Repairs continue at St Patrick’s Glenarm thanks to HLF grant

Tuesday April 21st 2009

St Patrick's Church, Glenarm. A second phase of repair works is to be carried out at St Patrick’s Church in Glenarm after a grant of £58,100 was secured from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Funding for the project was awarded through the HLF ‘Repair Grants for Places of Worship’ or RPOW scheme, and will support a programme of urgent ‘high level’ repair works to the church tower and baptistery to prevent further water damage and deterioration.

Previous works to repair the main body of the church were undertaken in 2005 with the support of an HLF grant of £92,300, and this second phase of repairs will complete the church’s restoration.

Construction began on this B+ listed building in 1763. The site, which also contains a Scheduled Ancient Monument in the form of a Third Order Franciscan Friary located within the churchyard, is of high heritage importance to the local area.

Ann Dunlop, from the Select Vestry of St Patrick’s, Tickmacrevan said: “St Patrick’s Church was consecrated 240 years ago in 1769. Over the years additions were made to the original building but the Tower and Spire date back to the first build in the 18th century.

“Time has played its part and the amount of work required to make the tower water-tight and secure requires more funding than any small congregation could manage on its own. We are therefore deeply indebted to the HLF for the help they have given with this second very generous grant.”

The RPOW scheme provides grants of between £10,000 and 100,000 to help conserve listed places of worship through urgent repairs and is open to all faith groups and denominations. Since 1994, HLF has given more than £30 million through the scheme to help hundreds of churches restore their roofs, preserve their glass windows and repair the damage caused by nature.

Paul Mullan, Head of HLF Northern Ireland said: “HLF is committed to conserving and protecting our historic places of worship which are sites rich in local heritage. We are delighted to be involved in this project which will see St Patrick’s fully restored and preserved for generations to come.”

For further details about the RPOW scheme and other funding programmes, please contact HLF on 028 9031 0120 or log on to www.hlf.org.uk.