By 
DERRY City and Strabane District Council has received repair plans to address ‘health and safety issues’ for St Patrick’s Church in Castlederg.
A listed building consent application was submitted to council’s planning portal, and seeks permission to carry out essential repairs to external stonework walls of the church on Castlefin Road.
An accompanying Design and Access statement noted that the repairs will address health and safety issues, due to ‘isolated areas of loose facing on masonry to all elevations and defective structural stonework to stained glass window openings’.
The existing unventilated secondary external storm glazing has failed and will also be replaced with a ventilated, highly transparent glazing system which, according to the statement, is ‘commonly used on similar buildings in Northern Ireland’.
The statement added: “St Patrick’s Church in Castlederg was originally constructed between 1840 and 1859 and has a neogothic, revival appearance, due to radical alterations of the structure in 1876.
“The present church of Saint Patrick was first dedicated on Sunday, October 8, 1876, by Most Rev Dr Francis Kelly, Bishop of Derry from 1849 until 1889.
“He also oversaw the building of St. Eugene’s Cathedral in Derry.
“Between 1886 and 1888 the tower and the spire were added to the building.
“Saint Patrick’s Church replaced the older church buildings at Castlesessiagh, near the site of St. Eugene’s Hall today, and is an extension on the first St Patrick’s Church, which was dedicated by the retired Bishop McLaughlin in 1846.
“The proposal uses best practice heritage principles to address significant health and safety related repairs to the external façade.
“The building has received a significant National Churches Trust grant donation….this will help to fund the vital repairs.”
