Historic Offaly building being carefully and expertly restored

LOCATED IN the graveyard of Borrisnafarney Church between Moneygall and Toomevara, the historic Bloomfield Mausoleum is being carefully and expertly restored.

The structure was open during Heritage Week and I took the opportunity to have a look. There I met local man Willie Powell who told me that he, John Chadwick and others had been concerned about the deteriorating condition of the tomb for a long time. “We raised the alarm about it a long time ago and we are really glad that something is now being done. We are very pleased with the restoration which has been carried out, and there's more to still be done.”

The tomb is an impressive piece of architecture, built in 1835 in the style of a miniature single cell Gothic Church. The Pepper and Bloomfield families of nearby Loughton House are buried within. The structure was built by the Pepper family (who were eventually succeeded by the Bloomfields).

“The foundations were in a bad way,” said Willie. “They were subsiding. It was in danger of collapse. The Phase 1 work started in March and the foundations were underpinned. The six buttresses were stabilised. Steel bars were put in place to stabilise the building. Lime pointing was carried out. Using lime is better than pointing with concrete as was previously done.”

The Borrisnafarney Church of Ireland committee sourced grants from Offaly County Council and other sources for the work.
Willie pointed out that some of the decorative stonework needs to be repaired.

Phase 1 cost €20,000. Phase 2 will cost €18,000 and it's planned to do the work next year.

Willie showed me inside the tomb. The ceiling is vaulted. Six people are buried here.

The work was carried out by Southgate Associates, Dublin, who said the mausoleum is “a regionally significant piece of architectural and social history, portraying the high standard of traditional crafts and materials which were in use at the time and in the area.”

Southgate will also carry out repairs to the interior, including the doorframe, the floor and the brass memorial plaques.

The Pepper family lived at Loughton House until Thomas Pepper died as a result of a hunting accident. Thomas was married to Ms Bloomfield and requested in his will that his brother-in-law, the 1st Lord Bloomfield, be given Loughton House.

Borrisnafarney Church was built in 1829 with funding from Thomas Pepper. The inscriptions in the interior of the mausoleum list the following: Thomas Pepper 1828; Mrs Bloomfield 1828; Mrs Ryder Pepper 1841; Lieutenant General Benjamin Baron Bloomfield 1846; Harriet widow of Lieutenant General Benjamin Baron Bloomfield 1868. Lieutenant General Benjamin Bloomfield (April 1768 to August 1846) was an army officer in the British Military and served at the Battle of Vinegar Hill in 1798.

He was a Member of Parliament for Plymouth from 1812 to 1818. He was an advisor to the Prince of Wales and served as Private Secretary to King George IV.