The Parish Centre

Fr Michael Collins guides Terence McDonald through the many activities of the rural parish of Iskaheen/Muff, County Donegal, and the progressive social changes in evidence there. 

The local Catholic Church has developed initiatives to become more engaged with its congregation in recent years. Children attend school where they are encouraged to use craft, music and drama to enhance their learning experience, and develop an appreciation of music and Shakespeare through participation and performance. Arriving by foot, car and tractor, the people of the parish gather in the church each Sunday to hear a mass which, since the mid ‘60s, is delivered in English rather than in Latin. The hall then hosts a parish social, focusing on dance and catching-up with old friends. Here, too, changes are evident, as the live band perform a mixture of ballads and rock ‘n’ roll, with the younger dancers finding more enjoyment in the latter. The parish centre is a lively hub of education, prayer and leisure for the community. 

This film is part of The Terence McDonald Collection. To watch more of the collection click here.