- IT’S a stunning picture which is being reTweeted around the globe.
Burt Chapel – By Declan McGuinness/Twitter
This photograph of St Aengus Church in Burt was taken Derry man Declan McGuinness.
And when your brother is Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister and Sinn Fein vice-president Martin McGuinness (who decided to Tweet to his 23,466 followers around the world) then it gets a little bit more attention.
The politician’s followers thought he’d taken the snap but he was quick to make sure the credit went to his younger brother.
Completed in 1967 by local award winning architects Liam McCormack and Frank Corr, St. Aengus’ is one of the most famous historical buildings in Ireland and was named “Building of the 20th Century’ in 1999 in a poll by the Royal Society of the Architects of Ireland.
The building has been described as a timeless monument and its stunning design is appreciated by professional architect and the general public alike.
The church’s unique shape was inspired by the nearby Grianan of Aileach (Grianan Fort).
Sean Harrington, a Derry born architect, in a programme for RTE Radio One’s The Architect’s Eye described how McCormack created the church “in dialogue” with the ring fort and created a structure which “looks like it has grown out of the field it is sitting in”.
The roof of the church is made of copper and looks like it has been draped over the church.
It sits atop of a horizontal row of glass windows and almost looks as if it is suspended from the walls of the church.
The cobblestones used in its construction were salvaged from the Derry Docks.
Other distinguishing features include an off-centre roof light above the altar, a stained glass designed in the Cubist style by Helen Maloney as well as the plastered ceiling in the shape of the roof.
However, over the years wear and tear has taken its toll on the building, which resulted in water seeping through the walls and windows, rendering a number of its rooms unusable.
Work, estimated to cost in the region €300,000, is currently under way to repair the building thanks to a hardworking fundraising committee who organised a three-year long monthly draw to raise he necessary funding.
