Historic church set for €1m restoration

One of only six Catholic churches allowed to hold Mass in penal times is to undergo a 1 million euro restoration to save its historic windows.

One of only six Catholic churches allowed to hold Mass in penal times is to undergo a €1m restoration to save its historic windows.

The ornate stained glass windows of St Michan's Parish Church in Dublin's north inner city are in danger of being destroyed unless urgent repair work is carried out.

Small pieces have already fallen out of the 100-year-old windows, created by renowned Irish stained glass artist and illustrator Harry Clarke for the Halston Street church.

Parish secretary Paddy Pender said the windows could be lost forever unless restoration work is done.

"We know that so many people are going through hard times at the moment but we still need to get the job done," she said.

"If we wait then the windows could be gone and we would regret it.

"This is something that's been on our wish list for the last seven or eight years.

"But with such an old church there are always other things to do like fixing leaks so you have to put off the big jobs."

The 15 windows are early examples of the work of Clarke who illustrated books for Hans Christian Andersen and Edgar Allan Poe.

They feature scenes from the Bible such as the crucifixion along with saints such St Francis, installed by the Franciscan order when they cared for the church.

St Michan's Parish Church, built in the 18th Century, shares its name with St Michan's Church of Ireland on nearby Church Street - famous for mummified bodies in its vaults.

The painstaking restoration can only be carried out by a specially-skilled stained glass craftsman who usually removes the windows and repairs them off-site.

However the re-leading work is a costly job with early estimates hovering around the €1m mark.

The parishioners of St Michan's have given generously to the church throughout the years and the parish hopes they will dig deep for this restoration campaign.

"Back in penal times, this was only one of six churches allowed to say Mass so the parishioners always made great contributions," Ms Pender said.

"Even in poorer times, the people gave what they could to keep their church as a special place.

"We don't want to go out with a begging bowl but we do need to get on with it."

Like any ancient building in a city, the church has been damaged by traffic and pollution.

But the introduction of the HGV ban in Dublin city centre and a massive reduction in smog have significantly improved environmental conditions.

"The vibrations that came off the juggernauts and road works caused bits of the window to fall out, which is the same in any old church," continued Ms Pender.

"But now there are not as many trucks so this work will last for a very long time."

The parish hopes to significantly boost the restoration fund with proceeds from a special concert by musician, author and humanitarian John Michael Talbot at St Mary of the Angels Church, Church Street, on October 18.

"So far what we've raised is in the thousands as opposed to the tens of thousands so we've a long way to go, but we hope we will get there," added Ms Pender.