History - Mornington Church

Star of the Sea - A Brief History

The Star of the Sea Church is located sited in the townland of Donacarney Little. The church was dedicated in 1989 to replace an earlier Star of the Sea church in Mornington townland. The latter was built by Hammond of Drogheda in 1841 for the Rev. Donellan. This in turn replaced a pre-Reformation church, whose ruins are located in the old graveyard adjoining. St. Patrick is said to have landed here, the mouth of the Boyne, anciently called "Inbhear Colpa", on his way to Tara, though the church was traditionally dedicated to St. Columba. A former holy well dedicated to St. John was located near the new church in an area known as "The Glen".