The Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Knock is a relatively modern addition of the complex here at Knock. It was built recently where construction only begun in 1974. It took a lot of creative funding to get the basilica built since the local population isn’t enough to fund such a large church. But before that, there was an older smaller church here. One could easily miss the old church since most people flock to the large basilica especially when it is around the feast of assumption. The old church, or the Church of Saint John the Baptist, is still around though and people still use it. I just discovered it when I had a look around the Apparition Chapel.
The Apparition church is connected to the old church. In fact part of the gable wall of the old church is still there and incorporated in to the new apparition chapel. The most prominent structure in the old church is the church tower. The design is typical of old Irish churches, where the facade is made of stone. The inside of the church isn’t that special either. The inside of the church is bright and it is still large enough to accommodate four rows of pews. People still come here and I don’t see it going away even with the presence of the basilica.
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