Stunning restoration project completed at landmark Tyrone church

After months of meticulous restoration, the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Strabane has unveiled its breathtakingly restored stained glass windows, marking a momentous milestone in its long history.

Despite the stormy skies outside, vibrant hues of blue, red, green, and gold bathed the interior, transforming the church into a sanctuary of radiant light.

The unveiling was the culmination of a two-phase restoration project, aptly named, ‘Sacred Treasures: Restoring, Illuminating, Cataloguing and Maintaining’ which aimed to preserve and enhance the church’s storied legacy.

This monumental occasion was attended by parishioners, dignitaries, and restoration experts, all of whom marvelled at the results of their collective efforts.

Among those present were Bishop Donal McKeown, new parish priest Fr. Michael McCaughey, and the recently retired Fr Declan Boland, who played a pivotal role in steering the project.

Also present were members of the restoration team, including stained glass conservator Evan Connon, master stonemason Michael Kosciak, and architect Duncan McLaren.

Fr. McCaughey captured the significance of the day, calling the restoration “a remarkable achievement” and a testament to the enduring faith and determination of the community.

His words reflected the pride felt by all who had laboured to restore the church to its former glory.

RESTORING HISTORY

Built on land at the upper end of Barrack Street, purchased for £1,100 by Rev Dr Devlin PP in1866, the church was completed in 1895 at a cost of £9,000.

As well as the beautiful windows, the church also boasts a link to an important figure in Irish history; its marble altar was originally built and installed by Dublin sculptor James Pearse, father of 1916 Easter Rising leader, Patrick.

On Friday, members of the project team spoke of their journey in getting to this point.

Fr Declan Boland, a towering figurehead on the project since its inception, recalled a quote from TS Elliott’s ‘The Four Quartets.’

It said: “We shall not cease from exploration and the need of our exploring will be to arrive where we started, and know the place for the first time.”

Looking around at the magnificent work laid out before him, Fr Boland detailed the stages of restoration whilst sincerely thanking the entire team for their gargantuan efforts and professionalism, in particular faithful secretary Amanda, project co-ordinator Lorraine Gallen and curator Roisin Doherty.

He also remarked on the generosity of the townspeople, who through donations, raised nearly £300,000 of the £1.5m spent on the project overall.

“I am filled with immense joy and deep gratitude to everyone who has been involved in completing the second phase of this significant project. It truly reflects the generosity and goodwill of the local community, as well as the exceptional expertise and dedication of the team.”

Lorraine Gallen, project manager at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, called the milestone ‘truly incredible,’ adding: “Nearly 130 years after the church was built, all essential restoration work has been successfully completed, ensuring our heritage is preserved for future generations.

“The roof restoration, drainage and guttering improvements and a museum exhibition which returned collections previously held in storage to the community cost almost £1million whilst the project’s second phase started in 2023 to restore stonework and our magnificent stained-glass windows, for £500,000.

“Our partnership with the Heritage Fund on both projects has been instrumental to our success. Thanks to National Lottery players, our church is now ready to weather storms well into the future.”

The construction team of Evan Connon, Michael Kosiack and Duncan McClaren also gave their thoughts.

Mr McClaren praised the dedicated team who worked together to complete the project as well as their perseverance in ensuring that ‘there was never anything which couldn’t be resolved’.

Evan added, “I will be talking about Strabane and the welcome we received for many years to come and Michael and I thank the parish.

The project was funded through a series of different organisations including the Kathleen Graham Trust, The National Churches Trust, and The Benefact Trust and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Dr Jim McGreevy, NI Committee Member at The National Lottery Heritage Fund reflected on what had been achieved by the project.

“We are delighted with the results of the works that have been undertaken by the team at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Strabane.

“They have been able to carry out urgent repairs, conserve the beautiful stained glass windows and plan for their future management and maintenance.

“An important aspect of the heritage project has been to engage the community with the heritage treasures and connections of the church through a series of stained glass tours and capturing and making information accessible online.”

Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown closed proceedings by offering kind words of congratulations to everyone involved and a prayer of thanks.