Old Kilpatrick chapel destroyed by fire set to be fully restored next year

The Catholic Church has revealed the contract to repair St Patrick’s Chapel will be put out to tender this month.

The chapel on Dumbarton Road went up in flames on August 17 causing tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage to the roof and interior of the building.

But just two months on from the tragic incident, the church has stated it hopes to see restoration works start in January and the chapel opened to parishioners again in early May.

Parish priest Father William McGinley, who tried to put out the fire with the help of a passer-by, said the chapel was structurally sound but extensively damaged inside.

“The fire has mainly destroyed the back end of the chapel,” he said. “The sacristy, crying chapel, toilets and service areas were all involved so that’s mostly what has to be done in terms of repairs.

“In the main building they have to look at repairing the ceiling and obviously the electricity and plumbing. They will have to test the floor for any water damage.

“With all of that we would hope to have the tenders in and someone, a construction company, appointed by December. Because of the public holidays work won’t begin until January and hopefully finish by May, that’s the timescale.” Although the church’s sacred vessels were stored within the sacristy, Father McGinley said a vaulted safe ensured they were not damaged by the fire.

The vessels have since continued to be used in daily mass, which is currently held at Old Kilpatrick Parish Church Hall on weekdays; the parish church is used for Sunday worship.

Father McGinley added: “It’s all coming together. It’s a matter of patience now until they get going on the manual work.

“This timeframe gives us a lot of hope. It’s not just a case of it will happen sometime. We know the timeframe and it will take place and that will give us more peace of mind now.” The cost of repairing the chapel will be covered by the church’s insurance policy.