A County Donegal church that has hosted generations of holidaymakers has been officially reopened and dedicated after a major refurbishment project. Our Lady Star of The Sea Church in Bundoran was blessed by Bishop Joseph Duffy of Clogher who was joined by thirty-five priests as well as parishioners and guests and its refurbishment coincides with the 150th anniversary of the Church’s original opening in 1859.
The renovation project, which cost €4m, included the erection of a 300-seat extension, which has been named the Rosary Chapel.
It also included new flooring, electrics, a baptismal area and the incorporation of a 130-year old sculpture that was donated by the bishop to underline the church’s link with Monaghan Cathedral.
The Star of the Sea Church had previously been refurbished in 1913, when the spire, organ, sacristies, side-altars and a heating system were added and again in the 1970s and 1990s.
In recent years, the need for an extension became more apparent as the church has had to cater for a growth in the permanent population of the seaside town and a longer holiday season, both resulting in greater attendances at Mass.
Two commemorative plates, which were specially commissioned and made by Celtic Weave in Ballyshannon to mark the 150th year of the church, have gone on display and a limited edition has been made for sale.
Fr Ramon Munster said that no fewer than four designs had been prepared over the past fifty years to extend or even replace the church completely.
“The local people worked so hard to extend the tourist season and now we have a much bigger population from March to October,” he explained.
He said the brief for the extension and renovation project was “exceptionally challenging” and paid tribute to the architects’ production of a plan that showed “great sensitivity to the liturgical and spiritual needs of the people.”
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