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@Praxiteles wrote:
– Hodkinson’s set up originally in Cork having came from England.
– Earlys came from England to open up shop in Dublin with Powells from Birmingham
– Pearse came from England to set up in Dublin.
– Pain Bros from England
– Pietro Turnerelli born in Belfast of Italian father.
– A. W. N. Pugin enough said– JJ McCarthy was Milesian!
Ok Yep. .Point taken. . But all of the names you’ve quoted were well established here by 1900 when Buccini was brought here to do this. Was it Drogheda were you mentioned before that a company from Belgian was brought over to decorate a church?
@Praxiteles wrote:
To Praxiteles’ eye there is nothing “typical” about this picture. It is quite spectacular and splendidly positioned.
I think what they mean by “typical” is that it was more commonplace back then to have such paintings adorning the sanctuary walls. . And I agree that it is both spectacular and splendidly positioned. .Their very lucky in Kilcullen to have this piece still intact after 110 years.
What I wasn’t so aware of is how “They brought over Italian craftsmen to decorate the churches because the Irish traditions and skills had all disappeared over 600 years of occupation” Which seems strange when you think of the amount of Irish artists whose names keep cropping up on this thread who were well known decorators from this period. . Namely Hodkinsons of Limerick, Earlys, The Craftworkers & the other chap who done Maynooth whose name I can’t remember.Kilcullen people from abroad who come home on holidays this summer should take some time to look at the cleaned-up painting behind the main altar of the Church of the Sacred Heart & St Brigid.
The painting is typical of those found in churches built during the time of the Catholic Emancipation in the latter half of the 19th century.
“They brought over Italian craftsmen to decorate the churches, because the Irish traditions and skills had all disappeared over 600 years of occupation,” says Fr Andrew O’Sullivan. “An Italian by the name of Buccini created that piece. It is signed and dated 1900. When I came here, it was one of the first things that, on a personal level, I wanted to see restored.”
The cleaning was carried out by Mary McGrath, a member of the McGrath family of Sunnyhill and now living in Rosetown, Athgarvan. A noted conservator, she has worked on projects in Thurles Cathedral, Lyons House at Newcastle, The Casino in Dublin’s Marino, the Dining Hall in TCD, City Hall in Dublin, and the Long Gallery in Castletown House, all among a much longer list of important restoration operations.“She wanted to do something by way of appreciation for the late Pat Dunlea,” says Fr Andrew, “and she approached us with an offer to clean the painting.”
Mary donated her time on the project, which took over three months. Fr Andrew says that if the parish were paying for the work, it would have cost some 15,000 euros. “The job was extremely difficult because the painting had been glued onto a framework on the wall. Then, when radiators were installed behind the altar many years ago, they dried out the canvas and it became brittle.”Talking to the Diary, Mary said there is little information about the artist, and that it could well be the only surviving signed piece by him. She believes he later went to England, and that a daughter then emigrated to the United States.
The painting would have been done in a studio following its commission. The artist would also have worked from measurements of the site of the piece. There’s a painting of an angel which is hidden behind the altar, and this is curious, as it would not have been seen by people in the church.A number of previous repair jobs on parts of the canvas which had been damaged at various times had not been done well, and this didn’t help matters.
But the painting as it is now represents the perseverence and the skill of Mary McGrath. The parish is indeed fortunate on two counts, that somebody thought it could be restored, and that somebody was available to restore it.
As I say, take a closer look next time you visit the church.
The lesser known Hurley.
John Pine Hurley architect.3 Victoria Terrace, Summerhill, Cork, 1856.
Architect, of Cork. John Pine (or Pyne) Hurley was active as an architect in Cork from the 1850s or earlier until the 1870s. He is probably the J. Hurley, architect, of Cork, who exhibited ‘architectural elevations’ and a ‘design of town hall, Cork’, at the National Exhibition of the Arts, Manufactures & Products, Cork, in 1852. His first major commission came in the spring of 1856 when Bishop Timothy Murphy appointed him architect for the new St Colman’s College, Fermoy. He is presumably the John Hurley who designed improvements to the chapel of St Mary’s Convent, Cobh, in 1858 and who was placed first in the competition for designing the church of SS. Peter & Paul, Cork, the following year, although the church was actually executed to designs by EDWARD WELBY PUGIN. In 1867 he designed the new Catholic church and convent schools at Kanturk, Co. Cork. He is listed as an architect in the Cork Mercantile Directory for 1863.
