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Drama Group
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Renovations Planned for Drumkeeran Church
Religious Sisters of Inishmagrath
Renovations Planned for Drumkeeran Church
Plans for major renovation work on Drumkeeran Church are now at an advanced stage.
The application for Planning Permission will be made to Leitrim County Council
within
the next week or two.
Among the main issues to be addressed are the roof, the windows, the belfry,
the construction
of a small Prayer Room/Mass Room
and the provision of new toilet facilities.
1. The Roof
The biggest part of the renovation scheme will be the re-
Apart from replacing slates and faulty timbers,
insulation will be
fitted between the rafters
and new gutters and down pipes will be fitted.
2. The Belfry
A new roof will be fitted to the belfry.
At present the belfry is fully exposed to the elements and,
as can be seen in this
recently taken photo,
the ground floor is regularly flooded after heavy falls of rain.
3. Windows
While most of the windows in the church are in good condition,
there are
a number of serious issues to be addressed.
There is a growth of moss and other vegetation between the glass and the storm-
in
the sanctuary windows, directly behind the altar.
In the south transept, the transept adjacent to the belfry,
the saddle bars in some
of the windows are badly rusted
and are causing damage to the leaded lights and to
the stone.
The most serious issue is in the window in the north transept,
the transept
adjacent to the sacristy.
Here one of the stone mullions is cracked and it is also
in poor condition externally.
Dealing with this is a priority.
4. Lobby, Prayer Room and Toilets
It is planned to erect a lobby area at the rear
of the church.
This will help maintain heat levels in the church.
To the right of the lobby, it is planned to construct a prayer room
for week-
To the left side of the lobby, it is planned to build indoor toilets,
to replace the
existing external toilets,
which are no longer fit for purpose.
The existing external toilets are unheated and are in a poor state of repair.
They
do not comply with modern specifications for wheelchair access.
It is hoped that Planning Permission will be granted by early to mid May,
with work
to commence immediately.
All going well, the project should be completed by mid July.