The Franciscan friars said their last Mass in Drogheda yesterday, bringing to a close 700 years in the town. However, the order has agreed to leave the church on St Laurence Street in trust to Drogheda Corporation for use by the people of Drogheda.
A fall in vocations was the main reason for the decision to leave the town and the friary will remain in the care of the Franciscan Sisters, Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood.
Meanwhile, the Franciscan Trust has applied to Meath County Council for planning permission to build a new headquarters and accommodation building in the grounds of Gormanston College, a school run by the order.
