In the time of father Michael Meehan (1810-1878) Loop Head formed just one parish under the name of "Moyarta and Kilballyowen".

Meehan said mass under sheet covered tilted shafts of farmer carts but that was no success.

Then he came with the idea of the mobile church, similar to the bathing boxes in use at Kilkee at that time.

[10] In the end Marcus Keane gave in as a trade off to securing the catholic vote to Lord Francis Conyngham in parliamentary election in 1857.

At 12 July 1857 the foundation of the new church, in the townland Moveen near Kilbaha, was blessed by bishop Daniel Vaughan.