During early times the religious needs of the people were served by monks and friars who lived in the local Abbey/or Teampalls. With the advent of the Penal Laws many of these buildings were closed or confiscated and priests were compelled by Law to register.

This led to the situation where there was an official shortage of priests but that there was quite a number of vagrant/ monks and many hedge schools as they were called. Ballycroy in 1833 was then part of the largest parish in Ireland namely Kilcommon, which also included the churches of Ballymunnelly, Glenamoy and Dunkeeghan (Pullathomas). Thus some of our records are listed under the name and priests in the parish are as Administrators until the year 1882.

Frs. David Kelly 1798/, Michael McDermott (1835/42), Thomas Walshe (42/46), William Quigley (46/47), Patrick O'Reilly(47/60), John Gilvarry(60/68), William McDermott(68/77). Patrick Boland (77/82), Michael Anthony Conway (82/90),Michael McHale (90/1900), James Anthony J. Timlin (28/40), Louis McNama (40/56), Bernard McLoughlin (56/60), John Devanney (60/63), Peter Morrison (63/73), James Boland (73/75), Mark Diamond (75/79), Patrick Duffy (79/90), Michael O'Hora (90/96), Desmond Kelly (96/99), Edward Rogan (99/present).

Curates - Frs. Patrick Heston (19/5/16), Michael Feaney(16/17) Charles Carney (17/18), John Heffernan (18/21), Patrick Maguire(21/36) Thomas Guinan (36/42), Thomas Browne (43/53), John Healy (53/64), Michael Conway (65/67), Martin Keveny (67/8 months), Brian Conlon (69/1 month). Written by Martin Costello, NT