St Patrick's (C of I) Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, rubble-built, single storey C of I church with two storey tower, originally dating from 1765, but whose cruciform shape was assumed in c.1869 when it was greatly enlarged with the addition of transepts, chancel, vestry and porch. A steeple, which appears to have been original, was removed in c.1972. The church is set on a slight rise to the E of Rathkeel Road on the SE side of Broughshane and surrounded by a small graveyard. To the roadside there is a lych gate to front with a smaller one to rear.

The building is basically cruciform, with the tower to the W gable of the nave. The tower is relatively low, having just two storeys. To the ground floor of the S face there is the entrance porch, added perhaps after 1869. The porch is open and has a picturesque (almost ‘Arts & Crafts’) feel, having a steeply pitched gabled roof with tiles and decorative barges. The barges form the upper portion of a pointed arch open doorway and have decorative piercings (including a shamrock motif to the apex) and a serrated verge moulding. The barges are supported on projecting brackets, which in turn rest on plain, stocky ¾ sandstone colonnettes with tall bases. The short E and W faces of the porch are in squared basalt rubble (with sandstone to outer edges (to the colonnettes). Within the porch (actually to the tower) is a pointed arch doorway with in-out bevelled sandstone dressings and timber sheeted double door.

To the first floor of the S face of the tower (above the porch) there is a pointed arch window, with louvering and dressings as doorway (all openings are sandstone dressed in much the same fashion). There is a similar window to first floor on the N face, but nothing to the ground floor level. To the ground floor of the W face there is larger pointed arch window with geometrical tracery consisting of double pointed arch lights (with cusps) and trefoil. This window has a bevelled sill and is filled with pictorial stained glass (see interior description). To the first floor is a clock with black dial and white (Roman) numerals. The E face of the tower, which is only exposed at first floor level, is blank.

The tower has raised in-out sandstone quoins and is topped with a projecting eaves course and a parapet with arcade-like panelling. To the corners of the parapet are octagonal pointed pinnacles. The tower was originally topped with a spire but this became unsafe and was removed c.1972.

The S elevation of the of the church (apart from the tower) consists of the nave (to left), the S transept and the chancel. The nave has two relatively large pointed arch windows. These windows are not identical and are placed relatively close together. Undoubtedly one of them is a later insertion (probably appearing after the building was greatly extended in c.1869), but the positioning of both looks awkward that one gets the impression that neither sits within an original opening. The window to the left has geometrical tracery with paired pointed arch lights (with cusps) and a trefoil, whilst that to right (which is marginally smaller) has intersecting tracery with paired pointed arch lights and V (or ‘Y’) pattern above. Both are sandstone dressed, like the other windows, but both the sandstone and the construction of the dressings to each differs. The right hand window also has rough basalt voussoirs.

To right of the windows projects the S transept. To the W face of the transept there is a small gabled porch with slated roof stone parapet in out sandstone quoins etc. To the short S face of the porch there is a harrow doorway with flat arch head with bevelled corners and sandstone dressings with bevelled reveal. The door itself is timber sheeted and has decorative strap hinges. To the W (gabled) face of the porch there is a narrow pointed arch window with lattice panes.

To the gable of the transept there is a large central pointed arch window with curvilinear tracery with paired pointed arch lights (with cusps) and quatrefoil.. This window has sandstone label moulding and basalt voussoirs. To the E face of the transept there are two narrow pointed arch windows, with voussoirs as before.

To the right (E) of the S transept is a small gabled vestry. This has a steeply pitched slated roof with stone parapets. To the S face of the vestry there are paired pointed arch windows with lattice panes. To the E (gabled) face there is a small doorway, much as that to porch to W side of the transept (see above), but with shouldered opening.

The N elevation is largely a mirrored version of that to S but with narrow pointed arch window (with lattice panes) to W face of the transept instead of a porch and a single window to the E face.

