Thurles parish to relaunch Cathedral Raise the Roof Lotto

With the annual Carol Service set to send the roof of the Cathedral of the Assumption, Thurles into orbit on Sunday evening next, Thurles parish is relaunching the Raise the Roof Parish Lotto in the hope of increasing members so that works can get underway as a matter of urgency on the badly deteriorating structure.

Since June 2021, the Raise the Roof Parish Lotto, which was initiated to help create a fund for the replacement of the ailing roof has netted just €63,000.

Thurles parish is extremely grateful for all the support received for this project, but the figure has fallen well short of the projected targets.

Therefore, the committee has decided to relaunch the Lotto in the hope of achieving the original figure of 2,000 members - a significant increase on the current weekly average of 490 players.

A number of other fundraising initiatives have been held in the town to help enhance that development fund including the very recent concert featuring the Cathedral Choir and the Clonmel Concert Band. However, with the cost of building materials and works on the increase all the time, and the roof showing signs of rapid deterioration right now, an urgent push is needed to try and get the work underway

Thurles parish would welcome any suggestions you may have and would be delighted to hear from you. Please make contact through the Parish Office if you wish to communicate.

The Goal
Thurles parish is hoping to increase Lotto membership to 2,000 members - up from the current average weekly figure of 490 members. This will help to create a fund of approximately €500,000 to allow the parish to raise a loan and pay the total cost of the project, which has risen to €1.72 million.

The aim is to get work underway as soon as possible and replace the roof of the historic Cathedral in order to preserve the sacred place of worship, of which the people of Thurles and the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly are so proud.
What you can do

*Join the Lotto for as little as €2 for one line to a maximum of €5 per week for three lines, if you are not already a member.
*Encourage family members and friends living at home or away, neighbours, work colleagues or employees to join the Lotto.
*Make a donation to the fund if you do not wish to, or cannot, join the Lotto.

*Continue to support the ongoing fundraising initiatives including concerts etc.

How can I Join?
Go to www.thurlesparish.ie and click on the “Join Lotto” button. This will bring you to a secure webpage where you can choose your numbers and sign up to the lotto using your bank/credit card and mobile number/email address.

Alternatively, if you would like to join but would like assistance to do so you can make contact with the Parish Office.
If you don’t wish to join the Lotto but would still like to support the reroofing project by making a donation, then please call to the Parish Office on Cathedral Street where all donations will be gratefully received and receipted. (Charity Tax may be claimed on any donations over €250.

The work to be done
Dark staining is visible on the curved surface of the ceiling of the nave of the Cathedral. These stains are associated with water ingress through the roof. In recent times, the extent of the discoloration has increased. The roof has now reached the point where re-slating is required to protect the internal fabric of the Cathedral.

The fibre cement slates laid in 1979 have discoloured to a light grey. This is an indicator that the fibres within the slate have deteriorated and that the integrity of the slates has begun to fail.

Moss has begun to grow under the slates, where the corners of the slates have deflected (curled) slightly upwards due to a loss of integrity to the slates. Even if this moss was cleaned out, driving rain would still be able to seep under the slates.

The Costs Involved
Based on drawings and verbal information received from Michael O’Boyle Architecture + Conservation the estimated cost of the proposed construction works will be € 1,725,000 (incl. VAT), made up as follows:-
*Temporary Works including Scaffolding - €260,000
*Roof Preparation Works -€145,000
*Replacement of Existing Roof Finishes -€528,000
*Replace Existing Gutters and Downpipes -€93,000
*Emergency Repair Work to Existing Stone -€30,000
*Repair Work to Existing Stone Statues Excl. Replacement of Existing Roof Insulation -€115,000
*Replacing Existing Roof Ladder, Repairs to Existing Cross and €24,000
allowance for adjustment to the existing lighting conductor
*Allowance for Internal Decoration Works -€75,000
*Bespoke metal ridge capping detail -€65,000
*Preliminaries -€85,000
*Contingencies -€100,000
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Total Estimated Construction Cost (excl. VAT) - €1,520,000
Add V.A.T. at 13.5% -€ 205,200
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*Total Estimated Construction Cost (incl. VAT) - € 1,725,000

Rev Fr James Purcell, PP, Thurles Parish told the Tipperary Star: “We in Thurles parish really appreciate all the help and support that we continue to receive. The Cathedral is a very expensive structure to maintain, and we must again turn to the people of the parish and archdiocese to assist with the very significant cost of reroofing.

“Though we appreciate and realise that times are tough right now, we look forward to continued support which is always so gratefully received and never taken for granted,” he said.