https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/0914/1470085-presbyterian-church-kildare/
A purpose-built Presbyterian Church has officially opened in Co Kildare to accommodate one of its youngest congregations.
It is the first time a new congregation has opened its own purpose-built building since the Irish Free State was established.
The Presbyterian Church in Arklow was built in 1915.
Maynooth Community Church began life when a small group of people, mainly from Lucan Presbyterian Church, started meeting to study the Bible together in September 2002.
In February the following year, the group of around 18 people decided to run some monthly services in Maynooth Post Primary School.
The first public weekly service of Maynooth Community Church was held in September 2003.
It was formally constituted as a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland four years later.
Since then, the congregation has had a number of temporary homes, including at Gaelcholáiste Mhaigh Nuad and at a Wicklow Education and Training Board premises in Manor Mills Shopping Centre.
While new church buildings have been erected at existing locations in Co Kilkenny, Drogheda and Mullingar in recent years, the church in Maynooth was built on a green acre site.
A congregation of around 140 members, which includes people from the area and others who are new to Ireland, have moved into the 900 sq/m church which was built at a cost of €4.2 million.
The building has a worship space for 220 people, a welcome area, kitchen, prayer room, three children's rooms, a family room, a room for counselling, minister's office, an administration office and a large meeting room.
Looking back Rev Dr Keith McCrory said that while they were not originally convinced that they needed a building, they eventually realised that having a permanent presence in Maynooth would create a greater capacity for gathering and ministry.
"It would also increase our witness and contribute to the availability of social space in the town, which the community so badly needs," he said.
"I have had a number of inquiries from various local groups to see if they could use it already," he added.
Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Dr Richard Murray officially opened the church building this afternoon.
Local churches, including the Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic Church, both dedicated to St Mary, along with the Redeemed Christian Church of God were also present.
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has a membership of just over 200,000 people, 96% of whom are based in Northern Ireland.
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