Harvest at Turlough, 12 Sept 2026, and A Brief History

A Harvest Festival of Flowers, at Turlough Parish Church, 

in the Season of Creation 2026

‘Keep me as the apple of Your eye; 

Hide me under the shadow of Your wings.’ (Psalm 17:8)

 

        'Olive's Apples'

"Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these." (Luke 12) 

Turlough Church parishioners put together a wonderful array of floral displays and creatively themed arrangements of all kinds of produce, for this year's Harvest Thanksgiving Festival, on Saturday 12 September 2026.

The hope was to welcome visitors from far and wide into the church, both for the joy of doing so and as an expression of the love and hospitality of God, as well as to raise some funds towards the ongoing upkeep of the church. Our hopes were not disappointed, with a steady flow of kindly visitors in the afternoon, and a full church in the evening. 

The church doors were swung open to visitors and the public at 4pm. It was a great pleasure to meet many people who had never been inside Turlough church, and to chat over a cup of tea.

In the evening, at 7pm, there was a great sense of joy and warmth as the Thanksgiving Service was begun, welcoming all, including our guest ecumenical preacher, Fr Charlie McDonnell (Athenry, formerly Westport RC Parish). 

The singing was hearty and the children contributed their own beautifully sung harvest version of 'He's got the whole world in his hands' - appropriate in light of the impressive Earth Sculpture the children had spent many hours making, helped and guided by a committed team of Youth and Children's leaders and parents. Our thanks to them all! 

Other songs included traditional harvest hymns, including: Come ye thankful people, come!, All things bright and beautiful,  We plough the fields and scatter, and For the fruits of his creation.

Fr Charlie preached on St Luke 12: 16-32, focusing on the words of Jesus in relation to worry and the need for us, with the help of the Spirit of God, to quite ruthlessly eliminate worry from our lives - worry which is prevalent in our culture and which can be so damaging and a hindrance to people of all ages and stages. We are in God's hands which are good hands, and Christ the Good Shepherd and our Saviour and Friend is with us and never leaves us. 

 

Visiting from Foxford, Revd Canon Andrea Wills,  

here with Heather Fair, lead florist and designer of the harvest displays

Prepared especially for the event was a booklet on Turlough Parish Church, by parishioner, researcher and writer, Patrick Butler, outlining its history. (You can read the content of this, below.)

There was a certain poignancy in the whole event, following on so closely as it did after the passing of Olive, much loved parishioner and beloved mother, grandmother and mum-in-law to the Fair family members who were central to the whole Harvest Festival event. 

Olive Fair, who went home to God on 31 Aug 2026.

The Harvest of the Sea - a marine-themed display

 

He's got the whole world in his hands

Turlough COI Parish Church: A Brief History and Overview

by Patrick Butler

"Turlough Church of Ireland, Anglican Communion, Drumdaff, Turlough

Turlough at one time contained three Protestant churches: a Presbyterian church and school built in the1700s; the Church of Ireland, built in1820; and Turlough village Methodist meeting house, built in 1929 in the High Meadow, and demolished in 1973.

 An 1816 map shows the new churchyard at Turlough containing a half acre plantation and measuring 189 square feet, with proposed layout position of the new churchyard at Turlough, part of the lands of Charleville, Drumdaff. On 27th April 1816, a memorial and indenture, between Thomas George Fitzgerald of Charleville House and Reverend John Warburton, representing the Diocese of Tuam, records the transfer of half an acre plantation measure for the Turlough church site and graveyard at Drumdaff, in consideration of ten shillings. 

In 1820 Turlough Church was built at a cost of £830 and 15 shillings and 4d, through the Board of First Fruits. In 1821, on 25th of November, the church was consecrated by Archbishop Power Le Poer Trench, of Tuam. 

In 1822, in May, the first recorded burial took place in the graveyard. There were 83 headstones recorded up to September 2019. 

In 1822, the priest or curate was Revd Fearson Hargrove from Limerick, from 22nd November 1822 to 1830. His incumbency was followed by that of Revd Edward Powell, 1830 to 1836, who had married Louisa, daughter of Edward Thomas Fitzgerald, in 1836. 

In 1824, four years later, the church was enlarged by the addition of the transept (or side wings). This extension cost £365, 4 shillings and 7 and a half d. 

In 1836 the Commissioners on Ecclesiastical Revenue and Patronage in Ireland stated that the church was capable of accommodating 250 persons.

In 1909, the new organ was installed in the left transept of the church, manufactured and installed by Alex Chestnut Co. of Waterford, donated by Charles Lionel Wingfield Fitzgerald (1841 -1905). 

1981 to 1982, re-roofing of the church was undertaken, with original slates replaced with roof tiles. 

The reopening and rededication of the church, after the roof replacement and other works, was by the Bishop of Tuam, the Right Reverend John C. Duggan, in a special service on 20th June 1982. 

1996, November, replacement of original timber windows. 

From 1821 to around 1830, the occupations of members of the congregation were recorded as “weavers”, then as weavers and farmers, becoming farmers and other. 

At this time, there was a growth of cotton plantations in southern American states, and an influx of vast quantities of low-cost cotton, leading to hand-spinning being replaced by mechanical spinning, and an overproduction of linen. The dominance of linen had started to come under threat in the 1770s. The downturn continued, and weavers in Ireland went into decline. The last weaver shown in the church register was in 1843. 

From 1830, the professions or trades listed in the church registers were: farmer and weaver, farmer, yeoman farmer, schoolmaster, wheelwright, miller, shoemaker, policeman, soldier, publican, land agent, church sexton, gamekeeper, lunatic asylum seeker, labourer, pensioner, cook, gentleman, steward, gentleman farmer, ploughman, sub-sheriff, station master. From 1900, those professions listed were: farmer, clerk, salesman, male nurse, industrial employee, and forester. 

In 2020, members have many different professions: farmers, electricians, teachers, engineers, mechanics, civil servants, business owners, and other. 

After 200 years, this church is still proudly a vibrant part of the local community." 

Patrick Butler 

Turlough Round Tower, seen in the distance,

an important part of Turlough's ancient Christian history

Turlough Church of Ireland parish is a registered charity, 

Registered Charity number 20207056.

Turlough Church of Ireland Parish Church

https://www.idonate.ie/cause/TurloughChurchofIreland

Turlough Parish Church*
(Info. Karin Shaw, Hon. Treasurer - contact details on request)

*Turlough COI Parish is a registered charity: Registered Charity No. 20207056.

Pastoral care and enquiries:

Revd Suzanne Cousins

Rector, Aughaval Group of Parishes 

United Dioceses of Tuam, Limerick & Killaloe, Church of Ireland  

Tel. +353 83 800 3233  / +44 77 1303 7447 

Email aughaval@tuam.anglican.org

Aughaval Parishes' website  aughaval.tlk.ie

Facebook page for the Aughaval group: https://www.facebook.com/AughavalParishes 

Facebook page for Holy Trinity, Westport    https://www.facebook.com/

Facebook page (new) for Christ Church, Castlebar: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61592320012165