The Crotty Schism took place in the early 19th century, when Father Michael Crotty and his cousin, Father William Crotty, broke away from the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

to form their own church in Birr,

County Offaly County Offaly (; ga, Contae Uíbh Fhailí) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe. It was formerly known as King's County, in hono ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. The two fathers began preaching under a divergent doctrine after Michael Crotty was forced from the church where he had been a temporary curate. Michael was able to convince some parishioners who had followed him to construct a new church, which is now used as a store. The

schism A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...

created was mostly exhausted by 1842. William Crotty eventually joined the

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

. The old church still stands in Castle Street. Known infamously as the site of a 20th-century beerhouse, the prestige of the church has decreased significantly over the years. While certain faithful still attend services occasionally held, most Catholics tend to avoid the historical site.

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More information about the Crotty schism
19th century in Ireland History of County Offaly History of Catholicism in Ireland Religion in Birr, County Offaly Schisms in Christianity 19th-century Catholicism {{ireland-hist-stub