Prayer Calendar: Deceased Priests who have ministered the Catholic Faith throughout Toowoomba and districts, 1864–2025, Compiled by Annie Carrett, Diocesan Archivist, 2001, Updated by Gabrielle Saide, Diocesan Archivist, 2023:
Rev Michael Joseph McKiernan, died 26 Oct 1905

As a priest of the Brisbane Archdiocese, he served in the following places: Parish Priest, Roma (possibly the first in 1880 before Fr Dunham was appointed.); Landsborough (1892); Gayndah (1899-1905). He achieved some renown as a Liturgist, translating works by Belusio and Martinucci. He was famous for his outspoken, anti-Government sentiments, throughout the 1890s. In 1899, he campaigned against W.Kent, the member for Burnett, because of the latter's espousal of the squatters cause of resistance to close settlement. McKiernan, for his part, became a spokesman for the small farmer and found himself elected Mayor of Gayndah, a post he held for 1 year. He became so unpopular with the local squatters that he spoke publicly of their intention to assassinate him. It came as no surprise when, on 26th October 1905, his body and overturned buggy were found at the Barambah Creek Crossing. A subsequent coronial inquiry determined that he had drowned and that the circumstances were not suspicious.
(Ref. Brisbane Archives, Linane Mc98 and Pugh's)

Reproduced by permission of Bishop Ken Howell.

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Denis M. Long, Pioneer and Early Priests, Archdiocese of Brisbane, Deceased or retired by 1929, 2021, pp 112-114:
Fr Michael Joseph McKiernan

I became interested in the story of this priest while I was stationed in Gayndah parish from 1962 to 1964. Fr McKiernan was the second priest to be drowned in district. Fr Pierce Power was the first in October 1865.

Michael Joseph McKiernan was born at Arva in Co Cavan Ireland about 1863. He was a member of a family of five boys and two girls. He received his ecclesiastical education at the Irish College in Rome. He was ordained there about 1885 or 1886. His name first appears in Pugh's Almanac in 1888. He arrived in Sydney aboard the Austral on 26 December 1886 with Fr Daniel Walsh and Fr Mark Cosgrove. They arrived in Brisbane aboard the coastal steamer Warrego on 30 December. His first ministry was at South Brisbane while residing at St Killian's college. He was also well known in connection with his work at the St Helena Mission.(1)

Father McKiernan was the first administrator of the Caboolture mission with the main church being St Peter's at Woodford, which was opened in 1890.(2) Pugh's Almanac lists him as at Caboolture from 1891 to 1893. He was in Fortitude Valley in 1894 and 1895. He also spent time in Stanthorpe to assist the ailing Fr Davadi.

In 1898 Fr McKiernan was appointed priest-in-charge of the Gayndah/Eidsvold mission. Fr Rossolini had been appointed to Gayndah in 1871. In 1873 he opened a church at Mt Perry, in the Gayndah mission, as people flocked there when mining of the copper, discovered in 1868, commenced. Father Pat Tynan relates that half way through that decade, with Mt Perry's population growing, Fr Rossolini made it the centre of his mission. In 1875 Mt Perry's population was nearly 3000, five times that of Gayndah. When Bundaberg grew as a port for the shipping of copper and gold and was connected with Mt Perry, first by road and later by rail, Fr Rossolini made Bundaberg the centre of his mission.(3)

In 1880 Bundaberg became a mission in its own right embracing Mt Perry. Fr Rossolini no longer was responsible for Gayndah; Ipswich and Dalby, and later Maryborough, priests provided sacramental ministry in Gayndah.

In the 1880s gold began to be mined in Eidsvold, resulting in an increase of population to over 2000 by the year 1889. By 1884 the Maryborough mission was entrusted with the pastoral care of Eidsvold. Late in 1889 Fr Patrick Fouhy, curate in Maryborough moved to reside in Eidsvold, where he built a church and presbytery. Gayndah came back under his pastoral care. Fr John Ryan followed Fr Fouhy at Eidsvold from 1891 to 1895.

Thus in 1898 Fr Michael McKiernan arrived as priest-in-charge of the Eidsvold/Gayndah mission. As Eidsvold's population was decreasing, owing to the difficulty in accessing the gold, by 1900 Fr McKiernan once again made Gayndah the centre of the mission, residing in Downing St, Gayndah. Byrnestown, Biggenden, Didcot and Degilbo were Mass centres in his mission territory.

Gayndah is the oldest town in Queensland. The church during Fr McKiernan's pastorate was the former Zion Baptist church and adjacent home in Downing Street. Both sites had been purchased from the mortgagee in 1871.

In late September 1863 Fr Edward O'Donohue, formerly of Ipswich, upon the arrival of Fr Brun moved to Gayndah.(4) He endeavoured to raise funds to construct a small chapel in the town. In mid-1864 he engaged Mr A Brown to construct the chapel. This was completed in early December 1864 but destroyed on 17 December before it could be used.