To the centre of the rear (E) elevation is the gabled transept, with steeply pitched slated roof with stone parapet. To S the chancel is abutted by the vestry. To the (E facing) gable of the chancel there is a large pointed arch window with geometric tracery consisting of triple pointed arch lights and three roundels. This window has sandstone label moulding and basalt voussoirs. In the intersection of the chancel and the gable of the nave / E face of the N transept, there a small (recent looking) lean-to boiler house with rendered walls timber sheeted door (to E face), aluminium flue to W and corrugated iron roof.

The original portions of the building (i.e. the western section of the nave and the tower) are finished in fieldstone rubble. Much of this (especially to the nave) is basalt, as one would expect in County Antrim, but the tower appears to be in a mixture of rubble, or has been patched in different types of rubble such as sandstone. It is difficult, however, to see the stonework on either nave or tower as it is largely ‘buttered’ with mortar. Both tower and nave have raised in-out sandstone quoins. The porch to the S side of the tower is mainly in (roughly) squared basalt.

The eastern half of the church, (i.e. the portions added in c.1869, transepts, chancel, vestry etc.) are all in roughly squared basalt with uneven ‘in-out’ sandstone quoins. All sections of the roof are gabled and slated. There are stone parapets. The nave has a stone eaves course. The transepts, chancel, vestry and porch roofs all have slight overhangs with exposed rafter ends (in somewhat ‘Arts & Crafts’ fashion). Cast iron rw goods.

The church is surrounded by a small graveyard which itself is surrounded by a rubble wall to N, S and E. To W and SW there is a lower rubble wall with simple cast iron railings. To E there is a small timber lych gate, in similar ‘Arts & Crafts’ style as the main entrance porch. This gate has a carved inscription to its verge, stating that it was erected as a memorial to Rev William Crawford in 1882, and pieced panels to its N and S sides. Its gabled roof is tiled. To the E there is a smaller ‘lych gate’, (which appears more decorative than practical- it is quite narrow and stands over steps, possibly not the best place to rest a coffin!). This gate is in generally similar style to that to front, though its tiled roof is set with gables to sides. Directly over the gate itself (on an arched portion of the structure) is an inscription stating that it was erected as a memorial to ‘The Hon. Edward and Lady Louisa O’Neill [in] 1883’. To the S there is a vehicle gateway with decorative wrought iron gates and pillars in dressed sandstone with decorative gabled caps. A short distance to E of this is a simple wrought iron pedestrian gate, with pillars in rubble and brick.

Historical information

This church stands on the south-east side of Broughshane, a small village largely developed in the late 17th and 18th centuries by the O’Neill family. The building itself is believed to have been built in c.1765 (by the O’Neill’s) and is undoubtedly that indicated on Taylor’s and Skinner’s map of 1777. It replaced an earlier church which stood on an unidentified site close to this. This earlier structure may, in part, have been of medieval construction, for a church of ‘Rathconna’- i.e. the church of the parish of Racavan- valued at one mark (13s 4d) is mentioned in the papal taxation records of 1306; however, nothing is known of this earlier building and the fact that the Visitation records of 1622 list the ‘ecclesiatica de Racavan’ as ‘decayed’, could suggest that it had largely been demolished by this time. The OS Memoirs of 1832 state that some of the older inhabitants of Broughshane remembered the pre 1765 church (whether medieval or not) as thatched.

The present building probably originally consisted of the tower (with steeple) and nave. The aforementioned 1832 OS Memoirs describe it as ‘very small but neat’ with a ‘steeple 117 feet high’, with a further Memoir of 1835 recording that the nave measured ‘50 feet long by 27 feet wide and [was] capable of accommodating 300 persons…with the ‘neat tower 14 feet square on which is erected a cut stone spire’. Also mentioned is the clock in the tower and the bell ‘the former presented by the Honourable Major-General O’Neill M.P., but owing to neglect…now nearly useless’. Strangely, none of these descriptions mention the vestry and the ‘return’ both of which are recorded in the valuation returns of c.1834 and which measured 8¾ft x 11 x 8¼ and 11¾ x 8¾ x 20 respectively. The presence of these sections probably accounts for the odd squat T-plan shape of the church shown on both the map accompanying the valuation and the OS map of 1832. Whether these sections were original or not is uncertain, the valuation grades both sections ‘B+’, implying (in the valuers’ view) that they had been present over twenty to twenty-five years old at that point, however, an article entitled “Broughshane Church” in the ‘Church of England Magazine’ of 2nd October 1869, (as yet unseen by the writers), mentions additions made to the building ‘at the expense of the parishioners in 1829’.

