Welcome.
Ardmore became a parish in its own right on the 8th September 1974 at a time when parishes in the Derry Diocese were being re-organised by Bishop Edward Daly. Ardmore then was a small parish, population wise, but the parishioners ensured that the parish was financially viable. Fr. Michael Conway was its first Parish Priest. He built the present parochial house. In 1986 Fr. Dan McNicholl became Parish Priest until 1999. Fr. Oliver Crilly succeeded Fr. McNicholl and was Parish Priest until August 2007. He instigated the building of the present Pastoral Centre next to St. Mary’s Church at Ardmore, the architect was Sean McLaughlin of Ardmore. It was opened on 1st October 2006. The present Parish Priest, appointed in August 2007, is Fr. Neil Farren.
There is good lay involvement in the Ardmore Parish, at present, with good attendances at Mass throughout the week and on Sundays. The Parish has dedicated people who are very supportive of Church activities.
There are still challenges such as keeping abreast with the large influx of new parishioners to the Parish. The Parish has grown considerably in population in recent years (3,500 approx) especially with the overflow of housing from the Waterside area around the Belt Road and the Altnagelvin side of the Crescent Link Road as far as Ballyoan cemetery at Rossdowney Road.
The Ardmore Parish has one primary school, Glendermott. The old school which was built in 1820 used to be beside the old Church. The present school was built in 1914 with extensive renovations being carried out in the intervening years and is sited only a short distance from the present Parish Church, St. Mary’s Church, Ardmore.