According to Forde, nothing is known of Hurley in Cork after the mid 1870s, and he is believed to have emigrated. Possibly he moved to Dublin first. A John Pim Hurley appears in the list of architects in the classified section of Thom’s Dublin Directory for the years 1873 and 1874, with an address at 202 Great Brunswick Street, Dublin. This had been the address of CHARLES GEOGHEGAN until 1871, when Geoghegan moved to 205 Great Brunswick Street. However no John Pim Hurley is named at this address in the street directory section of the Post Office Directory for 1874. In the Post Office Directory for 1875, however, a John J. Hurley, architect, is to be found at 18 Clare Street.
Since the Jubilee Year major refurbishment of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Kanturk, has been implemented. The completion of the work was marked by a liturgical celebration at 12.00 noon on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, December 8th 2007. The celebration on December 8th included the consecration by Bishop Magee of a new Fixed Altar, designed and crafted by Ken Thompson in Portugese Limestone. An Ambo and Chair in the same material have also been introduced.
The church has quite an extensive volume of Stained Glass Windows, all of which were completely refurbished prior to the implementation of the requirements of Planning Act 2000.
The church was placed on the Register of Protected Structures, consequently, through Cloyne HCAC we had to engage with the Heritage Unit of the Planning Department of Cork County Council since the implementation of the Planning Act 2000, and I am happy to say that all works carried out have been done by ‘Declaration’.
Besides the introduction of a new Altar, Ambo and Chair, the works include:
· New Electrical Installation.
· New Heating Installation, incorporating extensive insulation of the roof for energy conservation.
· Redecoration throughout.
· Refurbishment of Church Grounds, incorporating extra car parking spaces.
This is the second major makeover of the church since it was established in 1867. The previous one took place in 1912. The cost of the present programme is almost 2m.Church of Our Lady & St David in Nass?
The main body of the church dates from 1827. The 60 metre spire was added in 1858 by J J McCarthy. . Its not known who the original architect was. Interestingly in his obituary it credits the architect JOHN JOSEPH O’CALLAGHAN as Naas church being among ‘the great ecclesiastical buildings in the construction of which he worked, however the dates for this just don’t add up.
The Church was dedicated by Bishop Thomas Keogh in 1949.
Careful now. .
An early image showing what was probably the original reredos.
Most recent renovations, carried out in 1985, incorporated the directives of the 2nd Vatican Council, by removing the high altar, side altars, altar rails, Pulpit, and beautiful Mosaic Floor.
The new Blessed Sacrament Altar, is a circle, with the Tabernacle as its pivotal point, denoting Christ as the Centre of the Universe.
Nice. .:rolleyes: for a nightclub maybe .A detailed and painstaking history of the Church of Our Lady and St. David in Naas is contained in a “yearbook†which was written by the late parish priest, the Rev. P.J. Doyle in 1953. Not only does it record the entire history of the church in all its stages, but it also sheds valuable light on other aspects of the history of the parish.
Sometime before 1801 the de Burgh family of Oldtown donated a site for a new church at Abbeyfield. The approach to the new church was by Mill Lane, the former rear entrance to the convent grounds. However, the parish priest, Fr. Gerald Doyle, acquired additional land to give a frontage into the Sallins road. Fr. Doyle wished to preserve the name of St. David, in the title of the new church. The pre-Reformation church was already called after St. David, a name chosen by the Welsh Normans who had settled in Naas. Fr. Doyle decided on the combined title “Our Lady and St. David†which was also the title of the Augustinian Priory at Great Connell, near Newbridge.
The church was opened for public worship on the Feast of the Assumption, 1827. It is not known who the architect was; nor has the cost been recorded. But it is known that Fr. Doyle carried out a Herculean task in getting funds in those poverty stricken times. He went around the streets literally begging for money for his new church. The church tower was not begun until 1851, and was completed in 1858. The tower in transitional Gothic style is modelled on that of a 14th century English church. The architect of the tower was J.J. McCarthy, who was one of the Young Irelanders. The church bell was cast in 1855.
