St Marys RC Church,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Roman Catholic Church, dated 1897, remodelled c.1940, located to the east side of Lisnaragh Road, Donemana. Cruciform plan, nave aligned north-south; double-height transepts at east and west; bowed bay containing sanctuary at north, abutted by sacristy and store to east; entrance porch at south gable and secondary entrance porch to west re-entrant angle between nave and transept.

Roofs are pitched natural slate, blue/black clay ridge tiles; saddle-back stone verges with corbelled kneelers and intermediate kneelers and Celtic-cross finials; ogee profile cast-iron rainwater goods supported on projecting eaves course with paired corbels. Walls are roughcast rendered with projecting chamfered plinth and stepped angle buttresses with off
setting and gablets. Gothic stained glass lancet windows contained within rebated stepped block marked surround and splayed cill.

Principal elevation faces south and is abutted at centre by single-storey lean-to entrance porch; exposed section contains single window at left and right, (each diminished); entrance porch surmounted by central Rose window contained within rebated surround, hoodmould with label stops over; Celtic-cross finial to apex. Entrance porch has natural slate lean-to roof; detailed as nave; south elevation comprises central wall-head dormer containing window and blank oculus over. Left cheek contains double-leaf vertically-sheeted timber door within stepped block-marked surround; accessed by single concrete step; right cheek detailed as left.

Right (west) elevation is abutted at left by double-height gabled transept; exposed section at right contains three paired windows, each pair divided by buttress; exposed section at left contains single window. Transept is detailed as nave; west gable contains three windows surmounted by blank quatrefoil with recessed blank trefoil over. Left cheek contains two windows divided by single buttress at centre; right cheek is abutted at re-entrant angle by single-storey lean-to porch; exposed section is blank. Lean-to entrance porch is detailed as nave; south elevation contains paired windows (diminished); west gable contains single-leaf vertically-sheeted timber door, accessed by concrete ramp.

Rear (north) gable is abutted at centre by lower apse with conical natural slate roof; detailed as nave and contains four windows (each diminished in height). Exposed section contains single window at left and right; recessed blank trefoil to apex.
Left (east) elevation is abutted at right by double-height gabled transept; exposed section at left contains three paired windows, each pair divided by buttress; exposed section at right contains single window. East transept is detailed as west and abutted at north elevation by pitched extension containing sacristy. Extension is detailed as nave with pitched natural slate roof; chimney to east gable. East elevation contains single replacement uPVC window at left; north elevation contains two replacement timber doors accessing store; west gable contains painted pointed arched headed vertically sheeted timber door, accessed by two concrete steps.

Set on an elevated site with church graveyard to south-east containing a range of twentieth-century grave markers; the site is bound at east by random rubble walling; entrance to south of boundary comprises alcoved entrance with vehicular and pedestrian accesses, with square plan smooth rendered piers with chamfered corners, copings and ball finials; each supporting cast-iron gates.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Roughcast rendered with projecting chamfered plinth and stepped angle buttresses
Windows Gothic arch stained glass lancet windows contained within rebated stepped block marked surround and
splayed cill
RWG Ogee profile cast-iron

Historical information

The Church dates from 1897 and is first shown on the third edition OS map of 1905, captioned ‘RC Church’. Also shown is a ‘Burial Ground’.

A church is added to Valuation Revisions in 1895 under exemptions as the ‘RC Chapel and graveyard’ and is valued at £3.15s with a note reading that the church is ‘built some years’. This would appear to indicate that a previous church existed in Aghabrack townland. Bradley et al. comment that “A church at Aghabrack must have been erected somewhere in the 1830s. This was very much a wooden structure and it was totally replaced in 1899 by the present church building.” (p.326) This earlier church appears to have escaped the notice of valuers until 1895 and is not captioned on OS maps.

The Irish Builder of 1896 announces the proposed church thus, “For erecting a church at Aughabrack, the tender of Mr J Harkin, Donemana, Strabane has been accepted at £2,293. The architect is Mr E J Toye, Strand, Londonderry.” (p.25)

In 1933 valuers revise the value from £4 to £65 and estimate the cost at £2,207. Measurements and a ground plan are given.

Rowan comments, “Built in 1897 by the Rev. J. McClinchey and reconstructed by the Rev. P. Gormley in 1941, the later architect W J Doherty.” (p.454) Enquiries to the parish priest have so far not established the exact nature of the ‘reconstruction’.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/6/1 -First Edition OS Map (1832-2)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/6/2 -Second Edition OS Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/6/3 -Third Edition OS Map (1905)
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/39/12A-G -Valuation Revisions (1860-1923)
5. PRONI VAL/3/D/7/10N/1 – Valuers RV Binder (1933-1957)
6. The Irish Builder Vol. 38, 1 Feb 1896, p.25
7. The Architect Vol. 54, 29 Nov 1895, suppl. p.9

Secondary Sources

1. Bradley, J, etc. “The Fair River Valley – Strabane Through the Ages.” Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 2000.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A cruciform plan, Roman Catholic church, set in a good rural setting to the east side of Lisnaragh Road, Donemana. The simple church displays good style and proportions and retains much fine detailing such as lancet windows and original doors. The church is a significanct architectural landmark, on a raised site, near the hamlet of Aghabrack, and has social interest for the local community.