A LANDMARK cathedral, ruined by fire on Christmas Day 2009, is to
rise from the ashes over the next five years as part of a multi-million
euro project.
The Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, Colm
O'Reilly, Sunday announced that a contract had been signed with a
design team of top-level architects to restore St Mel's Cathedral in
Longford town.
A packed congregation of 700 worshippers attending
Sunday Mass in a temporary chapel in the gym of the nearby St Mel's
College applauded as Dr O'Reilly named Dr Richard Hurley, a
distinguished church architect, as the lead designer in alliance with
Colm Redmond, of FitzGerald, Kavanagh and Partners.
The historic
cathedral, which was founded by Bishop William O'Higgins in 1840, was
rated as a gem of Irish building, with critics acclaiming its interior
to be "one of the most beautifully conceived classical spaces" in the
country.
Monday was the feast day of St Mel, the diocesan patron
saint, and Dr O'Reilly said that each year on the Sunday closest to
February 7, he would give updates on the progress of the restoration.
The
76-year-old bishop said that an annual restoration collection would be
held on the Sunday closest to St Mel's feast day, as it was "the
people's cathedral and it would be restored by the people".
He added: "We believe we are taking an important step towards a new day when we will be able to reverse the disaster of Christmas 2009.
"I
am convinced that the two architects can deliver a restored cathedral
which will not just be faithful to its original architectural splendour,
but also a place of worship which will be inspirational for a new time
in the life of the church in Ireland."
Costs
No
figure is yet available for the final cost of the project, but Dr
O'Reilly, has promised transparency by publishing details annually.
Dr
Hurley vowed to recast St Mel's cathedral as "a religious space of
powerful resonance, respecting the past, living in the present and
pointing towards the future".
"If this can be achieved the cathedral will live again."
Dr Hurley, whose portfolio includes churches in Ireland, Britain, Africa
and Australia, recalled how the man who began work on the cathedral,
Bishop William O'Higgins, was inspired by classical buildings such as
the Madeleine in Paris, the Pantheon in Athens and the Great Basilicas of Rome.
Referring
to the many-times-destroyed Chartres Cathedral, Dr Hurley said his team
was approaching the restoration "with the same ardour and belief that
St Mel's will rise again and live again at the centre of Catholic life
in the diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise".
Up to €2m has been
spent so far on essential maintenance to preserve the cathedral,
explained project manager Niall Meagher while showing journalists the
extensive damage to the walls, plaster work, columns, statues and marble
decorations.
Mr Meagher pointed to the temporary roof put on the
cathedral last August, which he said "has prevented the building from
further disrepair from inclement weather".
The diocese has agreed
with the design team to provide an apprenticeship scheme to train
workers in specialist conservation skills, according to Seamus Butler,
chairman of St Mel's Cathedral Project Committee
"It is a once in a lifetime opportunity for skilled workers," he added.
While
insurance will cover replacing the building, further costs will be
incurred by the installation of toilets, a creche, wheelchair
facilities, and meeting health and safety standards.