Limerick church’s golden angel statue lights up the city’s skyline

LIGHTING up ceremonies generally take place at Christmas time but this one was heaven sent in May.

A large crowd gathered late at night at St Michael's Church on Denmark Street to see a golden statue of Archangel Michael up on the bell tower illuminated.

Historian Fionán Coughlan said the monument has looked over Limerick city for almost 150 years and is “truly unique”.

The story began last August when a thunderstorm damaged the church roof.

Fr Leo McDonnell, parish priest, commissioned Collins Steeplejacks to carry out repairs who found the angel to be in a deplorable state. Richard Boland of Collins Steeplejacks observed that it had been directly hit by lightning.

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Thanks to Collins Steeplejacks the original spear was salvaged and the unique monument restored to its full glory.

Litho Circuits was contacted to illuminate the statue. Director Frank Keohane and Lithco installed the lighting as a gift as the project meant a great deal to them. And, on an early summer evening the angel lit up at a flick of a switch. And will do so every night.

Fr McDonnell thanked everyone involved in the project and who donated.

The parish priest concluded with a prayer to St Michael the Archangel that “through the power entrusted to him by almighty

God he will keep us safe from all danger and guide us by the light of his angelic power always from darkness into light”.