Let there be (new) lights

Mass-goers at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Strabane would have noticed a rather illuminating sight in recent days after the latest renovation work at the church saw 11 new lights installed on the church grounds.

Parish priest Fr Declan Boland this week remarked that he couldn’t be more delighted at the
new look for the historic building.

“We have gorgeous new lights which I think really accentuate the architecture of our lovely church,” he said.

“The lights we had before had been in for 20 years or more, so it’s good to get an upgrade. They’re LED lights which give off a lovely natural glow, not over or under lighting the church at all. I couldn’t be happier with them.”

The new lights, costing £7,000, are part of the on-going refurbishment programme which has been taking place at the church since 2017.

Originally, the plan was to refurbish many of the church’s beautiful stained glass windows, a plan which was put on hold, instead focusing on the ageing roof.

When that was completed, Fr Boland was advised to look at the lighting situation on the church grounds.

“Stephen McGonagle was responsible for putting in the lighting at our exhibition centre just above the sacristy and I asked him to take a look at the floodlights,” Fr Boland continued. “Some of them had stopped working altogether and so Stephen set to working on them, completing the work over a period of weeks.

“I have to say he did an absolutely wonderful job and should be commended for his work. It really is first class! Now that this is done, we hope to return to renovation of the stained glass windows.”

The lighting upgrade was completed just in time for an important occasion as last Sunday saw the 127th anniversary of the church’s dedication by Cardinal Logue in 1895.

The church’s exhibition space still has some of the bills on display showing that the church cost £19,000 to build.

As Fr Boland concluded, “We are standing on the shoulders of our forbearers.

“ It is not only our duty to maintain the faith of the church, but its beauty and grandeur, and I feel we have accomplished that.”