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Churches offer community hubs following Storm Eowyn

 


Some of the people who arrived at Trory Schoolhouse enjoying some warmth.

Storm Eowyn has caused destruction of property including buildings and trees and hardship to many people through loss of electricity and vital services.

But the storm has also brought out the best qualities in people.

At St. Michael’s Parish Church, Trory, which is part of a group alongside Killadeas, the Rector Revd Mark Gallagher discovered that the Trory church sitting prominently on top of a hill overlooking St. Angelo Airport and the adjacent Schoolhouse used as a hall, had miraculously not suffered any loss of electricity unlike most other homes and buildings in the area. So he decided to offer it as a community hub where parishioners and members of the public could come and enjoy a warm cup of tea or coffee and hot soup as well as charging their phones and devices.

He did this in conjunction with Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, the Airport Café, Irvinestown Primary School, local Orange Lodges and Ballinamallard Scouts.

Then as schools returned again this week, the Schoolhouse was used as a homework hub.

Revd Mark said; “I’m sure there are loads of people in a situation like mine where up to 50 per cent of the parish is still without electricity and the churches are co-ordinating the local effort to try and bring some form of normality.

On Wednesday afternoon around two dozen people availed of the Trory Schoolhouse and the church for some heat and refreshments. It will be operating again on Thursday and Friday of this week between 3pm and 7pm.

The Courthouse Café, an outreach facility with links to Ardess Parish Church, was open each evening from Monday to Wednesday this week to help people to charge phones and provide a warm space for a tea and coffee and refill flasks. Showering facilities were also offered at the nearby Fountain Centre.

The kindness of people during times of adversity was manifested in many different ways. Such as when a parishioner in Clogher Diocese went to buy a vital connecting lead for a mobile generator and was proving difficult to source. An electrician who was in the area heard of his plight, generously donated a cable to allow a household enjoy some of their home comforts again and help prevent freezers from thawing out.

That lead and generator has gone on to supply others with temporary power until the mains electricity has been restored.

A number of churches and church halls throughout Clogher Diocese suffered some damage to roofs and with the loss of electricity over the weekend, many of them were unable to open for Sunday worship.


Adults and children availing of a homework hub and some refreshments at Trory Schoolhouse.


Plenty of tea and coffee being prepared at Trory Schoolhouse.