Dromantine House
Dromantine House was a seminary of the Society of African Missions from 1926 until 1972. Over its lifetime as a seminary some 600 priests were ordained for service in Africa. The decision was taken that from 1972 students would train at the National Seminary in Maynooth.[1]
Prior to the acquisition of Dromatine the Society of African Missions in Ireland had St. Josephs Seminary on the Blackrock Road in Cork. The seminary and its students were transferred to Dromantine House. The Society of African Missions also had a Novitiate in at Cloughballymore, Kilcolgan, Co. Galway, from which students would progress from this to the Major seminary at Dromantine.
Over the years the building and facilities have developed and updated. The St. Patrick's wing on the east side was added in November 1931. the St. Brendan's wing on the west side was built in 1935. In 1959 theSt. Colman's wing with 62 study-bedrooms and a new assembly and lecture hall were added.[2] In 2001 after a number of years of renovations the Retreat and Conference Centre was opened.
Prior to the SMA Fathers taking over the property the Estate was the stately home of the McInnes family, often called the Manor of Clanagan.
Dromantine Retreat and Conference Centre
Now the House and its facilities are used as a Retreat and Conference Centre. Diploma and Certificate Courses in Theology are run from the Centre on evenings and weekend. A number of other pastoral care programmes for the Diocese of Down & Connor are also run from the Centre.
In partnership of the Mater Dei Institute of Education(DCU) in Dublin, the Society of African Missions at Dromantine and Methodist Edgehill Theological College in Belfast ran a three-year Exploring Theology Certificate course accredited by Dublin City University, in Dromantine.
References
- ↑ History Dromantine Retreat and Conference Centre.
- ↑ Dromantine History Newry Journal, 14 July 2004.