- ACEI Design Excellence, Large Structures Project of the Year
The foundation stone for St. Mel’s Cathedral was laid in 1840, completed in c.1890 and was consecrated in 1893. In the early hours of Christmas Day, 2009 fire broke out in the Sacristy of the Cathedral, destroying the interior and roof of the Cathedral, with some damage to the external facing stone.
PUNCH were appointed as civil and structural conservation engineers to help bring this much-loved building back to its former glory. Our focus has always been to first stabilise the existing and, when safe to do so, restore the structure.
On Saturday, 20 December 2014, Bishop Francis Dufy, Bishop of Ardagh & Clonmacnoise, reopened the now restored Saint Mel’s Cathedral five years after a devastating fire destroyed the building on Christmas morning 2009.
PUNCH Consulting Engineers are very proud to have been the structural engineers for this major conservation, a project which has been described as the largest of its kind in Europe.
At PUNCH, we understand the value of education. That’s why we support our staff who wish to undertake further education and training. We encourage staff members to maintain their Continuous Professional Development (CPD) accreditations with Engineers Ireland. We also continue to offer training in sustainable design and construction through seminars, in-house lectures, and external training programmes. We promote the achievement of professional titles with institutions such as Engineers Ireland, the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland, the Institute of Structural Engineers, and the Institute of Civil Engineers.
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