Fond farewell for Fr Boland

THERE was an air of sadness on Sunday as parishioners came together to bid a fond farewell to one of Strabane’s most recognisable public figures.

Fr Declan Boland (76) is retiring after serving as the Camus Parish Priest for the last quarter-of-a-century.

A native of Donegal, Fr Boland had previously served in Pennyburn, Creggan, Ballinascreen and Limavady before arriving in Strabane. He celebrated his Golden Jubilee in the priesthood last year.

To honour the outgoing cleric, a special tea dance was held in St Patrick’s Hall in Strabane on Sunday afternoon.

During his last Mass as parish priest at the Church of the Immaculate Conception earlier that day, local singer Chloe Wilders ended the service with a rendition of ‘How Great Thou Art’.

She later posted social media that it had been an ‘absolute pleasure’ to sing at his final Mass, remembering everything he had done for her family during hard times, adding that Fr Boland was ‘a true gentleman who put his heart, soul and faith into our community and judged no one’.

Later that afternoon, a packed hall was treated to a finger buffet and an afternoon of music provided by Kieran McColgan as people took time out to say a final goodbye to the beloved clergyman before his retirement.

Ahead of the celebrations, many tributes appeared online wishing him well and recalling his impact on Strabane.

Among the online tributes paid, Fr Boland was said to be ‘always a gentleman’ by one person, while another said, ‘Sad to see him retire. All the best Fr Boland’.

He was described as a ‘wonderful human’ in another tribute.

Further plaudits said he ‘was a great pastor and a great friend to many’ and included one from an Australian-based Strabane native, which said “I’m going to miss watching your Mass every Sunday night! May God continue to bless and protect you.”