Mochta himself, to its role as a growing parish, to its partnership with the local school, this place has deep roots in the community. It is a testament to faith, education, and community spirit.