Abbey in fundraising drive for urgent restoration work

A major fundraising drive is being organised to restore the Abbey of St Francis Street to its original glory.

The Church was built in 1836 and consecrated by Bishop of Galway Dr Laurence O’Donnell in 1849 under the title of ‘The Immaculate Conception,’ the first Church in Ireland to bear this title.

The project was led by the Guardian of the Community, Fr John Jennings, and the architect was John Cusack, who designed a building in the classic Doric style.

The upgrade will involve no structural change to the Abbey. Due to a previously leaking roof, some of the plaster work needs attention including the areas where the wiring has been replaced. 

As the backing walls of the Confessionals are four feet below ground, there is serious damp soaking into the building that needs urgent attention to remove the dry rot. The Belfry is also damp.

Work has already begun on the rewiring as the current wiring is very old and dangerous. The lighting will be replaced with LED lights to make the ongoing running costs more economically and environmentally friendly.

A tasteful repainting is also planned to enhance the appearance of the Church while emphasising the unique architectural quality of the building.

“We’re the oldest swingers in town – we’re here 719 years at this stage through thick and thin so we’re hoping the people of Galway will support us,” remarked Fr Eugene Barrett, one of the six Franciscans still living in the Abbey.

A 12-strong committee has been set up by friends of the Franciscan community and members of the congregation to raise at least €150,000. The scaffolding alone will be very costly and has to be erected in a way to maintain normal services and not damage the tiled floor.

“It is pretty urgent. The electrics are in an awful state, the damp and wet rot is a very obvious thing. With a view to the Capital of Culture bid, there will be a lot of visitors to the city and we didn’t want them to see a shabby inside,” said Fr Eugene.

Special events in the pipeline include the ‘Cabaret by the Bay’ on Wednesday, December 2 in the Salthill Hotel with a big lineup of popular singers and performers, including Brendan Shine, TR Dallas and Johnny Carroll.

The first Franciscan foundation in Galway was in 1296 on St Stephen’s Island – the site of the present courthouse. It was here that the Friars ministered to the lepers, taking after St Francis.

Some of the dampness, damage and old wiring in the church in urgent need of repair.

Like other Franciscan foundations, it was Norman in origin, being founded by Uilliam Liath De Burgo.

In pre-reformation times the Abbey was highly esteemed as a place of learning and the Church judged very beautiful.

In 1513 the Archbishop of Tuam Maurice O’Fihely was buried under the High Altar of the Church. In the 16th century after Henry the VIII broke all ties with Rome, the Abbey was outlawed as a place of worship but the Friars continued to live locally. In 1657 the Friary was destroyed and the church was turned into a courthouse.

The Friars founded a new Friary and Church on the present site on Francis Street. The area around the ‘Abbey’ became the first Franciscan parish in modern Ireland in 1971.

There are no substantial remains of the buildings from the medieval Friary, but a collection of medieval tombstones can still be seen in the present Friary garden dating back from that era.

The Church was renovated in 1970s. Eight years ago a community committee raised €100,000 to repair the roof which was leaking badly. They also raised €1.1m to restore the Poor Clare’s Convent on Nun’s Island, a member of the Franciscan community.

The Abbey is one of the busiest churches in the city centre with a congregation drawn from across the city as well as people from Connemara who use the stop outside the Abbey to catch the bus. Confessions are heard daily.

The Franciscans also conduct visitations to the many students living in the area and then every three months hold ‘night fever’ events, which involves inviting young people out on the town to come inside to light a candle or say a prayer.

The Abbey Church is setting up a specific bank account for fundraising called the ‘Franciscan Friars Building Account’ at the Bank of Ireland, Eyre Square, Galway.