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Methodist Manse opens in Moville
19.05.09
by Linda McGrory
INISHOWEN'S Methodist community were out in force on
Sunday evening to celebrate the official opening and
blessing of their new €250,000 manse in Moville.
Construction of the new-look manse began last year
following the demolition of the old house that had
lain empty for some years after falling into
disrepair.
Inishowen's Methodist Minister, Reverend Eric Lawson
and his wife Ruth will live in the new manse for the
next year, until his two-year tenure in Inishowen
concludes in June 2010. He said the family was
“absolutely delighted” with their new home. "The new
house is great. They'll never get rid of us now," he
laughed.
The Methodist church is the smallest of Ireland's
four main churches with around 60,000 members in
Northern Ireland. This trend is borne out in
Inishowen were approximately 100 Methodists
currently reside, explained Rev Lawson. |
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There are no Methodists
currently living in Moville with the nearest
congregations in Whitecastle near Quigley's Point
and Glacknadrummond near Carndonagh. Nevertheless,
the manse committee agreed that Moville should
remain the group's social and community heart and
set about tendering for a new building. |
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The official opening on
Sunday was performed by President of the Methodist
Church in Ireland, Rev Aian Ferguson, who resided at
the old Methodist Manse in Moville around 30 years
ago. He was accompanied by his wife Joan while other
invited guests included Methodist Home Missions
Secretary Rev Des Bains who oversees manse
accommodation, North West Methodist Superintendent
Minister Rev Sam McGuffin and Moville Parish Priest
Fr Paddy O'Kane - whose parochial house is just
yards from the new manse near the centre of the
town. |
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| The new building -
constructed by Keith McGrory's Keithlin Developments
Ltd in consultation with the manse committee - is a
comfortable luxury home. Upstairs it comprises four
bedrooms - two of which are en-suite - and a
bathroom. Downstairs, there is a spacious open-plan
kitchen and living space, a sitting room, a disabled
access toilet/shower room and a communal meeting
room for the local congregation. Rev Lawson, who
hails from Queensland, Australia, explained that the
total project cost in the region of €250,000
including demolition works, construction,
furnishings and landscaping of the grounds. He said
the money came from a variety of sources including
Church funds, donations from individuals and a
contribution from the Methodist Home Missions
Department. |
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