Fundraising underway to tackle leaking roof on church in Offaly

A fundraising campaign is currently underway to tackle the problem of a leaking roof in Shinrone Church of Ireland Church.

Hazel Greene of the Select Vestry committee told the Tribune that the church is 200 years old and the leaking roof is making the walls weep in the sanctuary area. A dehumidifier has been placed in the sanctuary to try and keep the problem at bay. However, Hazel said, it's not a problem which can be ignored as it will only grow in stature.

“Always with an old building there’s something to be done,” she pointed out. “We’ve also recently completed some work in the new graveyard by strengthening the boundary, but the overriding issue is the roof. Dampness also got into the wiring and affected the sound system, so that needs to be tackled as well. The issue of considerable work being needed to maintain heritage buildings is not an unusual one, but it’s a lovely parish and it’s really well kept.” She said it's planned to run a fundraising fashion show in Gloster House later in the year.

Eleanor Wakefield of the Select Vestry said the recent fundraiser in Dooly's Hotel was a great success. The music was performed by the acclaimed Country and Irish music singer Olivia Douglas, from Ferbane. The event raised €3,000.

Tony Watkins, Treasurer of the Select Vestry, said some remedial work was done on the roof last year which might possibly have done some good, “but we need to hire someone who is knowledgeable about heritage buildings to properly inspect the roof. Until that happens we won't know what happens next. When we're told what the problem is then we might have to try and source some grant funding.”

The Treasurer added that the new graveyard boundary work had entailed tidying up a ditch. “We were worried that the livestock in the adjoining field could break through the ditch into the graveyard, therefore we needed to solve that.”

He was keen to point out that the church is in “reasonably good condition. We are not sitting there under umbrellas! It's still in good condition. However, there is a recurring damp issue in the ceiling as well as the walls and we can't ignore it.”

He added that a tree specialist might have to be called in to prune some of the branches of the lime trees in the graveyard “because there is a worry they might fall and damage the historical headstones.”