Fr. Doyle’s predecessor, Fr. James Hughes, revamped the interior of the church. The rough wooden supports of the roof were beautified, and the confessionals and a pulpit added. The pulpit was later sold to the administrator in Tullow where it was re-erected. Over the plain wooden altar an elaborate Gothic canopy in wood was constructed. The woodwork was executed by three Naas craftsmen, the brothers Michael and Paul Meade and Michael Hearn. The Meades lived in Sallins road, and Michael Hearn in 19 North Main Street.
Fr. Thomas Morrin, who in 1887 erected the first stained glass window, that of the Sacred Heart, in the church. It was made by a Frenchman and changed position at least once in the church. Fr. Morrin at the turn of the century erected two side altars dedicated to the Sacred Heart and the Virgin Mary. In 1901 he erected the stained glass windows over them- one representing Our Lord, and the other the Holy Family. They are made in Birmingham. The side altars were made in Dublin. Incidentally, the cut stone for the windows was supplied by Pearse of Dublin, the father of Padraig Pearse, the 1916 leader.
It is recorded that £150 was given towards the windows by James O’Hanlon, Poplar Square; Mrs. J. Burke, Main St., gave £100. Other large donations given to Fr. Morrin for additions to the church were from Edward Doyle, Tipper (£700) and the bishop, Dr. Comerford (£350).The next work undertaken by Fr. Morrin was the addition of a chancel, including two sacristies, mosaic flooring, communion rails, a high altar, three stained glass windows, a heating system, and a statue of Our Lady in the chancel. The building contractor was James Hyland, Naas. The architects were Ashlin and Coleman of Dublin. Various firms, mainly from Dublin, carried out the work of installing the altar etc. The total cost of the work was £3,085 which was paid for by Fr. Morrin out of his personal means. (It is recorded that altogether Fr. Morrin gave £6000 out of personal funds to the parish for parochial works and this was an enormous sum in those days).
Fr. Morrin died in October, 1907, and was buried in the new cemetery, as it was known then (now St. Corban’s). Fr. Morrin had acquired the cemetery with his own money for the parish. He is commemorated by a tablet in the porch of the church. He died before the major works he had undertaken and paid for were completed. In addition to his many other works, Fr. Morrin provided the church’s first organ in 1890. He also had the mortuary chapel in the new cemetery built in 1907 at a cost of under £700.
The next P.P. was Fr. Michael Norris, who was aged 72 when appointed to Naas. Yet he ministered in the parish for many years. Fr. Norris in 1908 transferred the organ from the oratory of the Children of Mary to the west gallery. In 1910 he erected the stained glass window of the Assumption beside Our Lady’s altar. The Stations of the Cross were in very poor condition and they were replaced in 1914 with new oak frames being provided by Mrs. Mary Anne Doyle, Tipper. Handsome carpets, made at Naas carpet factory, were laid at the three altars. The church grounds were concreted. The Children of Mary’s oratory was extended; roof repairs carried out, and six stained glass windows, costing £200 each, and made in Germany, were erected.
The parishioners erected a statue of St. Michael in the church grounds to commemorate the diamond jubilee of Fr. Norris. Fr. Norris was succeeded by Fr. Patrick J. Doyle who had previously served in Knockbeg College. In November 1920, Fr. Doyle, was appointed curate in Naas.He served in that capacity until May 1938, when he was appointed parish priest.He said in his history of the parish: “On his appointment he found himself faced with grave financial difficulties, with war clouds already darkening the horizon. The World War with all its stresses began the following year. He found that there was not one penny in the parochial funds…†He went on to say how he rectified the situation “raised by means of two Carnivals and extraordinary offerings of the faithfulâ€. By 1953 the parish was clear of debt.
