Click here >> St Philip’s Parish with your €100 (or more!) online donation through gofundme (please include ‘slate’ and your name)
Or donate: €100 (or more!) direct transfer to the parish bank account (please include ‘slate’ and your name as narration): St Philips Church, Milltown. Bank details in the current Sandmill Newsletter and/or ring parish office (086 038 6432).
Or donate: Place a €100 cheque (preferable) or €100 cash in an envelope (or more!) marked ‘slate’ on the Sunday collection plate, or drop it through the Rectory letterbox, or post it directly to the Hon. Treasurer. Address details in the current SandMill Newsletter and/or ring parish office (086 038 6432).
A certificate will be issued acknowledging your contribution (once the donor can be identified).
Progress Update
September 2024: Work is underway to restore the two gable end windows of St Philip’s Hall. Once completed, any sections of rotten timber will be replaced. The level of the wall along the kitchen will be raised to align with the parapet to eliminate issues with damp. Both windows will be double glazed and thermally treated to improve heat retention in the hall. This work is expected to be completed by mid-August, and is another important step in our program to refurbish the hall, and bring it up to a modern and comfortable standard for parish and community events.
September 2023: Following the setback last year to our plans for the restoration of St Philip’s Parochial Hall, great progress has been made this summer!
Over the past few months, a good number of the items on the list has been completed:
- The Hall has been rewired.
- The stained glass window has been removed and dismantled, each pane cleaned, the lead restored or replaced as necessary and reassembled, the window has been reinstalled and is looking splendid.
- The roof has been repaired so that it will be safe for the next few years until we have raised sufficient funds to restore it.
- The drain pipes and other rainwater goods have all been restored, replaced where needed with appropriate cast iron ones.
- The Hall interior has been repainted and all is spick and span for the coming season!
Grateful thanks are due to all those members of the Hall Restoration Committee who worked hard to achieve this and in particular to Julie Davenport, David Grindle, Ian Bagnell and Guy Kilroy who oversaw the recent works and to those stalwarts who helped with the cleaning of the Hall.
Huge thanks too to everyone who has helped to fund these works, without whom nothing would be achieved.
We continue to seek contributions and to fund raise towards the cost of re-roofing, which is still necessary within the next few years.
History
St Philip’s Parochial Hall forms a very important and integral resource for both our parish and the wider community and is in regular use for a number of educational and social activities. These include Scouts, Early Learning groups, Rugby Tots, Ballet and Irish Dancing classes, Art Exhibitions, children’s parties, along with fundraising and social events.
The history of the Hall is interesting. It was designed by Sir Thomas Drew, architect of Rathmines Town
Hall, built by Lewis Moore at a cost of £420 and opened on 18 March 1883. Unusually for its time, the
building is constructed of concrete. It is faced in red brick and has a slate roof, terracotta ornamental roof
finials and a large tracery window to the north facing gable. Since 1883, it has remained largely unchanged and although the structure remains solid, in recent years the roof, brickwork and windows have suffered.
As a protected structure, St Philip’s Select Vestry has a responsibility to maintain the building, and is keen
to future proof it in order that generations to come may continue to have use of and enjoy it. The
proposed works will not in any manner change the character of the Hall or extend its footprint. In fact, our
aim is to ensure that following restoration, the Hall looks almost just as it did when built.
Project Overview
The Hall Restoration Committee has identified various and necessary ‘streams’ in order to progress this project, each dealing with a different aspect of the project e.g. construction, finance, fundraising, communication, etc., and has identified a ‘lead person’ for each stream.