History of Our Lady Crowned Church.
Soon after his appointment as Bishop of Cork and Ross Most Rev. Dr. Cornelius Lucey embarked on an ambitious plan to build five new churches in the fast developing suburbs of Cork city. The five new churches were to be named after the five Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. They were named as follows:
1. Church of the Ascension, Gurranabraher (1955)
2. Church of the Assumption, Ballyphehane (1956)
3. Church of the Resurrection, Farranree (1958)
4. Church of the Holy Spirit, Dennehy’s Cross (1960)
5. Church of Our Lady Crowned, Mayfield (1962)
Our Lady Crowned Church was the completion of the circle of the five new churches around Cork city. Controversy surrounded the citing of a number new churches and Our Lady Crowned was no exception. The city councillors were planning a new exit road from the city for the main Dublin Road. His Lordship was anxious that this new road should run in front of the new proposed church. On this occasion he was not successful.
As a parish we owe a great debt of gratitude to the late Timothy and Ellen Spillane who generously donated the site for the church. Such was their generosity that when it came to the building of the presbyteries a number of years later they gave part of their front garden willing and without cost to the parish.
The architect for Our Lady Crowned Church was Messrs Boyd and Barrett and the building contractors were O’Regan and O’Leary who successfully completed the building of the church in Farranree. The design of the church was an open-plan cone shaped building with the altar placed at the apex of the cone and the roof sloping towards the sanctuary. Progress on the building proceeded to plan until the roof stage was reached. The roof was to be of concrete and steel interlacing. Difficulties were encountered in completing the roof forcing the bankruptcy of the building contractor. P.J Hegarty & Co completed the work and the church was consecrated and opened for worship on the 10th June 1962.
On the 8th October 1979 Bishop Cornelius Lucey decreed that the Parish of Upper Mayfield be established. The new parish would lead to a division of the existing parish of St Patrick’s and to a limited extend Glanmire.
The beautiful stained glass windows in the church are the work of Murphy & Devitt of Dublin.
Their work can be seen in many churches in Cork and various parts of Ireland. It is said that windows in Our Lady Crowned Church are by far their best work. Their training began at the Harry Clarke Studios in Dublin in 1952, hence, an element of the Harry Clarke style. They started out on their own in the late 1950’s in Monkstown, Dublin and later moving to custom-built studios in Blackrock, Dublin.
When they were commissioned to design, make and install the stained glass windows in Our Lady Crowned Church – The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stated that the extensive stained glass windows from the workshops of Murphy & Devitt in Dublin are of particular artistic merit.
Priests who have ministered in Our Lady Crowned Church:
Rev. Fr. Michael G. Kelleher, Priest in Charge
Rev. Fr. Jerome Kiely, Assistant curate
Rev. Fr. Cornelius White, Assistant curate
Rev. Fr. Michael Ryan, C.C.
An tAth. Seán Mac Cárthaigh, S.C.
Rev. Fr. Joe Murphy, C.C.
Rev. Fr. Martin Keohane, C.C.
Very Rev. John F. Murphy, P.P.
Rev. Fr. John Kingston, C.C.
Canon Donal Linehan, P.P.
Rev Fr Sean O’Connell CSSP
Rev, Fr. Alan O’Leary, C.C.
Rev. Fr. James McCarthy, C.C.
Rev. Fr. Daniel Crowley, C.C.
Rev. Fr. Con Twohig, C.C.
Rev. Fr. Tom Wade, SMA C.C.
Rev. Fr. Denis O’Neill, C.C.
Very Rev. Noel O’Sullivan, P.P.
Rev. Fr. Chris O’Donovan, C.C.
Very Rev. Robert Young, P.P.
Rev. Fr. Pat O’Mahony SMA C.C.
Very Rev Dr Aidan O’Driscoll, P.P.
Very Rev. Fr. Michael Keohane P.P.
Rev. Fr. Rafal Zielonka C.C.
Very Rev Canon Robert Brophy P.P.
Very Rev Dr Charles N. Kiely P.P.
Deacons who have worked in the parish:-
Paul Glynn
Chris O’Donovan
Cian O’Sullivan
David Lane