Author: Eugene McParland

Church services ceased in February and the roof repair work began in March. However Covid restrictions caused the work to stop until June when it recommenced. In June and July the slates were removed and the roof was covered with weather proof membrane below the new slates. Repairs were done to the gutters and to…

During 2019 the Friends worked with Louth Co Council and professional advisors to locate contractors to re-slate the outer roof. And a further fund-raising Garden Party was held in Collon House in May 2019, assisted by the Lourdes Brass Band Also in May 2019 in order to comply with public procurement policy a request for…

In 2018 active fundraising continued towards the roof repair target of €150,000. There were several enjoyable and well attended fundraising events. The opera singer Eugene Ginty and his friends – singer Sandra Oman and harpist Ciara Taaffe gave a wonderful concert in April – made more memorable from having been postponed from March due to…

In 2017 the focus was on active fundraising to aim to raise money to repair the roof. The official fundraising campaign was launched in May 2017 by Mairead McGuinness MEP, and Prof Christine Casey of Trinity College Dublin in a well-attended event which received good coverage in the local media. There were generous contributions from…

With these reports to hand the next step was to ask the Conservation Architect to produce a detailed Specification and Schedule of Work to repair and re-slate the outer roof.  This was a substantial 80 page document including a detailed Health and Safety Plan prepared by a Civil Engineer.  It was completed in 2016 and…

In February 2015 the Church was reopened for Church service. The rest of 2015 was a year of study into the problem of how to do the work of properly maintaining and restoring this listed building based on modern conservation principles. In this the Friends were ably assisted by the Louth Conservation Officer Angela Dullaghan…

In 2014 the Friends set to work. There was a very successful fund raising garden party courtesy of the owners of Collon House. Work started on repairs to the side porches of the building under the guidance of the Diocesan Architect with the help of funding from the County Louth Conservation Office. Dry rot was…

The Church was first opened in 1815 and was in continuous with its own rector until 1964  when it united with Ardee Union. It continued in use until 2013 when it was closed because the electric wiring failed. This caused a crisis because Ardee Church could not meet the cost of the repair. During 2013…