What is probably little known about the church in Naas is that at one time it was without an organ. The original one became infected with woodworm and was disposed of. Fr. Doyle obtained one from an English organ-maker at a cost of £1,500. But that was not the end of the difficulty. It was hard to find place for the instrument. The organ was placed in the arch connecting the main gallery with the tower on a new level which extended over the existing floor. This meant that a choral gallery had to be formed. The construction work on that was in the charge of J.J. Noonan, Newbridge. The workers employed in the project were Matthew Corcoran, and his cousin, Joseph Ward, of the firm of Corcoran’s of Naas. The cost of the gallery was over £373, and the cost of ancillary electrical work was a little over £71. Because the gallery was above the level of the windows a roof-ventilator had to be installed at a cost of over £26.
So we don’t know who the original architect was. . But can anyone hazard a guess as to who was responsible for the more recent alterations?
This crowd in Derry think they’ve found an answer to the storm glazing issue. . http://www.artglassireland.com/storm_glazing.html alas though, it still detracts from the way the stained glass was designed to look.
[align=center:224wgq6l]
[/align:224wgq6l]
“The Unique Art Glass storm glazing system solves the triple problems of water penetration; trapped condensation and heat gain. The glazing is waterproof and allows the building to breathe. In the field of stained glass conservation this glazing system is unique.”Is it my imagination or was the previous page much shorter with less content than preceding pages. . .How does that work Mr C?
This is from the first page that comes up when you type ‘georgian wired glass’ into google.
WIRED GLASS
Old-style Wired Glass (known as Georgian Wired Glass) is NOT a true Safety Glass to BS 6206. Although sometimes safer than plain annealed glass, it should not be used in risk situations unless further protected. Wired glass is a rolled Annealed Glass containing 12.5mm steel mesh that does not contribute to its strength (the wires actually introduce planes of weakness) but helps contain broken pieces. It offers more security than non-wired annealed glass, as it is relatively difficult to penetrate the mesh. It also offers more fire-resistance than clear Annealed Glass, and often provides an inexpensive solution in this area. Wired Glass has several appropriate uses but its visual appearance may not be acceptable to some specifiers who often prefer a fully clear (more expensive) option for aesthetic reasons. A Wired Safety Glass has become available in recent years – a true BS6206 Safety Glass – gaining strength from a thicker wire.
Whats the bets Cobh Cathedral got lumbered with the old cheap version of Georgian Wire.:(
What were they thinking about anyway using this material, which as Praxiteles has pointed out simply obscures the beauty & craftsmanship of the original stained glass. . .Conservation my arse. . I for one am glad this practice has finally been outed & discredited. . .I personally never liked the look of it.
Reading through the glass .pdf the general consensus seems to be ‘leave well alone’.
@Praxiteles wrote:
Also, please note those well and truly air-tight stormglazing panels affixed to the lights of the windows! The National Heritage Council produced a book on conservation of stained glass recently – by David Lawrence – and this process is regarded as “discredited”. So much for conservation…..
I haven’t seen or have access to that book by David Lawrence, does he condemn all types of storm glazing for leaded – stained glass windows? even the type we see on most churches that have air-vents (spider heaven) or just these ‘air tight panels’ that have no adequate form of ventilation?
I’m presuming that a build up of condensation is the main problem with any sort of ‘air tight’ storm glazing.@Praxiteles wrote:
Well, the one who was responsible for the “restoration” of Cobh Cathedral left the limestone joints on most of the building unpointed which allowed plenty of water to enter through the walls; the cleaning of the stine work was also controversial in that not too long afterwards the north wall was covered in a black substance. It is all to be found in the conerrvation report commissioned by the restoration Trust and consigned to the National Heritage Council (by fax) as a condition for reception of a a grant of 70,000 euro.
Yikes 😮
[align=center:32diwki3][/align:32diwki3]
Just how long after the restoration did this gunge appear?. . Has it gotten much worse?
Yep it’s the same chap alright http://www.slatteryconservation.ie/ . .How could he have messed up so badly with the “restoration” of Cobh Cathedral? He seems to be highly thought of in conservation terms in Ireland :confused:
I better make that call.Yep it’s the same chap alright http://www.slatteryconservation.ie/ . .How could he have messed up so badly with the “restoration” of Cobh Cathedral? He seems to be highly thought of in conservation terms in Ireland :confused:
I better make that call.@Praxiteles wrote:
Is this the same David Slattery who was retained as architect for the “restoration” of Cobh Cathedral?
