St Patrick's Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A large redbrick transeptual plan church with attached bell tower and projecting apsidal end relieved with sand stone dressings with steep pitched slated roofs in a Hiberno Romanesque style.

The “west” front faces SW with entrance placed symmetrically in gable, it projects slightly from the plane of the red brick, with pitched roof ending in kneeler. The whole is constructed in sandstone. There is a pair of square headed panelled doors with double order of engaged columns on each side decorated with moulded bases and cushion capitals enhanced with Celtic motifs. The columns support recessed arches enriched with chevrons and other designs with further intertwinings filling the tympanum which is broken up in a circle and 2 quadrants. A moulded label crowns the arch. On either side of the entrance there is a single slim arched lancet trimmed with sandstone and capped with hood moulding.

Above the entrance there is a run of blank wall arcading from clasping buttress on one side to tower on the other. Immediately over the arcading there is a large wheel window enclosed in an arched recess with double orders and decoration as the entrance piece. The gable verge is emphasised by a slightly projecting moulded bargestone crowned at apex with a small Celtic cross. The clasping brick buttress rises above the eaves level and is decorated with corbels and cornice and supports a miniature baldacchino type finial.

The red brick tower located at the SE corner of the nave projects forward from the west front with brick clasping buttresses rising to the belfry. Excluding the belfry the tower has 3 stages defined at ground level with a pair of slim lancets on each of 3 exposed sides. The middle higher stage has a decorative canopied niche with statue of St Patrick therein. The other 2 faces have single oculus with hood moulding. The 3rd stage begins with a horizontal moulded string course round all sides and a pair of arched lancets again with double hood and above a corbel arcade linking the clasping buttresses. The painted lancets occur on the 3 exposed sides. The top of the 3rd stage with its projecting cornice is almost level with the gable apex.

The belfry has an arcade of 3 slim arched openings on each face, the springing line linked with moulded string course and arches emboldened with hoods. The decorative work is all in sand stone. Above the belfry which is square on plan there rises an ogee onion type dome the base of which is wider than the tower. The intervening space is filled with horizontal string mouldings and continuous corbelling. Circular eyebrow oculii are on each side of the dome which is covered with copper tiles and surmounted by a small metal cross.

The long sides are similar with double glazed transepts with side extensions almost in line but roofs reversed. The walls are punctuated with tall arched double recessed lancets.The gables of the transepts and side chapels have 2 light lancet with sextet rosette above set in an arched recess. Side porches are placed in the angles of nave and transepts and have parapet roofs with arcaded corbels under moulded coping.

Under the eaves of the nave roof and other roofs there are continuous bold corbel arcades which adds much interest to the façades. Small oculii punctuate each gable with a horizontal band of stone below. Transept quoins are picked out in stone.

The semi circular apse projects from the “east” gable in a stilted fashion with bold arcade corbelled over eaves and 4 no. round headed lancets with deep plain stone band. The gable on either side projects to form recesses within and are roofed with skirted copper sheets and have single arched lancets.

Shallow Confessionals project from transept gables decorated with side buttresses, skirted roof and round headed kneeler and 3 small glazed oculii.

All gables have broad barge stones with rounded and panelled kneelers. A sacristy block is placed at the NE corner with tall shouldered chimney stack. There is a boiler room underneath the external steps.

Roofs have grey stone slates relieved with circular dormer vents. Walls are built of smooth red Bridgewater bricks.

The church is set well back from the Buncrana Road with double avenue approach. The grounds are well planted, laid out and well kept. Each gateway has a pair of pillars in sandstone with moulded bases and conical tops with arcaded corbelling. Each access has a pair of wrought iron decorative gates and along the footpath to the road a low wall with decorative railings.

Within the grounds is a presbytery (see HB01/25/013B).

Historical information

The building was designed by E. J.Toye. Indeed the plan is a typical Toye solution though the overall form and style of the church repeats the designs of a church south of Newry designed by Ashlin and Coleman. Toye and Coleman collaborated on the belfry and spire of St Eugene’s Cathedral and also an alteration to St Columb’s Church in Waterside. The main entrance to Pennyburn resembles that of the Long Tower Church designed by Toye in 1906/7. Toye died before the building work got underway and the supervision of the work carried out by J. P. McGrath.

The builder was F. G. O’Hare of Warrenpoint. The Bishop of Derry Dr Bernard O’Kane laid the foundation stone on 25th February 1932. The sandstone dressings are freestone from Anshenheath Quarries, Scotland. Messrs Ewart & Son Ltd. of London provided and fixed the copper tiles on the tower done. The church was opened in 1934.

In 1941 the Church suffered severe damage when a large bomb fell and exploded on the other side of the Buncrana Road. Messrs Corr & Associates designed the liturgical changes during the administration of Reverend E Mulvey c1970s.

The building has been sensitively renovated since this survey ( during 2001) by FM Corr and Associates. Works have concentrated on the fabric including a careful repair of the dome.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
E. Spatial Organisation
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

A fine well composed and confident church design in a Neo-Celtic Romanseque Style, with characterful lively detailing throughout both externally and internally. The alterations of the 1970s to meet the liturgical requirements of Vatican II do not mar the original design.
The building is well sited on the axis of Pennyburn Pass albeit a recent roadway. Adjacent is a presbytery much in sympathy with the church in materials used. The grounds are well laid out.