Constructed of tin, St. Peter’s Tin Church Laragh is one of a kind in Co. Monaghan and unique on the island of Ireland for its quirky design and carefully considered features. It is part of Ireland’s irreplaceable built heritage and was listed as a Building of National Importance by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage in 2014.
St. Peter’s of historic Laragh village is built on a rock, in a beautiful woodland setting amongst the ferns and ivy. As you approach from either side and round a bend in the road, this highly unusual Tin Church stands dramatically on a high rock overlooking a small, fast flowing river. It is a rare example of a 19th century corrugated iron clad church. It displays a wealth of amazing architectural details and makes a picturesque artistic contribution to its wooded valley on the outskirts of Laragh, a former mill village in south County Monaghan.
It is anecdotally said that its Swiss gothic hybrid style was applied by the mill owner and his wife following their honeymoon in Switzerland – its site carefully chosen to mimic that found in the Swiss Alps. St. Peter’s Tin Church Laragh was deconsecrated in the 1950s. St. Peter’s Tin Church Laragh was reopened in 2014 and is a popular fringe venue for larger festival and touring musicians/drama groups in the region.
For lovers of Country and Western music, go along to see the great sculpture of Big Tom, in the centre of Castleblaney.
