St Columbkille's Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached double-height Church of Ireland church built c.1790; funded by Board of First Fruits; located to the north side of Main Street, Carrickmore. Rectangular-on-plan with chancel to east; four-stage bell tower with crenellated parapet and fine ashlar needle spire to west; single-storey lean-to vestry and store to north.

Roofs are pitched natural slate; blue/black clay ridge tiles; flat stone verges supported on cavetto moulded kneelers; chimney to east gable apex. Corbelled eaves supporting ogee profile replacement cast-metal rainwater goods. Walls are uncoursed random rubble with droved finish sandstone quoins. Windows are geometric Y-tracery with lattice glazing and margin lights within droved finish stepped ashlar surrounds, unless otherwise stated.

Principal elevation faces west and is abutted at centre by four-stage tower with spire; exposed sections are blank. Four-stage-tower built c.1850, first-stage, is roughcast rendered with diagonal buttresses and off
setting; north elevation contains gothic opening with chamfered sandstone surround containing square headed timber sheeted door with fixed timber sheeted panel over; west elevation contains single tracery window; south elevation is blank. Second stage, also roughcast rendered, north and south elevations are blank; west elevation contains shield plaque which reads, ‘THIS TOWER WAS RESTORED/ AND/ SPIRE ERECTED THERON,/ IN MEMORY OF/ THE REVEREND/ CHARLES COBBE BERESFORD./ BY HIS AFFECTIONATE CHILDREN/ RELATIVES AND FRIENDS./ ANNO. DOMINI./1861.’ Third belfry-stage contains central gothic timber louvred belfry opening to each face within chamfered sandstone surround; fourth stage contains five blank gothic arched frieze at each elevation; tower terminates with crenellated parapet and fine ashlar spire.

North elevation is abutted to left by single-storey lean-to vestry and store; exposed section contain central stained glass window.

East gable is abutted by slightly lower chancel built c.1860 is detailed as nave; exposed section is blank. Chancel east elevation contains tripartite stained glass chancel window with outer windows diminished; chamfered mullions and stepped chamfered surround with voussoirs over; Plaque below window reads, ‘THE/ BURIAL PLACE/OF THE/ STEWART FAMILY/ 1790.’ Left cheek contains paired gothic windows; right cheek is abutted by single-storey lean-to vestry and store.

South elevation contains three windows.

Lean-to vestry and store built c.1860 are detailed as main block with the corner buttress of nave projecting through the roof line and north wall (dividing vestry and store.) Walls are roughly coursed random rubble with splayed plinth and corbel table at eaves level. Vestry north elevation contains shoulder chamfered door surround containing timber sheeted door with original ironmongery; store (right of vestry) contains central door detailed as vestry with small gothic opening at each side. Right cheek is blank, left cheek (vestry) contains paired gothic windows.

Setting

Set on elevated site within churchyard to the north of Main Street, Carrickmore. Bounded to road at south by random rubble walling with segmental coping; accessed through square roughly coursed rubble piers with precast concrete square pyramidal caps supporting original wrought-iron gates. Replacement sexton’s house is located west of the entrance and is of no interest.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Stone
Windows: Lattice glazing
RWG: Replacement cast-metal

Historical information

St Columbkille’s Church of Ireland Church was begun in 1786 following the gift of £500 by the Board of First Fruits (architect not known). Work was completed in 1792 by the Rev. Hugh Stewart (rector from 1791-1801) and the church was consecrated on 5th September, 1822. (Fleming, p.793)

In 1786, the Select Vestry Meeting opposed a church merger into the new chapel of ease at Sixmilecross, which was “very inconvenient to the people of the Parish in regard of situation and we are also determined not to attend the same, or repair it when built”. This led to the building of the present Parish Church. (Armstrong, p.11).

Captioned as “Church” in the 1833 first edition of the OS Maps, it appears as a simple rectangle. The Townland Valuation Records (1828-40) record the dimensions as 55x27ft, with a steeple forty feet high. Altogether, the “Parish Church, Steeple, Vestry Room, Stable” are valued at £17.16s.10d. Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) values the church, sexton’s house and graveyard at £19.0s.0d. There are no significant changes in the Annual Revisions (1860-1929). The church is built on land owned by Sir John M Stewart Bt. (The church’s East window and a window in the nave are dedicated to members of the Stewart family.)

The Diocesan History of Armagh states that, “a bell was purchased in 1814 at a cost of £22 15s and in the following year the church was repaired at a charge of £100 10s 7½d. A Gallery was added in 1826…In 1861 the tower was restored and surmounted by a needle spire…. At the same time a Chancel and Vestry was built with the assistance of a grant from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners”(p.793). Rowan claims that: “The Y-tracery windows in stone were added with the chancel by Joseph Welland.” (Rowan, p.167).

An inscription in the church reads: “The Tower of this church was restored and a spire erected thereon in 1861. In memory of the late Rev. C. C. Beresford. During whose incumbency of 43 years The Glebe House, Parochial School and Churches at Sixmilecross and Drumnakilly in this Parish were built.”

In 1892, the sexton’s house has apparently been demolished and is deleted from the Valuation Revisions. The value is correspondingly reduced to £18.

The Diocesan History reports that in 1965 extensive repairs were carried out at a cost of £850 and according to the present rector, the church was also renovated in 2001.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/36/1 -First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/36/2 -Second Edition OS Map (1853)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/36/3 -Third Edition OS Map (1906)
4. PRONI VAL/1/b/632 -Townland Valuation Records (1828-40)
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/34B&C -Griffith’s (1856-64)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/41/7A-F -Revisions (1860-1929)

Secondary Sources

1. Armstrong, Maurice A. “The Parish of Termonmaguirke: A Bi-centenary History, 1792-1992.” Carrickmore, Omagh: Self-published, 1992.
2. Fleming, Rev W E C, “Armagh Clergy 1800-2000” Belfast: 2001
3. “History” in “Termonmaguirc Parish.” http://www.termonmaguircparish.com/ Accessed on 5 March 2009.
4. Lewis, Samuel. “A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Comprising the Several Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Corporate, Market, and Post Towns, Parishes, and Villages, With Historical and Statistical Descriptions; Embellished with Engravings of the Arms of the Cities, Bishopricks, Corporate Towns, and Boroughs; Of the Seals of the Several Municipal Corporations.” London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837
5. Rowan, Alistair. “North West Ulster: Londonderry, Donegal, Fermanagh, and Tyrone.” Buildings of Ireland Series. Dublin: Penguin Books, 1979
6. “Termonmaguirke Parish Almanac”(1864) Quoted in Maurice A. Armstrong, “The Parish of Termonmaguirke” (Carrickmore, Omagh: Self-published, 1992), p.27-30.

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

Evaluation

Detached double-height Church of Ireland church, built c.1790. It is simply detailed externally with embellishment added by the gothic stained glass windows and the four-stage tower with crenellated parapet and recessed ashlar spire. Its association with the Board of First Fruits adds to its interest. This early and well-proportioned church retains its original character with fine stonework and other detailing displaying a high level of craftsmanship. A well preserved and intact interior with much carved timber detailing in the gallery and furniture contribute to its overall interest.