The Copper Coast Geopark Centre

[Ex- Monksland Church, Knockmahon, Co. Waterford]

What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
T.S.Eliot

One door closes, on our “Copper Coast Geopark Bistro” at Seaview Celtic,
Annestown, and another opens – the acquisition and the start of conversion
of the deconsecrated Monksland Church, Knockmahon to serve as our new
Geopark Centre, for the benefit of all of the communities of the Copper Coast
as well as visitors to the region.  In time the Bistro will re-open in the Centre,
but for the moment, the acquisition of this building and completion of initial
conservation works marks the end, on June 30, 2008, of the INTERREG IIIB
North West Europe funded European Geoparks project. This project has
delivered enormous benefits to the Copper Coast, firmly establishing this
particular UNESCO supported European and Global Geopark amongst the
best there is in Europe. But the end of that project merely serves to mark the
beginning of new endeavours to further enhance and develop the Copper
Coast Geopark by participation in future EU funded projects – one of which
has already been submitted (to INTERREG IVC) and others are in an
advanced stage of formulation.

The building before clearing the ivy

The building after clearing the ivy and before the roof conservation works

Monksland Church is intimately related to the social, cultural and economic
evolution of the community in which it is situated, as its establishment served
not only the spiritual needs of the wider Anglican community of the region
throughout much of the 19th Century and on into the early 1950s, but in
particular the development of the 19th Century copper mining industry from
which the Geopark and the region now derives its name – The Copper Coast.
It is consequently very fitting and appropriate that a building so directly
related to that historic industry will now serve as a centre for the future
development of the UNESCO supported Copper Coast Geopark.

The building after completion of the nave roof works (November2008)

Acquisition of this particular building started out as no more than a “wishful
thinking” idea many years ago (in 2001, during a casual conversation about
ideas for the Geopark in a most unlikely place, Mytilene, Lesvos Island,
Greece), but only became a possibility during 2006, and was finally achieved
in early 2008. It was then a race against time to complete the most critical
conservation works before the EU funding shutters came down on June 30,
2008. That also was achieved, thanks in no small measure to the endeavours
of the specialist conservation works contractors who undertook the works –
Darrock and Brown Ltd, of Bodmin, Cornwall. Their involvement is, in one
way, very fitting, as it serves to re-establish a direct connection with Cornwall,
from where many miners emigrated to work in the Bunmahon copper mines
during the 19th Century, and some of whom are now buried in the graveyard
at Monksland Church. And who knows, some of them may have helped to
build the Church in the first place.

During works:
Slates cracked by rusting screws	Relaying masonry and coping stones along top of nave south wall
Rotten roof timbers and damaged masonry, nave north wall	Rebuilding top section of nave north wall and replacing rotten roof timbers
Slates, timber & masonry damaged by ivy	Rebuilt section of nave north wall, prior to insertion of new roof timbers

Structural surveys undertaken in late 2006 identified, amongst other
conservation issues, serious problems with all roofs on the building: the nave,
the vestry to the rear, which had almost totally collapsed, and also the tower
from which the lead roof had long since been “salvaged”, leaving it wide
open, literally, to the heavens above. The nave roof was easily identified as
the top priority and all efforts focused upon securing that roof within the
remaining funds available. Not only was that achieved, but so too was re-
roofing of the vestry to the rear, and that even though work on the nave roof
proved to be far more extensive than originally envisaged. It was discovered
soon after erection of scaffolding that nearly all the roof slates had been
cracked by rusted screws [see photograph] which had been inserted during
previous repairs made to the roof at some stage during the last 80 years.
This meant that all the slates had to be replaced, rather than making repairs
to smaller sections of the roof. The tower roof, however, still remains to be
done. The small photographs above and below give an idea of the state of
the building before the start of the first phase of conservation work started,
during, and upon completion by June 30, 2008.

Vestry roof:
Before	After works

Early 2009, an electricity supply installed as well as connection to water and
sewerage services. A new floor was laid making the building more useable.

As a temporary measure, small recycled windows were installed into the
blocked up window frames to let in some natural light and heat. These
windows were kindly donated by Bridget Ng of Copper Coast Hair & Beauty,
Benvoy, Co. Waterford.

Temporary windows installed at Monksland Centre (February 2009)

Future plans to replicate the original windows will cost about €40,000 and
funds will need to be raised in order to do so.