YET ANOTHER PIECE OF ARTWORK IS UNCOVERED IN DOMINICAN

PEOPLE ASKED TO NAME NEW ROOM IN LOCAL CHURCH

JUST weeks after uncovering mosiacs on the altar of the Dominican Church, Fr Jim Donleavy is now throwing out a challenge to the population of Drogheda - a name for a new room in the church, bedecked with historic Italian designs.

The former mass office is being developed into a new addition to the church, but it needs a name.

It features an altar, donated by the Grant family in the 1950s and engraved in Latin (inset) as well as a mosiac, signed by SM Spilimbergo and D Patino.

It’s the work of the famed Spilimbergo school of mosiac art, based in the town northeast of Venice.

Spilimbergo has been known as a mosaic and terraces town for centuries and for 800 years artists from Spilimbergo moved to Venice and worked there, making different types of mosaics and terraces.

Today, there is a world famous school of art in the town.

‘We will be holding baptisms and private blessings and masses here for small numbers. In Italy, rooms like this are called ‘Corino’ meaning small choir, but we’d like the people of Drogheda to name it appropriately,’ Fr Jim stated.

People can just suggest a name and drop it into the Dominican Mass Office with their name and address or indeed into the postbox on the priory door. The new room will open formally on June 20th so all suggestions are needed before then.

The past few weeks has seen huge developments at the vibrant church with thousands collected to carry out electrical repairs and pay for a new carpet. Work is hopefully getting underway on the roof over the summer, before a painting job starts inside.

The church has also received a significant boost about its future when the Master of the Order declined to sign off on a proposed closure, after being under threat for the past number of years. ‘It is a huge boost to us and the congregation. We have an 800th celebration here in 2024 and that’s a year we plan to see,’ he stated.