The second valuation of 1859 lists the same dimensions as that of c.1834 with the vestry and ‘return’ both present. Puzzlingly, however, the 1859 valuation map shows a radically different plan to its predecessor, with projections to the north-eastern corner and what appears to be a rounded chancel to the east.

Between 1859 and 1903, (when the first l:1056 OS plan of Broughshane was produced), the church took on a radically different cruciform plan with large transepts chancel, vestry and porches all added; it would appear that in the process that additions dating from 1829 may have been removed in the process. This building work appears to have been carried out in 1869 or slightly earlier, for the abovementioned ‘Church of England Magazine’ article of October that year states that the building ‘has been recently improved by the erection of a small chancel rendered more convenient for public worship’. The vestry and the front porch may also have been added at this time, as their style matches that of the transepts etc., however the slightly awkward position of the vestry in relation to one of the windows on the east face of the south transept, could suggest that it is a slightly later extension. One suspects that the present window arrangement to the nave dates from c.1869.

The church remained largely in its later 19th century form until 1972, when, for safety reasons the steeple was removed.

The rectory of Skerry, which this church has long served along with Racavan, is traditionally believed to have been founded by St. Patrick. There is no firm evidence to support this, however, for the historical association of Patrick with particular places / churches dates from later hagiographies, most notably those by Muirchú and Tirechán, which were not only written two centuries after the accepted dates of his mission but also produced as propaganda pieces in support of politico-religious controversies of the time. Patrick himself (in his ‘Confessio’- one of only two pieces of writing by the man himself) mentions only one place in Ireland by name- ‘the wood of Foclut’ (‘silva Vocluti’)- which he tells is near ‘the western sea’ (‘mare occidentale’- literally the ‘sea of the setting [of the sun]’, i.e. the Atlantic). It is generally accepted by historians that Patrick’s work appears to have taken place in the northern half of Ireland, but that the saint’s ‘connections’ with certain localities cannot be proven.

References- Primary sources
1 ‘Taylor’s and Skinner’s maps of the roads of Ireland’ (Dublin 1777), maps, 20, 21 etc.
2 ‘Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland…’ vol.13 ed Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1992), pp.87-88, 91, 97
3 PRONI OS/6/1/33/1 OS map, Co Antrim sh 33, 1832
4 PRONI VAL/1B/14A First valuation, Racavan, 1834(-38)
5 PRONI VAL/1D/1/5 First valuation map of Broughshane, 1834(-38)
6 PRONI VAL/2B/1/3C Second valuation, Racavan, 1859
7 PRONI VAL/2D/1/23 Second valuation map of Broughshane, 1859
8 “Broughshane Church” in the ‘The Church of England magazine…’ 2nd Oct. 1869 [This source is quoted in a plaque within the church itself; the writers have not seen the original article.]
9 PRONI OS/8/64/1 OS town plan of Broughshane, 1903

Secondary sources
1 Alannah Hopkin, ‘The living legend of Saint Patrick…’ (London 1989)
2 S.J. Conolly ed., ‘The Oxford companion to Irish history (OUP 1998), pp.434 etc. [Entries concerning St Patrick.]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Small, rubble-built, single storey C of I church with two storey tower, originally dating from 1765, but whose cruciform shape was assumed in c.1869 when it was greatly enlarged with the addition of transepts, chancel, vestry and porch. A steeple, which appears to have been original, was removed in c.1972. The church is surrounded by a small graveyard. To the roadside front there is a lych gate of 1882 with a smaller one (of 1883) to rear.