BOD Church Building — Cat. 944

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Telephone 66124 DERMOT O'REILLY HYLAND A.R.I.C.S., M.R.San.I. 85, Merrion Square Dublin Chartered Quantity Surveyor Very Rev. Fr. Bernard O'Dea, O.B.S., Glenstal Priory, Murroe, CO. LIMERICK. 10th February, 1950. 2023-11-09/944 Dear Fr. Prior, I have examined further the plans of the proposed Church and have come to the conclusion that the cost would be in the neighbourhood of £103,000. This figure has been arrived at by approximate measurement and pricing at rates analogous to similar work carried out in the country. Mr. Hyland and a Contractor who specialises in this type of work and whom I took the liberty of consulting are in agreement with the figure arrived at. I would like to stress that this cost could be varied to some extent in relation to the type of construction and finishes finally decided upon, and in this connection it might upon careful consideration of these factors be possible to effect a saving. With regard to any saving which you may have thought possible through casting the artificial stones yourselves for the internal finishes, I feel having regard to various factors no real saving might be made as the Contractors liability for waste, through slight defects or irregularities and during the procedure of laying, is largely mullified, together with the fact that it is possible that he might add a greater percentage of profit on the laying than he would were he to cast the stones himself. Should the sand and structural stonework be obtainable from quarries on the site it would be feasible to instruct Contractors to bear this in mind when pricing and to only include for haulage, thus saving in the buying of these materials. I would recommend for your consideration and with the view to reduction in cost that the stonework be carried out in coursed rock faced limestone in lieu of coursed random rubble at presently envisaged and which would be considerably dearer in view of the difficulty in laying. Further, if I remember correctly this former suggestion would match in with the existing structure of the castle proper, though this would be subject to confirmation on inspection. Savings might also be affected in the internal finishes generally and in the substitution of sheet copper in lieu of slating on the roofs.