EMYVALE (St. Anne's) A NUMBER OI-' IMMIGRANT FAMILIES from Ireland arrived in this location in 1839. Their first church, dedicated to St. Anne, opened for worship in 1851 and eight years later they had a small rector}' as well. Recently the parishioners celebrated the 150th anniversary of the opening of that church. In the late 1890s, with the Catholic population growing steadily, the parishioners built their second church, a large and stately one, with an especially beautiful interior. This was one of architect William Harris ' churches. St. Anne's Church, burned in 1962 In 1907 the people erected the present spacious rectory which is also of Harris design. A parish hall, constructed in the early 1900s, was sold in the late 1970s. Since then the parishioners have been using and contributing to the Emyvale Community Centre. A fire in 1962 completely destroyed the beautiful parish church but later that year the people were able to worship in the present brick church on the same location. St. Anne's Parish today has 100 families, with a goodly number of children and youth. More than thirty religious sisters from this small parish have gone forth far and wide in the service of God 's Church. The scenery around the parish is very striking with some of the Island's greatest hills and winding valleys. On one of those high hills a sanatorium for the treatment of tuberculosis operated for a number of years before and during the 1920s. Despite the steep slopes, farming can be carried on throughout the region. People have generally known this community as "5 Parish ". Emyvale , named after a district in County Monaghan , Ireland, is the preferred designation today.