Crematorium: A former gunpowder store in Cork has been turned into Ireland's first crematorium outside Dublin, writes Jack Fagan.

An early 19th century gunpowder magazine on Rocky Island in Cork harbour has become Ireland's first crematorium outside Dublin.

The unique building, derelict and in ruin when the tiny island was bought four years ago by Clonmel businessman Louis Ronan, has been transformed into an architectural gem.

The island originally had two adjoining magazine buildings, which were entered through an archway cut through the surrounding bedrock.

It took 10 years to build them and when they were completed in 1818, they were used to store gunpowder manufactured in Ballincollig mills.

The British Navy remained on the island until the early 1920s, when it handed it over to the new Irish state.

The island later lay deserted for almost 40 years during which the magazines were vandalised and stripped of most of their fittings including the original oak wood blocks which covered the floors.

In 1964 Irish Steel acquired the 3.6-acre Rocky Island and two years later it lost its island status when it became the mid-point of a bridge linking Ringaskiddy and Haulbowline.

During the construction of the bridge, the magazine on the eastern end was filled in and the road built over it.

The future of the island was finally sealed when Mr Ronan acquired it from the receiver of Irish Steel in 2004.

After securing planning permission to provide a crematorium in the magazine he assembled a top class professional team to carry out major repairs before proceeding to convert it into a crematorium. The results are stunning.

The entrance leads through a cave-like tunnel into a handsome courtyard where water cascades into a newly built pool. Close by a 90 year old Arbutas tree adds a touch of green to the dense limestone walls.

The surviving building is characterised by strong lines and features typical of a military building from the early 19th century.

There are three lengthy, vaulted stores, including a central brick vault that is now the main spiritual space for the final ritual.

A new opening in the 7ft thick roof gives a mysterious glow through a cast glass screen, forming a backdrop to the catafalque where the coffin is placed in the centre of the spiritual space.

Flanking the main corridor are two lighting passageways which were originally used to provide light.

The passageways have been fully restored down to providing replicas of the magazine lamps from the period. The floors are again covered in oak blocks laid in a herring-bone pattern without nails (to prevent sparking) like the original floors throughout the building. The lighting passageways are now used as family rooms, refreshments area, offices, repository and cremators.

Intervention in the main vault is minimal to enhance the beauty of the brickwork which varies in colour from black to brown, pink and red tones.

The architecture is intentionally devoid of all particular symbolism, making way for the more universal features of light and shade, hard and soft, open and closed.

Two moving walls with a special acoustic material have been installed in the spiritual space to reduce echo, provide relief and contrast to the brickwork and give the operators the option of making the space more intimate for smaller congregations at a service.

The committal gates are cast in blue glass and are lit from the steel frames. Otherwise, the materials used in the conversion are on similar lines to those found in early 19th century buildings: chunky oak, limestone paving, local marble and copper.

The main building has tall limestone facades fronting on the courtyard at the entrance and another courtyard at the back. These exterior walls were designed to collapse into the courtyards in the event of an explosion.

Patrick Creedon of Cork-based architects Magee Creedon, who led the design team, said the intention was to create a "kind, gentle place, yet strong and assured with a human scale, classical proportions yet asymmetrical movement. A place to be thoughtful and sad but never to despair."

He said it was rare that one had a client who entrusted you with the opportunity "to take such an historical building in a unique island setting and transform it into a place for the symbolic ritual of farewell".

For such an extraordinary building which has cost a fortune to bring it up to its present condition, visitors will be surprised to find that it is not visible either from the surrounding land or from the sea. That is part of its glory.