Roof of iconic Tipperary cathedral in 'urgent' need of repair
‘In Our Hands’ has now raised over €1.5 million for the Cathedral of the Assumption, Thurles
The roof of the Cathedral of the Assumption in Thurles is now in urgent need of replacement with plans currently being advanced to undertake essential works, including the replacement of the roof in its entirety, in 2027, a spokesperson for the fundraising committee has said.
This will be a year earlier than had been planned for.
The estimated cost of the roof replacement work alone is €2.5 million, although it is anticipated that the cost may be significantly more by the time the work commences.
The existing roof dates from the 1970’s and with a life expectancy of approximately 40 years, it is well past its sell-by date and has survived this long because of significant annual repairs and maintenance.
Recognising this, a group under the then chairmanship of the late Tony O’Brien commenced building a fund for its replacement in 2017.
With the support of the public through the various fundraising initiatives such as the Cathedral Concerts, the annual scrap collection and in particular, the “Raise the Roof” lotto the milestone of raising €1.5 million was reached recently.
The damage being caused to the structure is now obvious to any visitor to the cathedral, with significant staining and cracking of the ceiling, and the visible signs of the deterioration in the roof, now more evident.
The walls of the cathedral are also now showing the effects of significant water damage.
The Cathedral Fundraising Committee feel that there is no alternative but to seek to progress the necessary remedial works as soon as possible to protect the iconic building.
John McCormack, Chairperson of the committee said: “There are very significant and potentially costly refurbishment works that will be required to be undertaken to the Cathedral over the coming years, with the replacement of the roof being the most urgent of these.
“A detailed condition survey of the entire structure has now been commissioned by us. This study will identify, cost, and then prioritise, all required works that need to be undertaken to the structure. These will then form the basis for a strategy to plan for these works. This plan will obviously need to be funded”.
The Cathedral will be 150 years old in 2029 and McCormack stated that: “such significant works are to be expected in any building of that age let alone a protected structure and architectural gem such as our Cathedral”.
At the end of last September, and with €1 million already raised, a new fundraising initiative “In Our Hands – Preserving Our Cathedral” was launched.
This initiative has aimed to broaden the fundraising appeal to a wider public, including the other 45 parishes of the archdiocese, those with local roots who now live abroad and the business sector.
The appeal to the public is to purchase a slate for €250, or a bale of slates for €1,000.
“To date a total of 179 individuals/families have purchased slates and 73 have purchased bales of slates and, in addition, we have had some very generous donations from individuals ranging from €2,000 to €10,000,” John stated.
A direct appeal has also been made to all local businesses to donate, or to pledge a donation over a four-year period.
“The business sector is being generous in their response,” said John.
“A total of €138,000 has been donated to date by businesses with a further €135,000 pledged over the period 2026 to 2029 with amounts of up to €30,000 being pledged”.
The appeal to the other 45 parishes of the archdiocese has also not gone unanswered with 11 parishes to date having donated a total of €71,375.
“We’re under no illusion”, John said.
“It is a massive challenge but we’re getting there and given the generosity that is evident in the response to date, with €1.5 million donated, we are optimistic that we will have the funds in place by April 2027 to allow us to undertake the most essential works, including the reroofing. This is our Cathedral and it is indeed in our hands to ensure that it is maintained for all of us and retained for the generations to come. We ask the public to please continue to support the project through whatever way they wish and they can do this by going to the parish website www.thurlesparish.ie to purchase a slate or join the weekly lotto, or if they wish, by calling in person to the parish office immediately opposite the cathedral”.