Client
St. Mel's Restoration Committee
Architect
Fitzgerald Kavanagh & Partners
Project Manager
Interactive Project Managers
PQS
Brendan Merry & Partners
C&S Engineer
Punch Consulting Engineers
Services Engineer
Arup
RIAI - Winner of Best Conservation / Restoration Project 2015
RIAI - Winner of Public Choice Award 2015
Irish Building & Design Awards - Winner of Building Project of the Year 2015
This project comprised the complete restoration of this 1856 Cathedral, which had been completely destroyed by fire on Christmas Day 2009.
Works required the most specialised and skilled levels of conservation knowledge and workmanship in the removal and replacement of Irish limestone columns and pillars, roof structure, stone walls and decorative lime plasterwork to replicate the original barrel vaulted ceiling all reproduced from historic photographs, along with the replacement of the bell support structure in the Campanile.
This project was so significant that RTE chose to record a documentary charting the restoration works throughout the contract. – ‘The Longford Phoenix’ first aired on RTE at Christmas 2014.
At the time of undertaking, this represented the largest restoration project in Western Europe.
Completely ravaged by fire, this multi-award winning building has been lovingly restored to its original beauty and re-modelled as a living Church for a new century.