The iconic neo-classical style building was originally built in the 1840s and is named after the nephew of Saint Patrick but it was completely gutted in a Christmas Day fire in 2009 which left this beautiful cathedral as a burnt out shell.
However, the local community rallied round and five years later – on Christmas Day, 2014 – Mass was celebrated for the first time following the completion of a painstaking €30million restoration.
The cathedral was unveiled by the Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, who said it had been a story of transformation “from a shell to the beautiful and elegant sacred place”.
The majority of the €30million cost was funded by an insurance settlement, while €1 million was raised from voluntary contributions. Among the many notable features of the restored building are a Carrara marble altar sculpted by Tom Glendon and a silver tabernacle created by Imogen Stuart and Vicki Donovan. The cathedral also holds a pipe organ, consisting of 2,307 pipes, built by Fratelli Ruffatti, of Padua, Italy and stained glass windows designed by Paris-based artist Kim en Joong, a Dominican priest.
While the main focus was on restoring as many of the original elements of the building as possible, architect FKP Architects also took the opportunity to update the electrical and mechanical systems within the cathedral.
C&F Quadrant worked with mechanical contractor, T.Bourke & Co, to supply boilers and burners for the project. The company supplied two Buderus 315-9 boilers with Riello RL34 burners, a well-proven boiler/burner partnership.
Buderus, part of The Bosch Group, is one of the largest heating brands in Europe and worldwide and enjoys a market-leading position in sales of commercial heating solutions. With very high efficiencies, the Buderus 315-9 boiler is a leading boiler in their range.
Complementing the Buderus range is the RL series of burners, whose operation is single or two-stage and fitted with a microprocessor for use in low or medium temperature hot water boilers, hot air or steam boilers, and diathermic oil boilers.
Operation is ‘two stage’; the burners are fitted with a microprocessor-based control panel, which supplies indication of burner status and fault causes.
Conor Quigley of C&F Quadrant, said, “This is a real good news story that shows the strength and resolve of the local community of Longford and we are delighted to have been involved in this project.”
