"The middle aisle is the oldest part of the church & during Cromwellian times it was a barn, used for trashing & storing corn & oats, but most importantly, was house of worship where mass was celebrated". ClareThe church is the focal point of the Christian community in Oatfield. A regular group of people faithfully attend Mass in this building. We regard the integration of new people into the loca
lity as being vitally important, and this is the only building in this rural area where they can assemble. This integration is especially facilitated by the tradition of having a cup of tea and a chat for everyone, after the celebration of Christmas Eve mass. Oatfield Church is one of the oldest Churches in the Diocese of Killaloe and has a unique history. It is traditionally believed that the building was originally a thatched barn, which was used at harvest time for threshing and storing corn, and for the celebration of Mass during penal times. The middle aisle is the oldest part of the church and to this day has only two windows. It was important that the priest was not visible celebrating mass during these penal times, and this is seen as the reason for the scarcity of windows in the middle aisle. In 1646 a French priest, whom we now know as St. Vincent de Paul, responded to a request from Bishop Dwyer of Limerick to send priests to work in the city. By 1651 Limerick was under siege by the Cromwellian army under General Ireton, and a dreadful plague had broken out. At least five Vincentians came to Limerick at that time. Among them were two Irish Vincentian priests, Fr. Gerald Bryan and Fr. Edmund Barry both of whom had been ordained in Paris. Frs. Bryan and Barry escaped from the destruction and pillage which was rampant in the city at that time, and made their way over the hills to Oatfield. They settled in a little stone house in Derrynaveagh. It is believed that they celebrated Mass for the local people in the thatched barn. Their remaining confrère also escaped and are said to have made their way back to Paris.Tradition has it also, that this thatched barn was reconstructed into a church about 1830, at the time when Fr. Jeremiah Tuohy was parish priest. Because of the scarcity of funds, voluntary labour was used for its reconstruction. The finished building had a thatched roof with bog oak rafters, and was used as a church and as a temporary school house at that time. Its earthen floor had little furniture, and when a school boy or girl spotted a suitable flat stone or slate it was used to write on. On January 6th 1839, the roof was ripped off this primitive building in what has become known as “The Night of the Big Wind”. The ensuing repairs included the addition of the lower side aisle, and a new slated roof was erected. In later years the third aisle was added, which gave the building its present cruciform design. In 1952, a double-open stoup (font) was inserted into the wall, at the entrance to the northern transept of the church. These particular stoups are found in late 15th century churches. This stoup in Oatfield, was taken from the ruins of the church in Clonlea burial ground, which is also in the parish of O’Callaghan’s Mills. The Vincentian connection with Oatfield was recognised in May 1966, when the church was rededicated to St. Vincent de Paul, by the late Bishop Joseph Rodgers. A statue of this saint had been sent from Paris to the Vincentian Church in Phibsboro, Dublin, a hundred years previously. It was subsequently donated to Oatfield Church by the Very Rev. Fr. O’ Neill, CM, on the occasion, of the dedication ceremony.Donations are greatly appreciated:There are many ways members of the public can donate to our “renovation fund”, these are described below.By Post: Please make all cheques payable to “Oatfield church renovation fund” and post to Oatfield Church Renovation Fund, Parochial House, O’ Callaghan’s Mills, Co.
