AFTER more than 11 years of celebrating the fortnightly mass at the famous Barn Church in Oatfield, Canon Dan Spaight bade the local community a fond farewell last Saturday night.
Retired for some years, after his ministry in Middlesborough in the UK, and now living in Ennis, Canon Spaight is a native of Cratloe and was ordained in 1959. “There were a total of 437 priests ordained across Ireland that year,” he recalled. “That was some number.”
Canon Spaight enjoyed his ministry and his retirement to Ennis has proven to be an active one. He was approached more than a decade ago by sacristan Noreen Brandon and Parish Council member, the late Geraldine Crehan, to say mass in Oatfield.
“It was round two weeks before Christmas in 2009 and I agreed,” he said.
“The weather was very bad and I wondered if things continued, if I’d ever get there. I was told not to worry because there were people with 4x4s. I was also due to say mass that Christmas at the Inn at Dromoland for people living alone and between Tom Crehan and my niece, I got to both masses.
“After that, I agreed to say mass in Oatfield every fortnight. It’s a wonderful church and was once a simple barn where farmers thrashed their grain with flails.
“Back in Cromwellian times, the Bishop of Killaloe was short of priests and asked the Archbishop of Paris who sent two men with Irish backgrounds. They had to take to the hills around Oatfield where local people looked after them and had them say mass in their barn, which also served as a church.”
The infamous Night of the Big Wind in the 1830s was another turning point in the barn church’s history. “On January 6, 1831, the roof was damaged, like the thatched roofs of so many churches. It was eventually restored around 1843 when the new wings were added to the building. It has continued to be used as a church since then.
“It was originally known as the Church of St Peter, but was later rededicated to St Vincent by the late Bishop Joseph Rodgers. It is a remarkable building with a great history and tradition. I had a great send off on Saturday night and the local people are wonderful.”
Over the years, Canon Spaight has been deeply involved with fundraising efforts for the upkeep and restoration of the church and on Saturday evening last, he unveiled and blessed a stained glass window of St Vincent de Paul. The window was been installed in the middle aisle recently by local man Donal Ryan. It has been removed during renovations to St Vincent’s Convent in Cork City and donated to Cannon Spaight, who subsequently gifted it to Oatfield Church.
Fr Paddy Bohan, a retired priest from the Limerick Diocese and Fr Jim Crowe from the parish of Cloonlara, who spent over 50 years in Brazil and is retired, now helps with the celebration of mass in Oatfield Church.