S S Patrick & Brigid’s Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A sandstone built aisled church with tower and spire and to which has been added N and S transepts.

The west front, gabled, north and south aisles, tower at SW corner terminating S aisle. Pointed central doorway with 2 shouldered doors with decorative trumeau with moulded architrave and ball flower. Above the doors in the tympanum a low relief sculpture in white stone with moulded hood and steps. Over portal 3 long narrow pointed lancets, centre one taller and above a trefoil. Nave gable steep pitched with bargestone overhang and a decorative celtic cross on top.

The 3 stage tower has twice shouldered angled buttressed to top of 2nd stage. At ground floor a single narrow lancet with hood, a stringcourse between stages, pair of lancets at 2nd stages with quatrefoil over, 2 courses of battered stone below belfry. Two open lancets to belfry within shallow frame, top line arched corbelling.

The base of spire begins with corbel course with octagonal spire springing directly from it with pinnacled spirelets at 4 corners and gabled lucarnes between. At midway of spire 4 small gabled lucarnes and 8 tiny ones nearer apex. The spire, banded with narrow courses of pink/red sandstone, terminates with crown mould and metal cross cum lightning conductor. The 4 faces of tower similar except where overlapped by nave and aisle.

The north aisle terminates at W end with small cusped and labelled lancet. Roof pitch less than nave, barge similar.

The N elevation, aisle had formerly, a row of 2 light pointed windows over 5½ bays, 1st bay had pointed door, closely spaced corbels under gutter, slated roof. Clearstorey, 6 bays long, with pairs of pointed lancets but end bays single lancets. Corbels under gutter, natural slated roof and crested ridge. A new N transept projects from the 4th and 5th bays, without aisles but with large wide porch to the west leaving gap between it and N aisle. This porch has pointed door on W gable, with oculus on each side and 2 oculii on its flanking walls. The N gable of transept has a large 3 light pointed window with Y tracery, the E wall a large square headed 6 pane window. The roof pitch of transept more or less matches that of N aisle, natural slated with crested roof of porch similar.

The E elevation has nave gable with 3 narrow pointed lancets as W end, bargestones same. Gables of aisles 3 clustered narrow lancets, centre taller. All windows without hood mouldings. Attached to S aisle a 2 storey former sacristy block which projects beyond aisle creating a recess between it and the chancel. Sacristy gable has 2 light pointed windows at ground floor and single light above. Bargestones as before surmounted by cross. On the N wall a shouldered door and above a small quatrefoil.

The S elevation is dominated by the new S transept, and porch which corresponds with that to the N. The 2 storey former sacristy knits into it with slightly lower ridge line, cresting retained. The S wall of sacristy has 3 2 light pointed windows at ground floor and 4 single narrow lanterns over.

The walls of church are in a soft biscuit sandstone, while the sandstone of the extension is a little raw it will mellow with time.

The church is sited on rapidly rising ground on the east side of Moyle Road and set well back from it with its W front parallel to the road. The site is generous with a large carpark to the N, a graveyard to the E and a primary school on lower ground to the south. While the spire of Holy Trinity is lost in the hollow that is The Diamond, the spire of S.S. Patrick and Brigid dominates the roofscape of Ballycastle.

Historical information

The church of S. S. Patrick and Brigid replaced a former chapel located at the end of Fairhill Street, which became a school in 1875 and is now a cattle/sheep mart. The present church was designed by Jeremiah McAuley, curate in the parish, in 1870 and dedicated in Aug. 1874. Jeremiah McAuley was an architect, who became a priest of Down & Connor diocese and later joined the Passionist Order. He always suffered from ill-health. He was also the designer of St Peter’s Cathedral in Belfast completed under the architect John O’Neill and Mortimer Thompson. The building without spire cost £4,000.

The spire of the church was added in July 1890, mason Charles Darragh. Bell erected in 1892 weighs 30 hundredweights. The spire of the church was erected in 1898, for a while used to affix aerial for Marconi’s experiments but the parish priest later withdrew his permission. The Stations of the Cross, supplied by Mayer of Munich, cost £147, erected in 1909. The mosaic work in the sanctuary was done in 1930 to honor Father Bernard Murphy being a canon of the diocese.

The recent work to the church began Nov. 1992 and completed October 1993. Parish priest Very Rev N Watson, arch. P Byrne, Belfast, builder McHenry Bros, Ballycastle. Structural engineers Albert Fry Associates, Belfast. Stonework by S McConnell & Sons, Kilkeel, new decorative glass by Sheridan Stained Glass Creations, Co Kilkenny.

References

Primary Sources
1. O.S. Map 1904 Ballycastle.
2. O.S. Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of Co Antrim, 1830-2, 1835, 1838-9
Ed by Angelique Day, Patrick McWilliams and Noirin Dobson. p. 94
3. O’Laverty, Diocese of Down & Connor, Ancient & Modern. Vol IV.
4. Notes, 1st Survey, E.H.S. Hill Street, Belfast.
5. Solemn Blessing and Re-dedication Booklet 1993
6. Brett, Buildings of County Antrim. p. 66.

Secondary Sources
1. UAHS, Glens of Antrim. p. 50.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
E. Spatial Organisation
F. Structural System
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

An imposing , well proportioned, sandstone built church in early Gothic style by priest architect Jeremiah McAuley, on an elevated site overlooking the town of Ballycastle. In 1990s greatly extended by the addition of N & S transepts, porches, crypt and liturgical reorganisation. The church contains good original interiors. The trussed roof is of note. The transept additions do not substantially detract from the character of the building. The grounds around are well kept with good entrance gates. It is of local historic value and of wider interest due to its original architect. It is a building of social importance.