St. Nicholas Church of Ireland — better known locally as the Green Church — has long been a landmark in the County Louth town and a popular stop for visitors.
Now, the medieval church is preparing for a new chapter that will see it play a much broader role in community, cultural and cross-border life.
“We have a wonderful building, it is oozing with history and character,” said Aidan Harte, the Church of Ireland representative on the Louth County PeacePlus committee. “It’s arguably one of the oldest, if not the oldest, buildings still in use in Dundalk.”
Founded in the 13th century, St. Nicholas Church is one of just 20 medieval urban churches still in active use across Ireland.
“It is a fantastic space, steeped in history,” Mr Harte said. “But I really felt that we should make this wonderful facility more accessible for cross-community and cross-border use.”
Nearly €850,000 has now been allocated from the Louth PeacePlus fund to carry out a comprehensive programme of refurbishment and upgrades. While the building will remain primarily a place of worship for the Church of Ireland community, the works are designed to significantly expand its usability for concerts, cultural performances, creative activity and educational events.
“While we must never lose sight of the primary purpose of our beautiful and historic Green Church being a place of worship, as with most church buildings, the facility is typically used for only a few hours each week,” Mr Harte explained. “This project allows us to open the space up in a way that benefits the wider community.”
He explained that in keeping with the ethos of the PeacePlus programme, the renovation project aims to foster greater cross-community and cross-border engagement through shared cultural experiences.
As part of the agreement, the diocese has agreed to lease St. Nicholas Church to Louth County Council for programme-related use for up to 12 days each year.
The planned works, which it is hoped will get underway later in 2026, are extensive and will include external and internal decoration, general renovation and significant accessibility improvements. A new disabled access point will be provided at the front entrance, alongside the installation of new toilet facilities.
Inside the church, the pews will be upgraded with strip cushion upholstery, while modern sound and lighting systems will be installed to support performances and events.
He added that the baptismal font, which is located in the centre of the church, will be moved as part of the church renovation in order to improve ease of movement around the building,
The project will also see the reintroduction of the historic Southern Gallery, complete with a new access stairway, creating a self-contained space designed primarily for music and arts creativity, education and rehearsal.
Mr Harte added the seating upgrades will be especially welcomed for anyone attending events in the future.
“I’ve noted for years that church pew seating is carefully designed to keep people awake during boring sermons,” he joked. “So I am delighted that the works will provide more comfortable seating for visitors joining us.”
The funding for the church’s renovation works will come from the wider PeacePlus programme, which is jointly funded by the European Union, the UK Government and the Irish Government. The initiative builds on the work of the previous PEACE and INTERREG programmes and is aimed at supporting peace, reconciliation and prosperity across Northern Ireland and Ireland’s six border counties.
The total PeacePlus fund amounts to €1.14 billion, with €4,679,354 allocated specifically to projects in County Louth.