Sir, - It was with surprise that I read (The Irish Times, January 26th) of the plans of Kerry County Council to grant planning permission for the demolition of the 130-year-old cut-stone building in Killorglin that was the former Wesleyan Methodist chapel. As a postgraduate M. Phil student, researching the Protestant communities of South Tipperary, I have a keen awareness of the number of former Protestant churches which have been needlessly demolished across Southern Ireland since independence, and especially since the second World War, when they could easily have been recycled for another use.
Many of these churches, predominantly of the Church of Ireland, were in small villages or isolated rural settings, in the period before the advent of large-scale tourism which we are now experiencing. In the absence of viable alternative uses, most were demolished without the slightest protest being aired.
It is commendable that this is not the case today. I am delighted to note that many local people in Killorglin are against the demolition, and that An Taisce is equally opposed. Despite its state of disrepair, the building is not roofless, and with the removal of the small modern extension it would be a valuable asset to the heritage of the town. As a former Carnegie Library is adjoining, the former church cannot be examined in isolation, as there is another building of heritage value adjoining it.
There were not many Methodist chapels build in south-western Ireland, and those remaining should, in an area where tourism is the all-important source of income, be exploited to their full potential as museums, genealogical centres or arts and crafts shops.
Lastly, I find it beyond belief that it is only in 1999 that Kerry County Council is thinking about listing the buildings of architectural merit in Killorglin. Is this so in all the towns under its jurisdiction, or is this an isolated example? Kerry is decades behind other county councils, some of which are now accepting submissions from the public on the content of each new development plan. I hope those examining this planning appeal will see the logic of retaining the building. Enough land has been rezoned and buildings demolished at the expense of our scenic and architectural heritage. - Yours, etc., David Butler,
Department of Geography, University College, Cork.