The most serious result of the storm is the total destruction of the Roman Catholic Chapel, a new building, only just completed, and next to the Primary School, the finest and most ornamental in the town: its roof had apparently been lifted bodily and cast to the ground its wall following suit; - it now lies a heap of ruins.(5)

The local Court House had been the place where Mass was celebrated by Fathers O'Donohue, Pierce Power and other visiting priests. The first Mass in town had been celebrated in the residence of Mr John Connolly. In March 1862, when Fr Renehan and Dr Cani visited, Mass was celebrated in the Court House.(6)

In late December 1864 following an acrimonious debate in the local press(7) the Zion Baptist community led by Rev R R Wilson engaged Mr A Brown, who had erected the Catholic chapel, to construct a chapel for the Baptist community in Downing Street.(8)

Six years later the regional press reported:

I believe our Roman Catholic community are making arrangements to purchase the chapel, with house and grounds adjoining, at present the property of the Rev R R Wilson, with the view of having a resident RC clergyman. A large amount of money has been promised, and a committee has been formed to collect further subscriptions. I believe they will have no difficulty in making up the required amount."(9)

In February 1871:

The purchase of the Roman Catholic Chapel has been finally completed, and that portion of the community expects to have a clergyman permanently settle here in a short time.(10)

Fr McKiernan's activities were regularly reported in Maryborough and Gympie newspapers from 1898. In July 1899 Fr McKiernan began raising funds to erect a Catholic church in Biggenden.(11) The construction of the church began on 4 August 1902.(12) Fr McKiernan celebrated the first Mass on 25 October 1903, the day before he was drowned at the Barambah Creek crossing on his return journey to Gayndah.

When Archbishop Duhig blessed and opened a new church in Biggenden in 1933 the parish priest Fr Gleeson dismantled Fr McKiernan's church and transported it to be re-erected as St Peter's church in Abercorn.(13) Mass was celebrated there every second week and on Christmas day and Easter Sunday when I was a priest in Gayndah from 1962 to 1964.

Fr McKiernan was a man of strong opinions motivated like so many of the Irish by the injustices in his native land. In 1898 he denounced Mr Newton, a candidate for the Legislative Assembly, because that gentleman was opposed to home rule in Ireland.(14) Mr Newton was defeated in the election. Again in 1900 Fr McKiernan clashed with William Kent over Council governance in Gayndah.(15)

Having spent some time as a member of the Gayndah shire council Fr McKiernan was elected Mayor in 1902. He was a strong advocate for the rights of small land owners and more development of small holdings for the little people against the squatter aristocracy who held the power in the district.

He was vocal in discussions re the extension of the railway line from Degilbo to Gayndah:

The squatter or his agent takes up land in large areas, as was done about seven months ago in Aramara, Reid's Creek and Wetheron, and other districts. All the water frontages were secured, which made the few remaining allotment unsuitable for agricultural purpose. On the 18th of June, 44 portions will be thrown open for selection for farms and homesteads, but how very few would have known anything about this if it had not been for the Rev Father McKiernan's letter to the Chamber of Commerce. This gentleman, with the assistance of a few friends, is keeping the Burnett well to the front: he is a strong advocate for the extension of the Gayndah line.(16)

Fr McKiernan was highly respected in Gayndah especially by the ordinary people.

There was great sadness when the local population heard of his death by drowning at the Barambah crossing between Byrnestown and Gayndah. It is ironic that Fr McKiernan had been one of the ardent supporters for a new bridge over that dangerous crossing.

The Maryborough and Gympie press reported his death.(17) The Brisbane Truth published a eulogy on the deceased priest.(18) His funeral took place in Gayndah. He is the only priest buried in the Gayndah cemetery.

Fr Michael died intestate. In July 1910, seven years after his death, a notice appeared in the Brisbane Telegraph nominating his siblings, Francis, Peter, John, Patrick, Ellen and Julia all of Arva in co Cavan as next of kin and therefore claimants to his estate.(19)

Footnotes
1. Truth, Brisbane, 1 Nov 1903, p. 8.
2. Caboolture Catholic Parish Centenary 1894-1994, p. 5.
3. Patrick J Tynan, Constantine Rossolini, Pioneer priest of the Burnett (1845-1893), 1989, p. 38.
4. North Australian, 29 Sep 1863, p. 3.
5. Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser, 21 Dec, 1864, p. 2.
6. Ibid. 6 Mar 1862, p. 3.
7. Ibid. 21 Jan 1864, p. 2.
8. Ibid. 14 Jul 1864, p. 2.
9. Ibid. 27 Oct 1870, p. 2.
10. Ibid. 2 Feb 1871, p. 3.
11. Ibid. 25 Jul 1899, p. 2.
12. Ibid. 7 Aug 1902, p. 3.
13. Ibid. 17 Oct 1940, p. 3.
14. Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette, 2 Jun 1898, p. 3.
15. Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser, 16 Nov. 1900, p. 3.
16. Op. cit., 1 Jun, 1901, p. 3.
17. Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette, 29 Oct 1903, p. 3.
18. Truth, Brisbane, 1 Nov 1903, p. 8.
19. Telegraph, Brisbane, 2 Jul 1910, p. 3.

Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Long.