Parish celebrates culmination of £1million church restoration

AN event to mark the completion of the first phase of a £1million restoration programme at a church in Strabane has taken place.

On Thursday, the Church of the Immaculate Conception welcomed Bishop of the Derry Diocese, Dr Donal McKeown, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Graham Warke and a number of the key people who were involved in the renovation, to a celebratory event at the Strabane chapel.

Also present was the man who was primarily responsible for driving the project, Fr Declan Boland. In his opening remarks, he outlined his great “joy and delight” that the restoration had been a success and also paid tribute to the people behind the newly established ‘Parish Legacy Heritage’ exhibition space at the church, which was designed to display a number of special artefacts relating to the history of the building and Camus Parish.

Lasting almost six years, the ‘Living History in the Community’ project was supported by a National Lottery Heritage Fund to the tune of £524,600 whilst £300,481 was donated by parishioners and benefactors.

“The whole project came in at just under £1million,” Fr Boland explained.

He continued, “We are deeply indebted to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, our Built Heritage Team, and our Community Heritage Team for all their hard work in making all this possible. I am immensely proud of what has been achieved, ensuring that the beauty of our building has been preserved and its living history and heritage made available to our community for the very first time.”

The Church of the Immaculate Conception, is a Grade B+ listed building which was established in 1895. However major work was discovered to be necessary in order to restore and preserve the landmark building.

Critical repairs involved works to the roof which has been completely restored, the replacement of gutters, repairs to stonework as well as external drainage work carried out around the grounds and avenue.

As an intrinsic part of the overall project, the Parish Legacy Heritage exhibition space was also established and this now records, curates and displays a wealth of artefacts as well as never-before-seen artwork, carvings and statues.

Cross-generational stories were collected from the community as part of the project offering community access to the building’s rich heritage. A programme of educational activities has also taken place plus a souvenir guide book was commissioned.

Sheila McClelland, member of The National Lottery Heritage Fund Northern Ireland Committee said, “Thanks to National Lottery Players, we were delighted to award Camus Parish with a grant that has not only carried out urgent repairs and improved access but also welcomed new visitors, so that this important heritage resonates with the community and beyond for years to come.”