I’d say it’s probably him alright. . What do you know of his work?. .Is it bad news for St. Mel’s?
@Praxiteles wrote:
Is this the same David Slattery who was retained as architect for the “restoration” of Cobh Cathedral?
I’d say it’s probably him alright. . What do you know of his work?. .Is it bad news for St. Mel’s?
And still on the subject of cathedral restoration, I notice their talking about David Slattery over on another thread https://archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?t=8304. . I don’t know if the following information is actual confirmation or perhaps just a suggestion that David Slattery is going to be the architect in charge of the whole restoration of St. Mel’s Cathedral, or merely that he is acting as a consultant for the preparatory works.
From http://www.engineersjournal.ie/issues/august-2010/articles/stmels/
After fire wreaked havoc in the interior of St Mel’s Cathedral in Longford, Hegarty Demolition led the team that worked to stabilize the building and salvage as much as possible of its precious contents
Following Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve 2009, a fire at St Mel’s destroyed the interior of the cathedral at Longford, along with most of its furnishings and fittings. On Christmas Day, Hegarty Demolition had a team of experts in position. The first tasks to be performed were to create a safe external perimeter and to provide assistance to the Longford Fire Brigade.
Over the next few days, the team provided temporary propping and wind-bracing to the main superstructure to make the building safe. Following this preliminary work, the Hegarty team, which grew to over 20 at peak, braced the walls, propped the standing columns and prepared 3D scans of surviving interior finishes. These scans will be vital in restoring the cathedral to its former glory.
[align=center:2e5znx58]
[/align:2e5znx58]Hegarty Demolition worked in association with experts from the National Museum of Ireland, along with leading conservation architect firm David Slattery & Company, Moylan Consulting Engineers, Barrett Mahony Consulting Engineers and Interactive Project Managers Ltd. Further bracing of structural items involved fitting specially made steel collars around the cracked and unstable pillars. Specific propping to the underside of the column arches can be seen on http://www.hegartydemolition.ie where a full project brief and up-to-date progress bulletins are available.
One of the casualties was the content of the Diocesan Museum, located at the rear of the cathedral. Assembled in the 1930s and 40s by the late Fr Michael Kearney, President of St Mel’s College, the collection was moved to the cathedral in 1974.
Painstaking removal
The team performed a painstaking removal of all the fire debris, sieving each load in order to salvage as much as possible. Their efforts have been rewarded in that over 30 per cent of the treasures from St Mel’s Museum have been recovered.The collection included almost 500 items and ranked among the finest ecclesiastical archives in the country, containing a variety of ecclesiastical material as well as objects of archaeological, historical and ethnographical interest. It included a number of objects of national importance, including the Ninth Century Crozier of St Mel, patron of the diocese, which was found at Ardagh, Co. Longford in the 19th Century. Equally important were, the Shrine of St Caillinn of Fenagh, Co. Leitrim – a book shrine dated to 1536 and associated with Brian O’Rourke, Lord of Breifne – and the 12th Century Clog na RÃgh – ‘bell of the kings’ – also associated with St Caillinn.Of particular local interest were a number of ceremonial keys and trowels used in commemorating the foundations of the cathedral and other parish churches in the diocese.
Objects recovered
A significant number of objects have survived and have been recovered. All have suffered fire damage and it is not yet clear how successful the conservation process will be. Among the objects recovered are the Shrine of St Caillinn, which is largely intact and a portion of the Crozier of St Mel.Among the other objects found were an early iron hand-bell from Wheery, Co. Offaly and a 13th Century crozier made at Limoges in France. Regrettably, the collection of vestments, penal crosses, altar vessels of pewter and silver, and works in paper were lost. In all, over 200 objects have been recovered and these have now been removed to a stable environment at the National Museum of Ireland for safekeeping and their condition is currently being assessed. The Museum is working closely with the diocese to develop a conservation strategy for the objects recovered.
