A County Kildare church is facing a repair bill for a leaky roof
because children from the locality used it as a slide last winter during
the prolonged freeze-up.
Parishioners at Cill Mhuire church at Ballymany, outside Newbridge,
were told by their priest, Fr Ruairí Ó'Dómhnaill, that the reason the
church roof was leaking and needed repair was that slates had been
damaged by youngsters sliding on snow down it last winter.
"It dates back to last Christmas when we had the big snow and
youngsters got up on the roof to slide down,” he explained to the
congregation, as he asked them to contribute to a collection to repair
it.
“Since then our roof has been leaking and I got a chap to go up and
check it and he saw a lot of broken slates and said they were from the
youngsters on the roof last Christmas."
Fr Ó'Dómhnaill warned parents of the dangers of children playing on
the roof of the church as well as of the damage it caused.
"People were
wondering where all of the leaks were coming from but there are broken
slates on the Church roof - they break very easily.”
"There is quite an incline on that roof and it is easy to get up on
it and a bit of a thrill to get down - though it is rare we get snow
like that here."
Fr Ó'Dómhnaill said he was partly trying to explain why the roof was
leaking and needed repairs but also a warning about the dangers to
children and teenagers if they should try to carry out the same stunts
next winter.
He said that he had not personally seen the church roof
used as a slide.
The church was built in 1983 and has a fan-shaped design and a long
slanting roof.
Fr Ó'Dómhnaill hoped the leaking roof will be fixed
before the winter sets in.
Sergeant Seamus Rothwell of Newbridge said the area around the church
was regularly patrolled by Gardaí.
"We would encourage parents not to
let young people hang around the area because if something happens the
finger will be pointed towards the young," he added.
SIC: CIN/IE