Phase 1 of the conservation work is now completed. The vegetation has been removed from the top of the side walls, gables and bell-tower and they have been sealed and plastered with lime mortar; the old, almost rotten, wooden lintels over two doors have been replaced by new pre-cast concrete lintels; and two new wooden tower windows on each side were installed to complement the salvaged one in the centre. The scaffolding and fencing have been dismantled since the New Year and the building is now safe and its life prolonged.
The next phase – interpreting the site, attending to the graveyard and fixing the boundary wall – will be less expensive and less onerous.
Final Phase: The final phase of the work is now complete. The floor has been resurfaced, a new lintel installed above the door, the boundary wall repaired and prominent graves identified. A sign at the front of the graveyard gives visitors some historical information about the site and about its conservation.
Conservation work began on the site in August 2016. Here is a slideshow of images showing the work in progress. All images (c) Brendan Diver.
St Columba's Church, Straid, Clonmany, Co. Donegal 