Vandals blamed for damage to roof of gate lodge at historic Offaly site

REPAIRS are being carried out to the gate lodge at Durrow Abbey after vandals damaged its roof.

The building dates from 1840 and stands just inside the main wrought-iron gate to Durrow Abbey Demesne on the Tullamore-Kilbeggan road.

In a statement issued to the Tullamore Tribune, the Office of Public Works (OPW) said Durrow Gate Lodge is in State care.

“The roof of this structure was damaged in a series of episodes of vandalism and therefore had to be repaired as quickly as possible. The repairs, which are based on conservation best practice, are necessary to prevent water ingress into the building and arrest decay of the structure,” the OPW said.

“It was essential that the works were carried out so that the building would be weather-tight for the coming winter.”

The OPW said no other works are proposed at this time.

The National Built Heritage Service says the gate lodge has finely executed stone masonry and metal working, “ testament to the skilled craftsmanship available at the time”.

“This high quality construction of the lodge and gates indicate the importance of the house to which they belong; an outward display of sophistication and wealth to all who call to Durrow Abbey House,” the appraisal from the service adds.

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The OPW published a conservation plan for Durrow Abbey in 2005 and it said the gate lodge should be repaired, re-used and maintained.

“The interior has decayed greatly due to water ingress. The lodge could serve a number of uses including residential use, holiday accommodation or as a visitor interpretation [centre] for the rest of the site,” the report added.

While the gate lodge remained in State care following the purchase of Durrow Abbey and 31 hectares of surrounding land in 2003, Durrow Abbey House (pictured below) was leased to the Arts for Peace Foundation.

The foundation, whose patron was Nobel peace prize winner John Hume, aimed to establish Durrow Abbey as a centre for international peace promotion and develop it as a respite and education centre for children and young people who had come through conflict.

The OPW and the Arts for Peace Foundation were in dispute for a number of years about the lease.