St Mel’s Cathedral Restoration

On Christmas Day 2009, one of the finest Cathedral’s in Ireland was completely destroyed by fire.

Date: 2011 to 2014
Client: GEM Construction
Project Type: Building Restoration

About this Project

Christmas Day Fire 2009

On 25 December 2009, a fire broke out in St Mel’s Cathedral, Longford. Due to freezing weather condition, the Longford Fire Service struggled with freezing water pipe to battle the blaze.

The Cathedral was completely destroyed by the Christmas Day Fire, the building was left a bare shell of its former glory as one of the finest Cathedrals in Ireland.

The fire caused damaged to the Cathedral estimated in the region of €30 million along with St Mel’s Crosier, a relic dating back over a thousand years, which was also lost.

The Restoration Project

MFG Construction were the first company on site to manage the clean-up and demolition of the site so that the restoration project could be trade ready to allow other contractors to get started.

Our contract also included floor excavation, removing large section of stonework for repair, civils work around the perimeter of the building.

Carpentry and installation of suspended floors and work around the staircase leading to the bell tower. There was also structural steel used to support the columns and arches during the construction phase that had to be installed.

We have been on site since 2011 and still find ourselves being called upon for additional items to do, even the Cathedral is since reopened since December 2014.