Protestant Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached double-height Protestant Church, built c.1905 to designs by C. A. Owen; located to the west side of Donaghanie Road, Omagh; east of the main hospital block. Rectangular single-cell nave with chancel to east; vestry abutting north elevation; porch centrally abutting west gable.

Roofs are pitched natural slate, crenellated clay ridge tiles; flat stone verges supported on ovolo moulding, cast-iron ogee profile rainwater goods supported on corbelled eaves course; walls are roughly coursed squared-and-snecked rubble with stugged finish stepped sandstone quoins, projecting plinth and angle buttresses with off
setting; gothic leaded stained glass windows with margin lights within stepped chamfered surrounds and projecting splayed stone cills, unless otherwise stated.

Principal (gable) elevation faces west and is centrally abutted by single-storey entrance porch with pitched natural slate roof. Exposed section contains tripartite gothic window located above porch (outer windows diminished in height); flanked by single window at each side. Square-headed narrow loophole opening and cross finial to apex.

North (nave) elevation is abutted at left by single-storey vestry; three windows at right, each divided by angle buttresses and offsetting.

East gable contains paired chancel windows at right and left; square-headed narrow loophole opening and cross finial to apex.

South (nave) elevation contains four windows each divided by angle buttresses and offsetting.

Single-storey vestry is detailed as nave with pitched natural slate roof, ashlar chimney with offsetting at party wall with nave; all windows and doors are contained within shouldered chamfered stepped sandstone surrounds; gable contains three stained glass windows; square-headed narrow loophole opening and cross finial to apex. Right cheek contains original timber sheeted door at left accessed by two masonry steps; paired windows at right; left cheek contains paired windows and is abutted by plinth wall and wrought-iron railing enclosing masonry stairs leading to door at basement level.

Single-storey porch is detailed as nave with pitched natural slate roof; west gable contains paired windows within stepped chamfered surround and stone voussoirs and wrought-iron lamp holder over. Each cheek contains square-headed double-leaf timber sheeted entrance doors with original strap-hinges; recessed within shouldered chamfered stepped sandstone surrounds; accessed by masonry step at left and concrete ramp at right.

Set on elevated site within the grounds of Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital (HB11/15/004A); situated east of the main hospital block and south-west of the gate lodge (HB11/15/004B.)

Roof Natural slate
Walling Sandstone
Windows Stained glass
RWG Cast-iron

Historical information

The Protestant Church at Tyrone & Fermanagh Hospital was built between 1903 and 1904 to designs by C. A. Owen. It first appears on the third edition of the OS Map in 1906. In design appearance, it is very similar to the R.C. chapel at the hospital, which was built two years previously to designs by the same architect. Owen also built the hospital complex’s New County Infirmary ( Ward 14, 1895-1899) (Rowan, p.447).

The church is part of the large hospital complex, which began with the main block, built between 1847-1853 to designs by William Farrell. This was one of the second series of asylums erected by the Irish Board of Works at a cost of £35,000, designed for 300 patients. (Rowan, p.447).

Attached to the rear of the hospital was an interdenominational chapel, now the old chapel, which could serve 130 worshippers, and this is likely to have been erected when the architect George Boyd greatly extended the hospital in the late 1860s after the number of patients approached 300.

Following an increase in patients during the latter part of the nineteenth century, a new chapel was advised in the grounds at a cost of £1,200 in addition to the one “in the building [that] served all classes,” as early as 1894. Between 1900 and 1901 the Roman Catholic Chapel was built and relieved the old chapel from the large number of Catholic patients. At the 1904 completion of the Protestant church, the old chapel was subdivided and converted into dormitory use to ease overcrowding (McKinley p.71).

The builder of this church is not recorded, however, Joseph Colhoun of Derry built the R.C. Chapel (McKinley p.71). Colhoun, who also built other Omagh landmarks, such as Sacred Heart R.C. Church (HB11/11/001A), St. Lucia’s Barracks (HB11/09/005A, C and D) and First Presbyterian Church (HB11/13/011), later died in this hospital (Mitchell, p.160).

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/35/1-3 -First Edition OS Map (1906)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/35/2 -Second Edition OS Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/35/3 -Third Edition OS Map (1906)
4. PRONI VAL/1/A/6/35 – Townland Valuation Map(1828-40)
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/645A&B – Townland Valuation Records (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/35 – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1856-64)
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/47A – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/41/26A-F – Annual Revision Records (1860-1923)

Secondary Sources

1. Rowan, Alistair. “North West Ulster: Londonderry, Donegal, Fermanagh, and Tyrone.” Buildings of Ireland Series. Dublin: Penguin Books, 1979.
2. McKinley, Robert. “Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital: A Chronological History” in Haldane Mitchell, ed. Images of Omagh and District. Vol. 7. Omagh: Rotary Club of Omagh, 1999, pp64-83.
3. Mitchell, Haldane, Ed. Images of Omagh and District. Vol. 7. Omagh: Rotary Club of Omagh, 1999.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Detached double-height Protestant Church, built c.1905 to designs by C. A. Owen. A modestly-scaled and simple design with plainly detailed walls and window surrounds. The church occupies an elevated site within the grounds of the Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital. The exterior of the church is plainly detailed, retaining much of its original character and represents the work of a noteworthy architect who was involved with other works on the site and with the neighbouring County Infirmary, as well as with asylums elsewhere in Ireland. The complex, including the main hospital building (HB11/15/004A), gate lodge (HB11/15/004B) and Roman Catholic Church (HB11/15/004C), represents a significant phase in the history of such institutions.

General comments

This record has been renumbered as part of a group - previously HB11/15/005