St MacNissi’s RC Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A cruciform church in Gothic Revival style built of basalt rubble with sandstone dressings, with a tall engaged bellcote at the west gable.

Main entrance faces west, in ecclesiastical west end. West elevation comprises west gable containing a five-light window of narrow lancets, with a small lancet lower to the left in an end bay which is developed as a tall gabled bellcote, and a gabled porch to the right hand side containing the entrance doorway with a curved triangular window in the apex above. Roofs of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; ornamental ridge tiles. Wall of basalt rubble in rough courses with reticulated pointing; dressings of sandstone to windows and doorway with similar weatherings to a low central buttress and buttresses to extremities; sandstone weathering to outset plinth of basalt across front and string course below main five-light window; string course terminates in foliated sandstone bosses. Five-light windows of simple lancet form, all storm glazed over leaded work; small window to left cusped.

Entrance doorway Gothic arched with chamfered edges; moulded string course with carved head stops. Door of varnished pine vertical boarding with original scrolling ornamental iron hinges; ornamental iron handle and latch. Six steps up to doorway, of new tiles, between concrete plinth walls surmounted by tubular metal handrails. Triangular window in gable of porch has moulded string course with carved head stops.

Two-stage belfry with cusped opening at each level; lower one a niche with moulded string course and carved head label stops, and incorporating base for intended statue; upper one of lancet form containing bell; top stage of belfry built of ashlar sandstone with weathered stone roof to top. Sandstone copings to main gable and porch gable, each surmounted by a sandstone cross of Celtic design.

North elevation comprises long nave of church with a small lean-to projection at the right hand side built in the angle of nave and projecting belfry, and a gabled transept projecting to the left hand side.

Main nave seven windows wide, all simple Gothic lancets with two-stage weathered buttress between third and fourth window form right; wall of basalt rubble in rough courses, reticulated pointing, dressings as previous. Nave roof as previous, with moulded cast iron gutter on sandstone corbels at eaves; rectangular section cast iron downpipe to right of buttress and to left hand extremity of nave wall. Roof of lean-to similar, cast iron gutter on stone corbels as previous; cast iron downpipe as previous.

To left of nave wall west side wall of transept returns, basalt rubble in rough courses with reticulated pointing but different quality and colour of stone from previous. Gabled porch projects: roof, corbels, rainwater goods as previous; Gothic arched doorway with chamfered edge; rectangular double doors containing Gothic arched ledged panels, modern brass handle, with glazed Gothic headed fanlight over.

Celtic cross finial in sandstone to apex of coping. To left of porch, a tall lancet with storm proof glazing over leaded work, as to nave. To left hand extremity of wall sandstone quoins, iron angle-mounted modern globelight near eaves level.

North gable of transept: wall as west side of transept, with quoins to extremities; sandstone gable coping with moulded edge; three lancet windows, with central one taller than other two; later storm proof glazing; dressings finished in grey cement render with dry dash of fine stone particles; cills finished in smooth cement render of buff colour; ocular opening at apex of gable dressed with cement render and containing what looks like wooden louvres, with burglar alarm attached; Celtic cross stone finial surmounting gable; modern glass globelight on metal bracket diagonally mounted on angle of wall at left hand extremity of gable wall.

East elevation comprises east gable of church with side walls of transepts set back and extending to each side, and a low sacristy projecting forwards to the front. East gable of church walling basalt rubble as at north transept; three lancets as previous to north transept gable with scrolling wrought iron Celtic cross finial to apex of gable. Below cills of lancets, lean-to hipped roof of sacristy, Bangor blue slates in regular courses; moulded cast iron gutter on sandstone corbel course; rectangular cast iron downpipe; three rectangular windows to east wall of sacristy, varnished hardwood fixed lights with top hung vent, translucent glass to most panes; window surrounds in cement render dry dashed as north transept gable; modern steel protective grilles attached; sandstone cills; one rectangular ledged door, varnished oak, recessed in smooth cement rendered reveals, lined. North side of sacristy has rectangular window, painted timber fixed light over top hung vent, wired glass, with steel grille; sandstone dressings except smooth rendered cill; cast iron gutter as previous, with circular cast iron downpipe.

South side of sacristy, blank basalt wall, moulded cast iron gutter on concrete replacement corbels; rectangular cast iron downpipe. Short side walls of projecting chancel each contain a single lancet, dressed as previous, and east walls of transepts to each side each contain two lancets, with moulded cast iron guttering on concrete corbels, with rectangular cast iron downpipe on each transept wall, but two windows at north east corner partially hidden by later boiler house walling of precast concrete blocks; conspicuous boiler house flue pipe in polished metal.

