Irish Times Notes25 Jul 20

Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’

Cathedral Restorations

Work on the long-awaited restoration of St Eunan’s Cathedral in Raphoe is to begin next month following the appointment of the construction firm, J.A. Gamble and Co Ltd, as the main contractor for the project. Details were finalised at a recent meeting between the Dean of Raphoe, the Very Rev Arthur Barrett, members of the Cathedral’s Select Vestry, architect Karl Pedersen of Mullarkey Pedersen Architects and Richard Gamble of J.A. Gamble & Co Ltd.

The improvement work was originally meant to begin last April but the project fell behind schedule as the Covid-19 outbreak forced the closure of churches throughout Ireland. A number of fundraising events for St Eunan’s also fell victim to the pandemic, including a concert in St Columb’s Cathedral in Derry, a Bible-reading marathon in Raphoe Cathedral itself, and various smaller fundraisers.

However, last month’s announcement of an €80,000 grant from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht allowed the Raphoe Cathedral Restoration Project to get back on track, albeit slightly behind schedule. The plan is that between early August and by the end of the year, the whole roof of the church will be replaced; the top of the Cathedral tower will be repaired; stonework, timbers and leadwork will all be restored, and significant electrical work will be carried out to the interior of the church.

Dean Barrett has welcomed the beginning of the work, noting that the elect Vestry had been planning these restoration works for a number of years and that a huge amount of work had already taken place, especially in fund-raising for the project. “For fourteen hundred years,” he said, “Christians have been coming to this site to pray. The present church, itself, is over 800 years old. If we’re to preserve worship on this ancient and historic site, then this restoration work is absolutely essential. The restoration project is challenging, in the current financial climate, but I have been delighted by the response. I thank parishioners for their patience and generosity, and for their commitment to St Eunan’s Cathedral. And I thank the wider community, too, for their support for the project.

Meanwhile in Dublin, work continues on the roof restoration in St Patrick’s Cathedral. Apart from a seven-week period, the project has continued. Below the temporary roof over the nave, the slating is largely complete as is the associated intricate lead work and masonry repairs. Over the next couple of weeks, the temporary roof over the nave will be dismantled as the new roof covering the transept scaffolding is constructed. The rest of the scaffolding around the nave will remain until the clerestory windows are returned following their repair. Donations are still sought for this €9 million project and those who wish to support this historic project are invited to contact the cathedral’s administrator, Gavan Woods, at administrator@stpatrickscathedral.ie

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