The late Louis Feeley, Newpark Drive, Kilkenny, and Kiltoom

On the top floor of Rothe House hang two oak beams that formed part of the original roof of St Canice’s Cathedral. They are important as possibly the only examples of decorated roof beams in Ireland to survive from the 13th Century.

When Potter’s Seed Store on High Street was being demolished in 1971, these very beams were among the rubble and about to be cut up for firewood. They were noticed and rescued by Louis Feeley, who procured them for the museum in Rothe House.
Not for the first or last time, an important piece of our history could have been destroyed without his expert eye and vigilance.

Kilkenny owes a huge debt of gratitude to Louis Feeley, who died on March 14 in his 96th year. His legacy cannot be underestimated, with a footprint that includes the restoration and conservation of our most treasured monuments and historic buildings, in Kilkenny and around the country.

His association with Kilkenny goes back to 1962 when he moved here to establish the National Monuments Service of the Office of Public Works (OPW), with his first project the restoration of Rothe House.

He set up headquarters in New Building Lane and recruited a team he described as ‘the most gifted craftsmen I ever had the privilege to work with’. They included Jim Rafter, Mick Fahy, Jack Cody, Joe Gargan, Jim Norris, Joe Brennan, Mick Kelly, Mick Hanley, Pat Cass and Dick Duncan.

For Louis Feeley, this was the start of 35 years of dedicated service that saw him oversee the most important restoration and conservation undertakings in the history of the State. They included Rothe House, Shee Alms House, Jerpoint Abbey, The Rock of Cashel, Cahir Castle, Ormonde Castle, The Swiss Cottage, Tintern Abbey, Holycross Abbey, Ross Castle, the beehive huts on Skellig Michael and more.

Louis was awarded the Europa Nostra Award for his restoration work on Shee Alms House and, in 2012, his legacy was acknowledged when he received the Kilkenny People Hall of Fame Award for his contribution to our heritage.
Louis was also the man responsible for structured training for apprentices in stone and timber craftsmanship. Concerned that these skills should be protected and encouraged, he persuaded OPW to introduce a pilot scheme with Fás that was adapted nationwide and which flourishes today under the National Apprenticeship Office.

Voluntary work
When Louis retired in 1994 he put his expertise to the good of the community with almost 20 years of voluntary work for the benefit of the people of Kilkenny. He offered his services as voluntary Diocesan Buildings and Projects Advisor, travelling the length and breadth of Ossory, ensuring all parish property passed muster.
Louis was a man of great faith and St John’s Church was an important place in his life. He was a reader at mass, a Minister of the Eucharist and attended 8am every morning.

He was chairman of the committee that restored St John’s Church in the 1990s, was chairman of St John’s Centenary Committee and was instrumental in the development of the St John’s parish homes for the elderly. He was also a member of the St John’s Committee for the Elderly, a member of the Knights of St Columbanus, and St Joseph’s Young Priests’ Society.

Louis was one of the founders of the Samaritans in Kilkenny, which is currently celebrating 30 years. In doing so, Fr Dan Carroll commented, ‘he indirectly touched the lives of countless people across Kilkenny’.
A proud Connacht man, Louis played intercounty football for his native Roscommon in the 1950s. He held five championship medals with his local club, St Bridget’s and one with Fintan Lawlor’s in Dublin. He then refereed for many years and stewarded for more than 25 years in the Ard Comhairle section of Croke Park.

Louis’ love of Gaelic football saw him establish, with others, Clann na nGael in Kilkenny. Many of his teammates – Peter Flannery, Tom Cunniffe, Paraic Leydon, John Smyth and others – also boasted west of Ireland pedigree.

A superb craftsman, Louis’ favourite pastime was restoring antique clocks. He was gifted with words and a talented poet. He loved reading the works of other poets and could recite reams of poetry. He appreciated a witty turn of phrase, a funny story and loved retelling anecdotes. He was a great reader and had just finished Angela Merkel’s biography shortly before his passing.

As for news and current affairs – his family recall that everything stopped for the news. Louis bought two papers a day, the Kilkenny People every week and, at one stage, three papers on a Sunday. Politics was a hot topic of conversation at home and he was interested in this up to the time of his passing.

His family recall him as a wonderful husband, father and grandfather who loved his home, which was an open house and a destination for friends and family from near and far.

Delivering his eulogy, Louis’ eldest daughter Anna Marie recalled a story of when, out walking his dog one evening in Kilkenny City, Louis came across a young Swiss woman who was crying. She had been touring around Ireland with Kilkenny her final destination and was travelling home to Switzerland the next day with most of her money spent. She hadn’t realised how much a B&B would cost and didn’t have enough money. Louis brought her home to his house where she was given dinner, put up for the night and driven to the airport the next day.
RECENT DEATHS IN KILKENNY

“That was our dad,” she said. “Always there to help somebody he saw in distress or in a crisis.”
Louis is a former President of the Institute of Clerk of Works in Ireland and former President of the Roscommon Men’s Association.

He is survived by his wife Mai, daughters Anna Marie and Alma, son-in-law Brian and grandchildren Isabel and Joe.
Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann.
- AF