The closure of Grace Church in Dundalk raises questions. It is clear that the owners of the premises had worked with the Church to address the issues surrounding the fire risk in 2012 and 13. Why a year later was there such an abrupt termination of the rental agreement? Do we have a situation where like in Galway the rents were not paid? Then where did the tithes and offerings that were dedicated to address this problem go? We can ask what type of lifestyle did the pastor and his fellow leaders enjoy? What is his house like, does he drive a modest car? All we hope will be revealed as we hear from the public.
http://www.independent.ie/regionals/argus/news/grace-church-forced-to-close-28966876.html
Grace church forced to close
Published 12/12/2012
GRACE Fellowship is to close the doors of its facilities at the North Link Retail Park this afternoon (Tuesday) following a court hearing in which ‘serious and immediate’ concerns were raised by the council about the building’s fire safety.
The Christian church’s leader, Hassan Boyle, gave an undertaking at Dundalk District Court to close the building – which houses a school, coffee shop, assembly room and place of worship – from 3pm, after the county council’s fire officer there was a ‘serious risk’ to the public.
The council took a case in front of Judge Flann Brennan last Thursday alleging Mr Boyle and the landlords – Kenneth Cumiskey from Blackrock and Raymond Cumiskey from Dromiskin – had failed to comply with a closure notice served in June. A CHRISTIAN church organisation that runs a coffee shop and a school from retail units in Dundalk has undertaken to close from this (Tuesday) afternoon after ‘serious and immediate’ concerns were expressed by the council about the fire safety of the building.
Grace Fellowship, headed by Hassan Boyle, is leasing units 1-2 at the North Link Retail Park and using the former furniture shop and store for a 43 pupil school, a place of worship, a coffee shop and an assembly hall capable of catering for around 285 people.
Mr Boyle rents the property from landlords Kenneth Cumiskey, 10 The Meadows, Rock Road, Blackrock and Raymond Cumiskey, Little Road, Dromiskin and, in June this year, all three were served with a notice from Dundalk Town Council to shut the buildings down because, according to the council’s fire officers, there is a serious risk to the public from a potential fire.
Summonses were issued by the council to the three men accusing them of starting work without a commencement notice, materially changing the building without a fire safety certificate and failing to comply with the closure notice.
The case was part-heard at the district court last Thursday when council solicitor John McGahon said his client’s fire officer had inspected the building as recently as the previous week and had ‘serious and immediate concerns’ about the fire safety of the building.
Mr McGahon alleged that there is insufficient fire separation between parts of the building, where furniture – deemed a high fire risk material – was being stored and the units rented by the Grace Fellowship.
In addition, it is the council’s case that fire escapes were not adequate either.
Mr McGahon said: ‘Coming up to Christmas, the numbers frequenting it (Grace Fellowship) are only going to increase and we have a concern there’s a serious and immediate risk to the safety of the public’.
But the Cumiskeys’ solicitor, Conor Breen told Judge Flann Brennan an engineer’s report for the defendants showed that fire separation work had been carried out, smoke alarms and emergency lighting are in place and wall linings are in the process of being replaced. Mr McGahon said the fire officer would dispute some of that.
Judge Brennan adjourned the case to today (Tuesday) and said ‘if there is a closure notice served, it should be complied with’.
On Tuesday, Mr Boyle gave an undertaking to close the building from 3pm today and remain closed until the works are completed to the satisfaction of the fire officer.
Filed under: Victory (Faith Movement or Prosperity Gospel) Archive Abundant Life |
Dialogue Ireland 
Anonymous A wrote:
What did I say about Hassan and Lucy other than Lucy is Tom’s sister? What is this stuff you are referring to?
Could you clarify your use of stuff. It is pity that you feel a need to attack Tom in defending his sister and brother in law.
Then you might enlighten us as to why this Church which seemed to have resolved its planning issues closed down with such dispatch?
We never claimed there was a connection, but rather asked the question why is Tom in Dundalk when he is Pastor of a Church in Galway? It was a question posed to him and I phoned him to ask about it. What is Grace Church doing now and is it continuing. We will provide space for any statement by Hassan Boyle or anyone in leadership.
Perhaps you could show how you came to this conclusion from the articles published. The issue was a court order that was not obeyed and a fine being given as a result. It was my understanding that all those issues were resolved?
I have some simple questions for you?
1. Was the Church a Trust or Company in structure?
2. Did it obtain registration as a Charity in October last?
3. What view of the Church does the new regulator take of the Church?
4. Were accounts published and given to the members of the Church?
5. How did one become a member of the Church?
This is really not pertinent to the current situation. It is like discussing the decoration of the restaurant on the Titanic as it hits an iceberg. Note it was archive material and is not material to the sudden closure of a Church?
It is your need to divert onto this issue that is making it an issue. It is a side show. I again note your need to take a pop at Tom. Are you telling me that he and his sister can’t resolve their issues?
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I think that girl was referring to the stuff you are saying about Hassan and Lucy. The stuff about Tom is probably completely true. His reputation proceeds himself no matter where he goes. As a person who has attended Grace church for many years I have never met more integrious people then Hassan and Lucy. I know they have no affiliation with this new church that Tom has started.
The stuff with the fire officer was a little misrepresented in the media… It is made out that the place was a run down kip. That was not the case at all!
Unfortunilty on this occasion the people from talk of the town didn’t contact the people involved either.
After 28yrs of working in Dundalk one issue that is very easily explained and was resolved is not worth dragging their reputation through the mill with people like Tom.
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I am not sure what you are referring to in regard to being misinformed? I assume you are not referring to the article which is in the public domain, but rather to the questions I am asking? I have raised a series of pertinent questions and am not sure how questions can be misinformed?
I certainly do not see it as funny.
I would say that I am responding to a request from a member of the public and I am not sure which words you believe were twisted. Perhaps after reflection you could inform the public?
Actually this took up a lot of time and effort to do the research, and it was more an early morning at the office.
I should inform you that I indeed tried to contact Tom Cooney as I did about three years ago. He refused to meet and threatened me with the law. I am open to meeting anyone involved, just call and I will come up to Dundalk to meet you. I phoned him yesterday giving him the right of reply and he has not returned the call as yet.
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I think you have been very misinformed! It’s funny actually!
Then again all you are here for is to point fingers and twist words and created suspicion about people. So just another day at the office for you!!
Some time… You should talk to the people you write about and find out truth instead of just writing slander.
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