As a specialist Smart Access Control contractor in Tipperary we were delighted to work on a historic building project involving the Franciscan Friary in Clonmel helping upgrade the living quarters previously used by the Franciscan monks to serve as emergency accommodation for Ukrainian refugees.

Upgrading and enhancing the security of the existing double pitch pine doors without destroying its heritage appeal was a tricky ask, so we came up with a clever solution that ensured we could provide the enhanced security with the ability to fully restore the existing setup once the use for emergency accommodation finishes.

Some History

The original Friary Church in Abbey Street, Clonmel was built in 1269 and had a rather turbulant history. The monastery was seized during the suppression on the 8th of March 1540, the Franciscans became dispersed and moved to other locations in Clonmel as a result. The Franciscans returned to this monastery in the 1800s.

Mixing Old with New

Our proposed solution was to take down existing double doors and to put them into storage. A new solid 60mm teak single-leaf door and frame would be made to fit into the existing ope and fixed using temporary fixings. A Wireless Smart Handle AX Solution with a high security auto locking Lock which is fully compliant to EN179 for emergency escape regulations would be installed to provide a complete high security access control solution on the door.

The existing doors which were made out of pitch pine and had a distinct heritage appeal about them. They were rebated 44mm thick doors with a single glaze glass elements in them. Achieving a higher level of security with these doors just wasn’t going to be an effective option especially without affecting the historic appeal of the doors.

Smart Access Control: Aesthetically Pleasing Yet Secure

As you will see at some stage a poorly fitted mag lock and keypad was installed on the door which again is far from an ideal solution. We had a specially made 60mm thick solid teak single leaf door and inset frame made to fit into the existing ope when the two existing doors were taken down. The two existing doors will be moved into storage so they can be restored and re-installed when the Ukrainian refugees leave the emergency accommodation center.

The new door and frame were installed using temporary fixings allowing this new door to be removed without any damaged to the existing frame and surround. The new door was stained to match the colour of the existing pitch pine timber as close as possible. The Wireless Smart Handle AX Solution is a discrete and secure access control solution for this door as it does not require any cables etc to be run in the building.

A commercial grade door closer was also installed to ensure the door closes in a controlled manner thus ensuring the area is always secured. Each time the door closes, the locking solution securely auto locks the door.

As you can see, the colour matches in almost perfectly especially on the inside. A security laminate glass was used to allow in sufficient light into the area without reducing the security level achieved.

The Wireless Smart Access Control Solution chosen delivers the ultimate blend of discretion and security. By combining the Smart Handle AX from Simons Voss Technologies with a high security auto locking lock we can achieve a high level of physical security with full compliance with the emergency escape regulation EN179 and also deliver a discrete yet highly secure locking solution without any requirement for cables.

Escape Compliance

Compliance with the mandatory European Emergency escape regulations is highly important in any building opened to the public. Not only is it important to be compliant with the emergency escape requirements it is also a minimum legal requirement.

We specialise in designing and developing a Smart Access Control System that will meet all of your requirements. If you are interested in looking at a Smart Access Control System for your organisation please contact our technical sales team on 052 6128090 or info@integratedsecurity.ie and we will be happy to assist you in developing the ultimate access control system for your requirements.

Killian D’Arcy

Director & Electronic Locking System Engineer