Community effort behind new look Killyon Church

After an extensive refurbishment project, Killyon Church will open on Sunday with the first Mass being offered by Bishop Tom Deenihan at 12 noon.
Killyon Church will be dedicated to and named 'The Church of Our Lady and St Dominic' with parish priest Fr Michael Kilmartin explaining that the addition of St Dominic to the title of the church is in recognition of the Dominican priests who lived at Ladywell in Killyon at the border of Longwood and Ballivor parish for many centuries. 
Fr Kilmartin said he is delighted with the refurbishment commenting that "it's beauty is in its simplicity".
"It has been a great opportunity to work with the design team and to get to know the local people of Killyon in bringing this project to reality.
"Like any other building work there are a few items outstanding, that we will need to come back to. It will take time for parishioners and I to get a feel for the new church. It is only when we have lived and prayed in the church that we shall get a sense of the future potential and recognise how we can further utilise the space to enhance liturgy."

The existing Killyon Church was designed in 1954 by local architect James Fehily and replaced the smaller church across the road. A large proportion of the work was done by voluntary labour and records show that over 80 men a day were on site in the initial stages. People living on the four roads out of Killyon did the work on a weekly rota. When it was completed three years later, it was heralded as revolutionary in its time and was one of the first modern churches built in Ireland.
All Killyon people and friends of the Killyon and Hill of Down area are invited to the opening mass which will be Bishop Deenihan's first time in Killyon. It will be followed by the planting of a tree by the surviving tradesmen, mass servers and choir members of 61 years ago.
Killyon Church choir under the directorship of Éanna Greene and the Killyon school choir under the leadership of school principal Jane Burke will assist in the liturgy.
Plans for the reconfiguration and refurbishment of Killyon church were drawn up by local architect, Patrick Gilsenan of PG Architects who also supervised the project. Leech Brothers Ltd were appointed as builders with work beginning last December.
Fr Kilmartin said at all times he and the architect tried to balance keeping respect for the old church and making changes necessary for the building to be fit for purpose for the next 50 years. 
He has expressed his gratitude to all who have supported him in getting the work done and said the main piece of advice he got when he came to Longwood was that he needed to get a good builder and architect and he believes he got that on this project.
He also thanked the Parish Finance Committee, the parishioners who took part in the consultation process and Kit Mitchell and Killyon GAA club for the use of St Finian's Hall for masses over the last 11 months.

Architect Patrick Gilsenan explained how the priority was "to respect the work and local input from the past while bringing the building into the future".
Externally, the building generally looks the same as before and Mr Gilsenan said "it was fundamental to the redesign that the new works retained the overall character and style of the original building". 
However, internally, the layout and finishes have significantly changed. "The overall plan has been turned 90 degrees. The old double height sanctuary area has been demolished and a new curved sanctuary space has been extended out the side. The new altar has a feature stained glass window behind, which is central to the overall space.

"A circular roof-light shines light down over the altar and presider's chair. On the opposite side, newly refurbished strip windows beams different colours of light into the building. The existing stations of the cross have been repainted and rehung at eye level on new wall panelling."
The overall size of the building has actually been reduced from 4,970 sq.ft to 3,670 sq. ft.
An integral part of the new design is the feature stained glass window behind the altar which is of a tree with a cross in the background. A tree was chosen as it is a biblical conceptof life and develops the literal translation of Killyon ‘Cill Éidhin’ which means the place of the wood or forest.

Fr Michael Kilmartin outside Killyon Church as the refurbishment project got under way