FRANK KEOHANE
BUILDING CONSERVATION ACCREDITED SURVEYOR
CHURCHES
St. Canice's Cathedral
Client: Select Vestry
Appointed as conservation consultant to the magnificent mid-13th century St Canice’s Cathedral in Kilkenny. Responsible for overseeing various roof repairs, inspection of the cathedral fabric and review of the conservation plan for the cathedral prepared by Frank when working with Paul Arnold Architects.
Christ Church Leeson Park
Client: Select Vestry
Commissioned to undertake a quinquennial inspection of this imposing Gothic-revival church built 1860-62 to designs by James Rawson Carroll. The church is presently used by the Romanian Orthodox Community. The report addressed all of the church’s building elements to include the roofs, masonry, stained glass and painted decoration.
Dunfanaghy Church
Client: Select Vestry
Built in 1872 to designs by John Lanyon of Belfast, Holy Trinity was a long-suffering victim of damp penetration through its walls as a result of the inappropriate use of cement mortars in the past. Successful remedial measures involved the raking out of all cement mortars and repointing using lime-based mortars to both the external and internal walls of the church. Further internal enhancement works included modest re-ordering of the sanctuary and the laying of a colourful new encaustic tiled floor to replace a plain carpet.
St. Werburgh's Church
Client: Select Vestry
Built in 1719, the interior of St Werburgh’s Church was substantially rebuilt following a fire in 1756 and survives in a remarkable state of completeness since then. Having prepared a conservation report and overseen various internal ceiling and window repairs in 2011. In 2019 crucial stone repairs and conservation works to the east end of the church were commenced.
Collon Church
Client: Select Vestry
Collon, built between 1811 and 1815, is one of the finest Gothic-revival churches in Ireland. It was loosely modelled on Kings Collage Chapel, Cambridge by the rector of Collon and amateur architect, the Rev. Daniel Beaufort. The interior is particularly notable for its spectacular fan-vaulted ceiling. No less significant is the collegiate arrangement of its pews, whereby the pews face each other across the aisle rather than towards the altar. Owing to concerns about the structural condition of the ceiling, we undertook a detailed inspection of the ceiling and the roof timbers as well as a high-level inspection of stonework to the east gable where moisture ingress was an ongoing problem.
Dalkey Church
Client: Select Vestry
Preparation of a quinquennial inspection and report for this early Victorian church designed by Jacob Owen. Issues with long-term water penetration and the condition of pointing mortars was a particular concern for the client as deterioration of inappropriate cement-based mortars was allowing moisture to work its way into the core of the wall.
Abbeyleix Church
Client: Select Vestry
A church first built to designs of John Semple of which only the steeple was left standing when the nave and chancel were rebuilt by Thomas Henry Wyatt in 1863-65. Commissioned to oversee the internal redecoration of the church and the installation of a lighting scheme which is more appropriate and complimentary to the building’s interior.
Clontarf Church
Client: Building Committee
Commissioned to undertake a quinquennial inspection of this handsome granite and red sandstone church built to designs by Sir Thomas Drew, 1888-90. The report addressed all of the church’s building elements to include the roofs, masonry, stained glass and painted decoration.