South elevation comprises nave wall containing two lancets to the left of a projecting gabled porch and three lancet windows to the right of porch, with projecting gabled transept to the right of nave and projecting western porch to the left. Nave and western porch walls of basalt rubble; moulded cast iron gutters and cast iron downpipes; nave windows dressed with sandstone; storm proof glazing over leaded lights; sandstone weathering to plinth around building. Projecting porch to nave: wall basalt rubble, as nave, with sandstone quoins to extremities of gable; gable contains central doorway with broad chamfered Gothic arched entrance in sandstone repaired with smooth cement render of similar hue; moulded drip over archway ending in carved sandstone head label stops, heads badly weathered. Double doors, Gothic headed, ledged timber, with modern brass handle; three steps up to doorway covered in new tiles between low concrete plinth walls surmounted by tubular iron handrails each side. Projecting western porch to left hand side has one small lancet in south wall dressed in sandstone partially repaired with cement render; storm proof glazing over leaded panes. Modern glass globelights on angled metal brackets to each corner of western porch. To right of nave wall, west side wall of south transept projects: wall of basalt rubble but larger stones and different hue from nave walling; contains gable porch projection to left of a lancet window. Porch walling as rest of transept with sandstone quoins to extremities of gable; gable contains Gothic arched doorway with edges chamfered; rectangular double doors, ledged timber, dark stained, with scrolling ornamental wrought iron hinges, and modern brass handle, below glazed fanlight. Modern red tiles to step and area in front of door; sandstone Celtic cross to apex of porch gable. Window to right dressed in sandstone as previous with extensive cement rendered finish to lower dressings, smooth finish with surface scratchings, poor attempt to replicate original chiselled finish of sandstone. Moulded cast iron gutter on concrete corbels.

Gable of south transept similar walling to sides; contains three lancets central one taller than other two, dressings of sandstone including splayed cills; storm proof glazing; timber louvred oculus to apex, with later cement render to stone surround, stone visible where render missing; sandstone Celtic cross to apex; modern glass globelight as previous to each corner of transept gable. Beneath central lancet, a sandstone cross set in wall, with inscription ‘In Hoc Signo Vinces’ (meaning, ‘In this sign thou shalt conquer’), above a plain block inscribed with the dates 1831, 1859, and 1905, recording three significant stages in the building of this church.

Setting: the church stands within the built-up area of the town, on a sloping site facing a main road, surrounded by tarmac with a small grassed area to the south. The tarmac area to the north extends to a large carpark. Standing beside south wall of nave and west wall of south transept are four stone crosses of Celtic cross type, but none of special artistic or architectural interest, commemorating previous parish priests. Further south, on lawn, a large basalt rock with modern coloured metal plaque to memory of Bishop McFaul, unobtrusive.

Boundary to west, basalt rubble wall with coping formed by rough hewn basalt blocks. At south corner, entrance gateway with square piers of squared basalt dressed with sandstone; some new replacement dressed stones; original weathered sandstone caps in three stages; pair of wrought iron gates, look new, to traditional pattern. Adjacent to belfry, small pedestrian gateway: square piers of squared coursed basalt; pyramidal sandstone cap; pair of original wrought iron gates. To left, giving access to carpark, widely spaced square piers as previous to pedestrian gateway, mounted with modern steel gates. To left of that, basalt rubble wall with cement coping surmounted by modern steel fence, curved round to form north boundary where wall is cement rendered. Boundary to east partly cement rendered wall and partly iron rails dividing church grounds from adjacent school grounds; mounted on cement rendered wall within carpark area, a modern polished granite inscription plaque, c 1980, recording two schools on carpark site, now demolished. Boundary to south, basalt rubble wall, partly rendered, with a plain wrought iron railing lining a tarmac path which leads to adjacent school.

Historical information

Nave built in 1857-9 to replace an earlier church erected on the same site in 1831; dedicated on 17th July 1859; architect, Robert Young of Belfast. Gallery added at west end in 1895 but demolished in 1993. Transepts, sanctuary, and sacristy added in 1905, along with boundary wall and original wrought iron entrance gates; church re-dedicated on 3rd September 1905. New stations of the cross added 1906; stained glass window installed in south transept, c 1906; new organ installed in gallery in 1929 but moved to south transept in 1994; oak pulpit installed in 1931 but now removed; sacristy burned in 1973; new car park constructed in 1980 on site of demolished boys’ school; stained glass window installed in north transept, 1982; church extensively renovated, 1993-4, including re-roofing of nave but retaining original trusses; sanctuary rearranged with curved triple steps; twin doors from chancel to sacristy closed and replaced by new door to sacristy from north transept; nave floor ramped at west end; main entrance gateway widened and new gates installed. Font, retained form 1831 church, originally recovered from ruins of a medieval abbey church at Portmuck, Islandmagee.

References - Primary

1. PRONI D2194/24/2 (letter from Rev Francis McKenna to the architect Robert Young on 18 July 1857 expressing uneasiness over the site of the church in regard to jurisdiction over roads in the area).

Secondary

1. J. O’Laverty, An Historical Account of the Diocese of Down and Connor, Vol III (Dublin, 1884), p 164.
2. The Parish of Larne: A Short History (Larne, 1994).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This mid-19th century church in Gothic Revival style was considerably added to in 1905 and at other times in this century. Although of some local interest and social importance, the alterations inside and additions outside have spoiled its authenticity as an example of Victorian church architecture.