For close to a year, members of a Wicklow church choir have been unable to perform at Sunday mass because the steep rise to the organ, where they sing, was proving beyond them.
However, a new chair lift has changed all that, and last weekend they were finally back to full voice.
The organ gallery is situated above the main body of St Patrick’s Church in Wicklow town, and several more elderly members of the choir were struggling with the spiral staircase, which leads from the ground floor up to the organ gallery.
As a result, they had been unable to join their choir colleagues each Sunday for many months.
The much-needed new chair lift was officially launched on Friday afternoon and it means longstanding choir members can now access the organ gallery with ease and safety.
Sean Olohan from the choir said: “The new chair lift is a real game changer for St Patrick’s Choir. Some choir members weren’t able to make it up the spiral staircase properly anymore, as it involves around four flights of stairs.
"We had at least five choir members who were no longer able to perform with us at Sunday mass because they could no longer access the organ gallery. That lasted for around a year, so they were delighted to be able to join St Patrick’s Choir again on Sunday, now that the chair lift has been installed.
“It’s incredibly safe and works by remote control. You sit in it and within no time you are up at the organ gallery. It comes complete with safety belts and it is a great facility to introduce to St Patrick’s Church and the parish
".It was wonderful to welcome back those choir members into the fold again on Sunday for 12 noon mass. They have been missed and it is great to have them back singing away alongside everyone else. I know they also badly missed not being able to perform regularly and to meet up with their fellow choir members.”
The installation was made possible by the support of several key community figures and groups, including Fr Aquinas Duffy, Wicklow and District Lions Club, Wicklow County Council and members of the choir themselves.
The installation of the lift is a significant step in ensuring accessibility for all members of St Patrick’s Choir, thus maintaining their dedication to providing music for the enhancement of liturgical occasions for all parishioners.