A new tower is to be erected at St Patrick’s Church in Ballina to commemorate the contribution to the town over a century and a half by the Sisters of Mercy. The bell tower and associated work will cost c. €50,000 is currently awaiting planning permission from Ballina Town Council.
From sixteen submissions received in response to a tender invitation, St Muredach’s Trust has appointed Mayo firm Axo Architects to design the tower.
Parish priest Fr Brendan Hoban said last weekend that when the church was originally being built in the 1970s, there was not enough money to build a bell tower and a temporary steel girder was erected for the bell.
This collapsed a few years ago.
“Because the Mercy Order is over 150 years in the parish and because of the fact that the convent closed last year we thought it would be nice to dedicate the bell tower to the sisters,” said Fr Hoban.
Axo spokesman Michael Horan said his company had been attracted to the proposal because of its cultural and social aspect.
He said his firm’s design concept was that the tower should be a new amenity for the community and represent not only the contribution of the convent, but also that of every member of the order, to the town of Ballina.
“The tower will have a large stone plinth, which extends to form a seat, from which springs three blocks, representing the three main strands of the Sisters of Mercy's good work in Ballina caring for the sick, helping the needy and giving the gift of education,” he explained.
“Markings in the base represent each one of the sisters that gave so much to the Ballina community over the years," Mr Horan added.
St Muredach’s Trust expects to have the Council’s decision on planning permission in the next month and if the proposal is accepted, it will then advertise for tenders for the erection of the tower.
The Mercy Sisters came to Ballina in 1851 after the Famine and gradually set up schools and took over the workhouse in the town.
The convent closed last year as part of a rationalisation of the congregation’s houses in County Mayo.
SIC: CIN