The Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, Colm O'Reilly, has defended his decision to award a contract to restore the organ at St Mel's Cathedral in Longford to an Italian firm, writes Patsy McGarry. He was responding to a representation from Fine Gael TD James Bannon in favour of the Irish firm that built the original organ, which was destroyed in a fire in 2009. Bishop O'Reilly said his decision was on "the basis of musicality, design of the organ and value for money".