[align=center:2e5znx58]
[/align:2e5znx58]Commenting on the project, Liam Hogan, managing director of Hegarty Demolition Ltd, is particularly proud of its success in salvaging the stained glass windows. “These were by Harry Clarke and were a much-loved feature of the old cathedral,†he reports. “The surviving windows have been removed for restoration and any fragments of the damaged windows have been retrieved and will be available for restoration.â€
Hegarty Demolition has succeeded in stabilizing the building, having placed a temporary roof in position and ensured that the whole structure is fully weathered and in a suitable state of preparedness for reconstruction.
ONQ has put up David Slattery’s contact details. .I’m tinkering that maybe I should just ring Mr Slattery & ask him what his involvement is. . He’d probably, quite rightly tell me to get lost & mind me own. .But what the hell. . Nothing ventured. . Nothing gained 😉
And still on the subject of cathedral restoration, I notice their talking about David Slattery over on another thread https://archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?t=8304. . I don’t know if the following information is actual confirmation or perhaps just a suggestion that David Slattery is going to be the architect in charge of the whole restoration of St. Mel’s Cathedral, or merely that he is acting as a consultant for the preparatory works.
From http://www.engineersjournal.ie/issues/august-2010/articles/stmels/
After fire wreaked havoc in the interior of St Mel’s Cathedral in Longford, Hegarty Demolition led the team that worked to stabilize the building and salvage as much as possible of its precious contents
Following Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve 2009, a fire at St Mel’s destroyed the interior of the cathedral at Longford, along with most of its furnishings and fittings. On Christmas Day, Hegarty Demolition had a team of experts in position. The first tasks to be performed were to create a safe external perimeter and to provide assistance to the Longford Fire Brigade.
Over the next few days, the team provided temporary propping and wind-bracing to the main superstructure to make the building safe. Following this preliminary work, the Hegarty team, which grew to over 20 at peak, braced the walls, propped the standing columns and prepared 3D scans of surviving interior finishes. These scans will be vital in restoring the cathedral to its former glory.
[align=center:2e5znx58][/align:2e5znx58]Hegarty Demolition worked in association with experts from the National Museum of Ireland, along with leading conservation architect firm David Slattery & Company, Moylan Consulting Engineers, Barrett Mahony Consulting Engineers and Interactive Project Managers Ltd. Further bracing of structural items involved fitting specially made steel collars around the cracked and unstable pillars. Specific propping to the underside of the column arches can be seen on http://www.hegartydemolition.ie where a full project brief and up-to-date progress bulletins are available.
One of the casualties was the content of the Diocesan Museum, located at the rear of the cathedral. Assembled in the 1930s and 40s by the late Fr Michael Kearney, President of St Mel’s College, the collection was moved to the cathedral in 1974.
Painstaking removal
The team performed a painstaking removal of all the fire debris, sieving each load in order to salvage as much as possible. Their efforts have been rewarded in that over 30 per cent of the treasures from St Mel’s Museum have been recovered.The collection included almost 500 items and ranked among the finest ecclesiastical archives in the country, containing a variety of ecclesiastical material as well as objects of archaeological, historical and ethnographical interest. It included a number of objects of national importance, including the Ninth Century Crozier of St Mel, patron of the diocese, which was found at Ardagh, Co. Longford in the 19th Century. Equally important were, the Shrine of St Caillinn of Fenagh, Co. Leitrim – a book shrine dated to 1536 and associated with Brian O’Rourke, Lord of Breifne – and the 12th Century Clog na RÃgh – ‘bell of the kings’ – also associated with St Caillinn.Of particular local interest were a number of ceremonial keys and trowels used in commemorating the foundations of the cathedral and other parish churches in the diocese.
Objects recovered
A significant number of objects have survived and have been recovered. All have suffered fire damage and it is not yet clear how successful the conservation process will be. Among the objects recovered are the Shrine of St Caillinn, which is largely intact and a portion of the Crozier of St Mel.Among the other objects found were an early iron hand-bell from Wheery, Co. Offaly and a 13th Century crozier made at Limoges in France. Regrettably, the collection of vestments, penal crosses, altar vessels of pewter and silver, and works in paper were lost. In all, over 200 objects have been recovered and these have now been removed to a stable environment at the National Museum of Ireland for safekeeping and their condition is currently being assessed. The Museum is working closely with the diocese to develop a conservation strategy for the objects recovered.
