According to experts from the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, a radioactive rod that’s attached to a cross on top of a church in Drogheda must be removed for health and safety reasons. Mass just got interesting…
Parishioners of the Holy Family Church in Ballsgrove, Drogheda, were given a bit of a shock recently when they were told the lightning conductor attached to the cross on top of the church is actually radioactive and must be removed for safety reasons.
According to the Drogheda Independent, it will cost in the region of €10,000 to remove the conductor that has been attached to the cross for a number of years.
David Dawson from the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) told the Drogheda Independent that 22 of these rods were imported into Ireland in the ’50s and ’60s and only 15 remain in the country.
‘The big danger is that if this came down in a storm or repairs were needed on the roof and it was handled by people it would give a nasty radiation dose,’ Mr Dawson told the Drogheda Independent.
So just be careful the next time you go to Mass. We wouldn’t want you accidentally touching any radioactive rods.
