This Saturday a plaque will be unveiled at Broadford sportsfield to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of one of the area’s best known sons, Archbishop James Duhig of Brisbane, and to mark the dedication and naming of the ground as Archbishop James Duhig Memorial Park.
The plaque will be unveiled at a ceremony at 2pm by Dr. Ruth Alder, the Australian Ambassa-dor to Ireland, and the ceremony will be attended by the manager of Limerick City and County Council Conn Murray and local elected public representatives.
The future Archbishop of Brisbane, James Duhig, was born on 2nd Septem-ber 1871 at Killila Broadford. His father was John Duhig who was baptised in Broadford in 1835 and his mother was Margaret Barry from Tullylease. He emigrated to Australia with his family as a young boy. He enrolled in the Irish College in Rome to study for the priesthood in 1891 and was ordained there in September 1896. He returned to Australia, and after eight years working as a curate he was consecrated Bishop of Rockhampton in December 1905 at the age of 34. He went on to be appointed Archbishop of Brisbane in 1917, a position he held for 48 years until his death in 1965 when he was then the longest serving archbishop in the world.
Duhig visited Ireland and Broadford many times, one of the most momentous visits being in 1950 when he was greeted by torchlight procession and celebrated Mass in the local Our Lady of Snows Church.
Everybody is welcome to Saturday’s ceremony, after which there will be a reception in Broadford Day Centre.