A legal action brought against a prayer group has been struck out after it was confirmed in the High Court that the group’s members have ended their “illegal sit-in” at a Co Tipperary church.
Last month Patrick O’Gorman, chairman of the Abbey House Prayer Group, promised to end the 23-day sit-in protest at the Friary Church in Clonmel.
The protest was over the Franciscan Order’s decision to close the building. It began after what was supposed to be the final Mass there on New Year’s Eve before the group returned the keys to the Franciscans.
The members had been allowed to use the building on a temporary basis under a May 2023 agreement.
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The SF Trust, which owns the property on behalf of the Franciscans, decided to close the 13th century church due to diminishing numbers, the age of its members and the “unrealistic” cost of maintenance.
The SF Trust brought a High Court case asking for an injunction compelling the prayer group to vacate the building.
However, on Thursday barrister Matthew Jolley, for the SF Trust, told the court the matter could be struck out without further order as the group had vacated the church.
Mr Justice Brian Cregan acceded to the request.
Last month the judge accepted a voluntary undertaking from Mr O’Gorman promising that the group would leave the premises by midnight on January 23rd.
Mr O’Gorman said the group accepted it had been conducting an “illegal sit-in”. He said the occupants were “not religious zealots” but mostly “retired, elderly people who have been coming to the church for generations”.
He said the people of Clonmel were “very upset” at the closure and the members' around-the-clock protest was a “last resort”.
Mr Justice Cregan said he understood the church’s imminent closure was a “devastating loss” to the prayer group.
