Praxiteles

@apelles wrote:

Yikes 😮
[align=center:21japzgl][/align:21japzgl]

Just how long after the restoration did this gunge appear?. . Has it gotten much worse?

Appelles!

We are now in the happy position of being able to identify with accuracy the terminus a quo for the problems besetting the stone work at Cobh Cathedral. It cannot be earlier than 1991.

The Carrig Report, comissioned by the “Restoration” Committee and paid for by a grant from the Heritage Council, states teh following: “1991: A comprehensive conditin survey of the Cathedral was undertaken by architects Boyd Barrett Murphy-O’Connor, with David Slattery as Historic Building Consultant”.

“1992: Repointing of the upper levels was carried out as part of this phase of work in order to make use of the scaffolding, as was replacement of the storm glazing at this level with 6mm Georgian wire glass.

“1993-1994: Phase 2 begins which includes lightening protection works, works to the steeple, repointing, cleanimg and repair works to the balance of the stonework, remedial work to the steelwork in belfry, work to the cut stone turrets, repairs to the stained glass and storm glazing
The rose window to the west gable was taken out, repaired and refitted and some mortar reparirs carried out to this area”.

And, presumably, for all of this “conservation” work, the consultant architect was David Slattery – including the installation of acres of 6 mm Georaian wire glass.

@Praxiteles wrote:

St Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork.

The following item is recorded in the minutes of Cobh Town Council for its meeting of 10 May 2010 and indicates just how devastating the results of the last “restoration” of Cobh Cathedr<l have been:

. Report by Mona hallihan, Conservation officer, Cork County Council.

The Conservation officer gave a report to Cobh Town Council on ongoing remedial works at Cobh Cathedral. In response to a question from Cllr Sean O’Connor regarding the erection of netting, the Conservation Officer stated that due to sugaring of the Bath stone and its decaying the netting had to be erected as a health & safety measure. She stated that the stonework would have to be re-pointed due to damage from salt-water and all water had to be eliminated from the building both inside and outside. Cllr O’Connor in response expressed the view that the pointing works were responsible for the seepage of water into the joints and buttresses. Ms Hallihan stated that the stonework had been rectified but that it along with the lead flashings, pipes etc needed ongoing maintenance and a plan for such was being drawn up. She added that the Bath stone was difficult to maintain such was its composition.

Do you think that a section might be added to the Buildings Act -currently under discussion elsewhere on the thread- allowing for the certification or registration of Conservation Officers employed by the local authorities? As with architects, is the general public not entitles to some form of protection from operatives or at least perhaps come public body can guarantee that conservation officers are qualified to do what they are paid by public bodies to do. As it stands, in some LAAs, it suffices to have a qualification in petit-point crochet to act as conservation officer.

@apelles wrote:

Yikes 😮
[align=center:2djz702s][/align:2djz702s]

Just how long after the restoration did this gunge appear?. . Has it gotten much worse?

How can you possibly see the lead profile of the glass in these windows? Few, hopefully, would accept that its loss amounts to a greater aesthetic appreciation of these particular features of the building.

Generally, theanswer to your question is yes with allowance for some particular situations.

You can read the text for yourself here on line:

http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/Architecture/glass.pdf

St Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork.

The following item is recorded in the minutes of Cobh Town Council for its meeting of 10 May 2010 and indicates just how devastating the results of the last “restoration” of Cobh Cathedr<l have been:

. Report by Mona hallihan, Conservation officer, Cork County Council.

The Conservation officer gave a report to Cobh Town Council on ongoing remedial works at Cobh Cathedral. In response to a question from Cllr Sean O’Connor regarding the erection of netting, the Conservation Officer stated that due to sugaring of the Bath stone and its decaying the netting had to be erected as a health & safety measure. She stated that the stonework would have to be re-pointed due to damage from salt-water and all water had to be eliminated from the building both inside and outside. Cllr O’Connor in response expressed the view that the pointing works were responsible for the seepage of water into the joints and buttresses. Ms Hallihan stated that the stonework had been rectified but that it along with the lead flashings, pipes etc needed ongoing maintenance and a plan for such was being drawn up. She added that the Bath stone was difficult to maintain such was its composition.

@apelles wrote:

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.

Indeed, this must be the man himself. Just looking at his web page, he has some references to his work at St Colman’s, Cthedral, Cobh. He even has a photograph of the north elevation . If you look carefully, you will see those beautiful black discolorations of the stone.

As for conservation, the report compiled for the National heritage Council estimates that it will cost a million euro simply to make the the building waterproof following the effects of the “restoration” – 700 plus thousand euro on the Cathedral fabric and a further 300 plus thousand on the sacrist building. That is some restoration!

@apelles wrote:

I’d say it’s probably him alright. . What do you know of his work?. .Is it bad news for St. Mel’s?

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.

Is this the same David Slattery who was retained as architect for the “restoration” of Cobh Cathedral?

St Eunan’s Cathedral, Leterkenny, Co. Donegal

Work is under way on the restoration of the 110-year old St Eunan’s Cathedral in Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
The project is taking about three months to complete and will consist of repairs to the roof to counter damp, and the re-pointing of the walls and elimination of cracks.

The refurbishment project is being overseen by historic building specialists J Rainey & Co, and spokesman Brian Rainey sad that the cathedral had stood the test of time ad remained in “overall good condition apart from a few isolated sites.”

“You couldn’t get something like it built nowadays,” he remarked. “The cathedral looks so well from the ground but there are a few small cracks which have been restrained with metal bands.”

Much of the focus of the refurbishment is on restoring the 82 metre high tower, which has intricate stonework.

Mr Rainey said that the four capping stones at the summit of the spire had been damaged by the wrought iron crosses mounted on them. “We have taken the stones off and had the new ones carved and we’re replacing the crosses with stainless steel ones,” he explained.

The four specially commissioned new capping stones for the top of the tower cathedral have now been delivered by local sculptor Raymond Herrity who cut them from the same Mountcharles sandstone that was used in building St Eunan’s.

Mr Herrity, whose own great-great grandfather was one of the stonemasons who worked on the construction of the cathedral, said the pieces have all been carved from a block of stone he was given ten years ago.

He said that each of the capping stones would hold up a cross and in carving the designs, he was instructed to use the original stones as templates, so there was “very little room for error.”

The cathedral was previously renovated and remodelled internally in 1985 when a new altar table and chair were installed, while the exterior stonework was last repaired twenty years ago.

[align=left:2xwusnad][/align:2xwusnad] @apelles wrote:

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.

Quite a mess indeed!