The last remaining Methodist church in Co Clare has been offered for use by the community of Kilkee as part of an effort to refurbish the 100-year-old building.
Rev Desmond Bane, of the Home Mission of the Methodist Church, said the building, which celebrated its 100th anniversary last week, was constructed for use by holidaymakers and by church members in the resort town and that tradition of catering for tourists had continued through to this century. "It is used during the summer because there is not a Methodist community as such living in Kilkee," he said.
The simple stone building has weathered the west Co Clare storms well but now needs a new roof. "It is difficult for us to justify spending a great deal of money for a place that is used just for a couple of months of the year."
He is hoping that a funding arrangement with the community could be arrived at in return for the building's use in "some kind of scheme or project of co-operation. It could be used as a visitors' centre, as a historical centre, for meetings of different groups within a community."
The Methodist congregation has been active in the mid-west since the church was founded by John Wesley in Ireland in the 18th century. The first Methodist conference was held in Limerick in 1752. Two lay people from Ballingarrane, Co Limerick, Philip Embury and Barbara Heck, founded the first Methodist society in the US when they emigrated there. The Kilkee church, together with ones which existed in nearby Kilrush and in Tarbert, Co Kerry, formed the West Clare Mission. Rev Bane said there were up to 6,000 Methodists now in the Republic who were "a committed force".
Elsewhere in Co Clare, a church is shared in Shannon with the Presbyterian congregation and the Church of Ireland. Rev Bane said he expected the Kilkee church would continue to be used by holidaymakers. "That tradition has continued for 100 years and visitors have conducted services."
The last service is in August before a Harvest Service with the Church of Ireland community in their Kilkee church.