Iconic Malin Well Church conserved

Malin Well Old Church Conservation Group certainly did not rest on their laurels during the Covid lockdowns.

A subgroup of Malin Heritage Group, its members Teresa Mullin, John Grant, Des Doherty and Denis Doherty, are cautiously optimistic conservation work will start on the iconic structure next month.

Malin Well Old Church has an extensive folklore from medieval times and has both St Machar (or Maher) from the sixth century and St Muirdhealach from the 11th century as patrons. Local tradition also has it that Saint Morialla was buried under the altar stone.

Speaking to Inish Live, John Grant explained the group was waiting on confirmation of a Community Monuments Fund grant to enable the physical conservation work to begin on the site.

“The remaining gable end of Malin Well Old Church will be strengthened and linked to the other two walls, the north wall and the south wall.

“With the weather to which Malin Well Old Church is constantly subjected, there is constant wear on the structure. Some of the original lime, that would have been holding the stones in place, has actually been washed away.

“The idea would be to replenish that and strengthen the stones. Some fallen stones might also have to be replaced, to conserve and strengthen the structure as it stands. It won't be roofed. It will be stabilised and conserved for posterity.

“Our objective is for the actual physical work to be carried out between April and October of this year. It will be done by a qualified local conservation builder,” he said.

Malin Well Old Church Conservation Group originally applied for a grant through Adopt a Monument Ireland, an initiative of the Heritage Council, project managed by Abarta Heritage.

“Adopt a Monument Ireland came on board and helped us to get the required grant for a conservation report,” John said.

“We had realised there was deterioration at the Malin Well Old Church and that something had to be done as a matter of urgency. It might also have been a danger to public health. We wanted to conserve the actual structure.

“That grant allowed us to employ a conservation architect, Dedalus Architecture in Moville, to produce a conservation report, which included a path forward.

“In order to do the repairs, we needed to get the right people on board, including an ecologist, an archaeologist and a structural engineer. They then had to produce a method statement before we could so much as touch a blade of grass. The method statement was assessed by the Heritage Council before we got permission. We achieved that and subsequently applied for the final grant from the Community Monuments Fund via Donegal County Council,” said John.

A geophysical survey was also carried out on the Malin Well Old Church site, by Earthsound Geophysics Limited from County Mayo.

According to John, Earthsound carried out an earth resistance survey, which identified there were structures on the site in the past.

“It was undoubtedly a significant site, a religious site, a convent or a monastery.

“One of the things you have to take into account is that at Malin Well Old Church you are looking out to the North Atlantic, the coast of Scotland, and the Vikings came down the coast of Scotland. The Vikings were in Moville and in Greencastle.

“And here in Malin there was a church sitting opposite them and to the Vikings, churches meant money and slaves, so, chances are the Vikings came to Malin Head. However, the value of an archaeological dig has to be weighed against what might be destroyed in the process. There is a balance between leaving a site undisturbed and exploring it.”

John was quick to acknowledge the support the Malin Well Old Church Conservation Group has received from the staff at Malin Head Community Centre, and its manager, Ali Farren.

“Without their support, we wouldn't exist. Then you have the local people who mind and look after the site. If they had not done that, the chances are there would have been even more deterioration.

“We also appreciate the unstinting support of Abarta Heritage, Donegal County Council and its heritage officer, Joe Gallagher, and Dedalus Architecture, who did a fabulous job on the initial conservation report and are still working on it. Dedalus, will oversee the conservation work. Duncan McLaren will be the team leader.

“When the work is finished, we will have gathered as much information about the history of the Malin Well Old Church as possible. We will also have a protected, conserved structure.

“We will then be in a position to build a plan around it to allow for visitors to come and view it and also to have online information available for anyone who for whatever reason cannot get to the actual site. And, importantly, of course, we hope a few local jobs will be provided in the process.”