Kinsale friary reopens with a flower festival

Kinsale’s refurbished Carmelite friary reopened at the weekend with a three-day floral festival celebrating Carmelite spirituality and Kinsale’s rich history and scenery.

Father James Eivers, the prior, told The Echo he was delighted.

“It needed a major update, with part of the issue being that the structural integrity of the building was compromised,” Fr Eivers said.

“When the building was started in the 1830s, they used a lot of local material, including sea sand, which was mixed into the mortar for the building, and that obviously held moisture, so for well over 100 years, the building has been getting more and more damp.”

The first phase of a renovation began in 2016, and that was completed in 2017, and further renovation had to be paused when the pandemic began.

“This year, starting in March, we began the process of the second phase, which included taking all the plaster, the render of the building, stripping it right back down to the original stone that would have been used in the 1830s, and re-pointing it,” Fr Eivers said.

“All the stained glass, all the lead work, was all done too, and then it was re-rendered with a breathable line render, which would be more in keeping with what should be on a building, and then the cut limestone at the front was refaced as well, “ he said.

The friary has been fitted with new electrics, a new LED lighting system, a new sound system, new flooring, upholstery, carpets, and furnishings.

“Six weeks ago, we were looking at a complete shell and now, thanks be to God, we actually have a church ready to reopen,” he said. “So this weekend is a festival of reopening.”

Fr Eivers described the work of florists Eileen O’Brien and Nicola Desmond as “a tour de force”, as they have assembled the flower festival, bringing together the work of florists from all over the country.

Highlights of the weekend festival included an ecumenical service of songs of praise on Saturday evening and, on Sunday afternoon, a formal blessing and reopening of the church by Bishop Fintan Gavin.