He worked on the actual construction of Galway Cathedral all of fifty years ago – and for its Golden Jubilee, Harry Lawton decided to do it all again….only this time in miniature and all on his own.
Now his perfectly proportioned scale model of the magnificent landmark will be on display for all to see during next week’s Solemn Novena, which runs from Monday next until Tuesday, February 23.
It squared the circle of the skilled carpenter from Fr. Griffin Road who started his apprenticeship on the Galway Cathedral build in 1958, at just sixteen years old.
John Sisk was the builder and Jack Lillis was the Site Manager or Foreman. Lillis, he remembers as “a hard man to work for”. Leniency was not his forte; he didn’t suffer fools gladly and ran a tight ship.
Harry recalls cycling to the site one morning arriving at 8:02am. The foreman overshadowed him and bellowed in his ear “Do you think this is a holiday camp?”
Later in life, he says the two became more acquainted and Jack admitted “I know I was hard on you” but maintained that it was for his own good – “you were never late for work again,” he said.
The building itself was made using local natural materials including two shades of local limestone. The high walls are in rock-faced stone, and a finely-chiselled light grey limestone accents the windows, doors, arches, columns and moulding. The coffered ceiling is in cedar and the altar, sanctuary and main passageway floors are in marble.
The arches of the cathedral are supported by great steel beams. Harry was present from the very beginning and informs that the first column and arch was erected in the nave of the Cathedral just outside the bookshop.
Four dedicated carpenters spent 18 months working on the beams and supporting arches; Harry Lawton, Tom Browne, Jimmy Comer, and Michael Garvey. They had to ensure its structural integrity.
The Cathedral took seven years to build, and for most of the time working there, they didn’t have a roof over their heads. On wet days, they were tasked with finding old bits of wood and yanking the nails from them.
The foreman would instruct them to do random odd jobs when the weather intervened, preventing productive work.
“They did this for three reasons,” explained Harry, “to prevent workers becoming lazy; to give them something to do, and to save on nails”.
The work ethic bred into Harry from a young age stayed with him for the remainder of his working days – and even into his retirement.
Harry and his wife Mai have five children; Shirley, Maria, Valerie, Harry Jr., and Brian; thirteen grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Like his carpenter father Harry Sr., and son, Harry Jr. – Harry extends that he is happiest when engaged in something creative. Indeed Harry worked alongside his son Harry Jr. for twenty years.
Creating a build to scale model was a passion he harboured for a long time. “I always wanted to do it” he says.
The build took him two years to complete. Having just retired, he decided to take a nonchalant relaxed approach to work. On a typical day he would work from 11am to 3 or 4pm, allowing time for breaks and holidays.
“I did it for my own enjoyment,” he explains and describes the experience of model making as “a labour of love”. The completed model replica is done to ¼” scale.
The model is made from yellow pine – a wood with no knots that is also harder and heavier than other commercial species of pine.
The replica model is held together via glue, pins and nails, while this roof is made of perspex, allowing people to view the inside which is also replicated.
Around €2,500 worth of materials went into creating the mini cathedral. “All materials were sourced from local suppliers,” he says, mentioning local suppliers Thomas McDonagh and T Ó hUiginn.
Noel Fitzpatrick is the electrician responsible for lighting the model Cathedral.
The very able seventy-something year-old is already planning his next model – and while he won’t reveal details just yet as they wait approval, he does conceded that it will be another iconic Galway building.
The Galway Solemn Novena will run from Monday 15 February until Tuesday 23 February at Galway Cathedral. Week day Mass times are at 7:45am, 1:10pm, 3:30pm, 7:30pm, 9pm and mass will be said at 9am, 10:30am, 12:30pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm and 8pm on Sunday.
The Candle Light meditation sessions will take place at 10pm on Wednesday 17 and Monday 22 and last about an hour.
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