Parishioners in Donegal Town will use their local parish hall for
worship for the foreseeable future following the Christmas Day lightning
strike on their church.
The ESB has shut off power to the church as a precautionary measure
and local Rector, Archdeacon David Huss, says he doesn't expect the
church to reopen for services until February at the earliest.
The
Donegal Select Vestry met on Wednesday evening to review its options and
decided to use the parish hall adjoining the church for worship for the
next few weeks.
The damage occurred around 9.30 on Sunday evening when Donegal Town
was hit by a violent thunder and hail storm.
The church was struck by
lightning causing significant damage inside and outside the building.
Electrical circuits and sockets were blown out, floodlights were smashed
and bricks were blasted from path walls leading up to the church door.
Archdeacon Huss says it's fortunate no one was injured or killed, or
that the church did not catch fire as a result of the lightning strike.
He said the night before the storm around one hundred people had
gathered in the church for a Christmas Eve service and the church also
hosted a recent cross-community service.