Mass Times

This web page gives the times of Masses and of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in our two parish churches. These are the times generally in force throughout the year but they may be changed temporarily. Accurate information for the current week may be obtained from the most recent newsletter.

The Diocesan web site gives the times of Masses throughout our diocese.

Mass times in other dioceses are available in the Catholic Ireland web site.

Masses in Dunhill and Fenor

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Late for Mass again?

The image on the left is of a 12th century sundial in Kilmalkedar, Co. Kerry, on the Dingle peninsular. The hole at the top is for the gnomon (a short iron rod, now missing) which was there to cast a shadow on the semi-circular dial face below. The dial is marked with five radiating “hour lines” for the canonic hours. When the shadow of the gnomon fell on one of these lines it was time to say your prayers – 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 12 noon, 3 p.m., and 6 p.m.

In those days there were no clocks, watches, or i-phones and people figured out the time of day, give or take an hour or two, by observing where the sun was in the sky. A sundial was better and could give the time within five minutes, but only churches, public buildings, and wealthy people had sundials.

The image on the right is of the 14th century clock in Wells cathedral, Somerset, England. With a clock like that you would never be late for Mass – if only you could figure out what time it was! Obviously, the parishioners of Wells were wealthier than those of Kilmalkedar.

Nowadays we have digital watches that can tell you that you are 7 minutes and 26 seconds late for Mass, give or take a few hundredths of a second but, in the 8th century, there was only a “Mass mark” on the outer wall of the church. It was just a primitive sun dial. When the shadow of the gnomon fell on the mark it was time for Mass to begin. There is a Mass mark on St. Andrew’s church in Norfolk, England, in a village called Little Snoring. Can you believe it? The rector must be a wonderful preacher! Nearby is another village called Great Snoring which is smaller than Little Snoring. The mind boggles!