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A special service has been held at Strabane Grotto to celebrate 75 years of the town’s beloved holy site.
Located on Townsend Street, the grotto has long served as a place of worship and quiet reflection, surviving some of the community’s most challenging times.
Aodhan Harkin, of Fountain Street Community Association, who helped to organise the event, said the large turnout was both emotional and uplifting.
“It was a lovely, very moving occasion and it was heartening to see so many people turn up,” he said.
“A number of priests, including Fr McCaughey, parish priest at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Fr Declan Boland, his brother Fr Eugene Boland and Fr Peter O’Kane were there to lead the crowd in a decade of the Rosary.”
Among those in attendance were relatives of the original builders who constructed the grotto 75 years ago. The last surviving member of that group, John Sharkey – who was only a young boy at the time – also took part in the commemoration. A new mural was unveiled during the ceremony and blessed by Fr McCaughey.
Mr Harkin said the grotto’s endurance is a powerful symbol for the town.
“The grotto has survived so much in 75 years, standing against the Troubles and never being touched. It was, and still is, a serene place to visit,” he said.
“It should be remembered that the grotto was built by people from across Strabane, not just those living nearby and it’s wonderful to see this sacred space still here, having stood the test of time for almost a century.”