[align=center:2e5znx58][/align:2e5znx58]Commenting on the project, Liam Hogan, managing director of Hegarty Demolition Ltd, is particularly proud of its success in salvaging the stained glass windows. “These were by Harry Clarke and were a much-loved feature of the old cathedral,†he reports. “The surviving windows have been removed for restoration and any fragments of the damaged windows have been retrieved and will be available for restoration.â€
Hegarty Demolition has succeeded in stabilizing the building, having placed a temporary roof in position and ensured that the whole structure is fully weathered and in a suitable state of preparedness for reconstruction.
ONQ has put up David Slattery’s contact details. .I’m tinkering that maybe I should just ring Mr Slattery & ask him what his involvement is. . He’d probably, quite rightly tell me to get lost & mind me own. .But what the hell. . Nothing ventured. . Nothing gained 😉
Now . . what do you know about them gargoyles that adorn many of our churches & cathedrals . .
As Westminster Abbey is about to unveil a set of new gargoyles, Andrew Graham-Dixon explores the strange and sinister history of these macabre figures. He is unprepared for what awaits him… he discovers exactly what a Graham-Dixon gargoyle looks like! The critic also makes an admission to maybe talking out of his arse.Now . . what do you know about them gargoyles that adorn many of our churches & cathedrals . .
As Westminster Abbey is about to unveil a set of new gargoyles, Andrew Graham-Dixon explores the strange and sinister history of these macabre figures. He is unprepared for what awaits him… he discovers exactly what a Graham-Dixon gargoyle looks like! The critic also makes an admission to maybe talking out of his arse.@Praxiteles wrote:
St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork
In the same period, 377,190 euro was spend on works to th Cathedral – presumably to stop the water coming in as a result of the “restoration” being pursued by the Trust. This left the Trust with a negative situation in the amount of 239, 154 euro which was subvented from reserves.
Bearing in mind that the report commissioned for the Heritage Council states that some 1 million will have to be spent simply to make the building waterproof after the botched restoration Praxiteles is beginning to see a red coloured horizon – especially as the general population in Cork at present would not subscribe much to an appeal after the last run around the got.
What a mess . .Just how do they intend to proceed with the ‘restoration’ without adequate funding?
Surely the first issue on the agenda would be to get the building properly watertight . .And in the current climate that could be achieved I’m sure for much less than the million quoted above. . Scaffolding which I’m figuring would be a major cost factor to the repairs (50% is often not unusual) is lying idle all across the country & can be hired very cheaply. I was on a project recently where the full interior of a church was scaffolded out right up to the rafters for the duration of the project & the only charge to the parish was for the labour costs associated with the assembly & dis-assembly of the scaffold . .Deals can definitely be got on this . .They can do better.@Praxiteles wrote:
St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork
In the same period, 377,190 euro was spend on works to th Cathedral – presumably to stop the water coming in as a result of the “restoration” being pursued by the Trust. This left the Trust with a negative situation in the amount of 239, 154 euro which was subvented from reserves.
Bearing in mind that the report commissioned for the Heritage Council states that some 1 million will have to be spent simply to make the building waterproof after the botched restoration Praxiteles is beginning to see a red coloured horizon – especially as the general population in Cork at present would not subscribe much to an appeal after the last run around the got.
What a mess . .Just how do they intend to proceed with the ‘restoration’ without adequate funding?
Surely the first issue on the agenda would be to get the building properly watertight . .And in the current climate that could be achieved I’m sure for much less than the million quoted above. . Scaffolding which I’m figuring would be a major cost factor to the repairs (50% is often not unusual) is lying idle all across the country & can be hired very cheaply. I was on a project recently where the full interior of a church was scaffolded out right up to the rafters for the duration of the project & the only charge to the parish was for the labour costs associated with the assembly & dis-assembly of the scaffold . .Deals can definitely be got on this . .They can do better.
