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Drumshanbo is another church on this
circuit which owes its origin to the preaching of John
Wesley in person. He visited the town several times on
his travels, and a church was soon established there.
Later, Rev. Gideon Ouseley, a famous Methodist
evangelist, did a great work in the area, preaching in
the Irish language as well as English. The present
church, the second Methodist church in Drumshanbo, was
built in 1860, and a stone tablet in the present
building was previously over the door of the first
church. The church contains a pipe organ which was
purchased from Donegal Square Methodist Church in
Belfast - it is sadly out of use at present.
Drumshanbo was at one time the centre
of a circuit, with outlying churches in Boyle,
Ballyfarnan and Drumkeeran among others, but as numbers
decreased many of these were closed. The Drumshanbo
circuit was amalgamated with the Sligo circuit in 1968,
with two ministers, one in Sligo and the second in the
Drumshanbo manse, adjacent to the church. In 1983 a
minister ceased to reside in Drumshanbo, the Sligo
minister taking charge of the whole circuit. For a
number of years Sunday services in Drumshanbo church
were held only on alternate Sundays. The membership
reached a low point during this time, but since then it
has increased considerably. Co-operation between the
Methodist and Church of Ireland congregations in
Drumshanbo has resulted in the Methodist service being
increased to three Sundays per month, with service on
the fourth Sunday being held in the Church of Ireland,
so that members of the two small congregations can join
together for worship every Sunday. The future of
Drumshanbo Methodist church, which was in the balance
for some time, now seems assured.
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