St. Mary's R. C. Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 19thC Gothic barn church aligned NW-SE with elevated churchyard to the S. A tower and entrance porches have been added to SE gable; sanctuary and side-altars to the NW gable.

Pitched natural slate roof with stone skews. Moulded kneeler stones and decorative ridge crestings. Advanced eaves course supports moulded cast-iron rainwater goods. The NW gable of church and sanctuary each has a cast-iron cross finial.

Principal elevation faces SE and is abutted to centre by tower (see later). Walls are lined-cement rendered with two-staged limestone and sandstone buttresses and sandstone dressings to openings. The exposed section of the front gable each has a lancet-headed opening with drip mould over set at high level; both contain a pair of timber lancets with roundel in spandrel. To ground floor level is a similar but smaller opening with fixed timber window – the drip moulds have foliated corbels.

To each side of the SE gable is a lower entrance porch – both are identical. The front and rear faces are coursed, rock-faced limestone and contains a pair of diagonally sheeted t+g doors (with decorative hinges) set within a stepped reveal with hood mould over. Each side cheek is lined cement render with a fixed lancet window. The rear face is blank.

Each side elevation of nave is four windows wide and each is separated by a buttress (four in total). The window to the SE-end is obstructed by the entrance porch. All windows are pairs of lancets with stone mullion and roundel in spandrel, set within stepped reveals and limestone arch over; stone cill has lead flashing.

The sanctuary projects slightly and has a buttress to either end. It has a large lancet-headed window opening containing three lancets– that to centre is shorter. Above in spandrels are three quatrefoils, each set within a circle. The apex has small cusped-headed ventilation opening. The left and right cheeks of the sanctuary are blank and abutted by side altars set below eaves level of church. Both have pitched natural slate roofs with moulded kneelers and cast-iron cross finial. That to the right has a chimney (detailed as buttress). Each has a cusped-headed lancet with trefoil above and limestone arch over to NW face; that to the left has a pair of lancets to its side (NE) cheek.

The SW cheek of the SW-side altar is abutted by a single-storey (+basement) sacristy detailed as church. Its front (SE) face has a window to left and a t+g sheeted door to its right (with decorative cast-iron hinges) set within stop-end chamfered reveals. The SW gable is blank. The rear (NW) face has a pair of windows to right-end and a group of three to the left-end. Here, an exposed basement is accessed by stone steps and leads to a timber louvered door with roughly dressed stepped stone surround.

The tower is three-staged and generally constructed in coursed sandstone and limestone with cement render to stage 1 and a stringcourse between each stage. Stage 1 is the tallest and is framed by a pair of angled buttresses to SE gable rising to stage 2 and breaking stringcourse. Each exposed face has a lancet window with leaded cill – that to right cheek is set within a recessed lancet-headed opening with stepped reveals. Set slightly below stringcourse is a glazed quatrefoil set within a square recess with stepped reveals.

Stage 2 has a lancet window with hood mould over with blocked ends. Above and set below stringcourse are two courses of ashlar sandstone. Stage 3 (the belfry) stands free from the church. Each cheek has a lancet window opening containing a pair of louvred lancets with quatrefoil in spandrel and similar hood mould over. This stage is surmounted by a projecting corbelled cornice, which supports a cusped panelled parapet with octagonal ashlar pinnacles with finials. Spire is four-sided with decorative diagonal ridges and cross finial.

Setting
Church is enclosed to road by modern stone wall, and to front is a circular planted grotto with dwarf wall and gate piers supporting modern cast-iron gates.

Historical information

This church is cited as RC Chapel on the 1834 and 1857 OS 6” maps, and as St Mary’s RC Church on the 1907 edition. According to the Ordnance Survey Memoir, it was erected in 1821 or 1822 at a cost of £600. It was capable of holding 730 worshipers, of which 130 could be accommodated in the gallery. It is described in the 1836 first Valuation book as an RC Chapel measuring 85ft x 41ft6in x 21ft6in. The 1862 second Valuation book notes it as "a very plain concern" measuring 84ft x 42ft x 2 storeys, and with a 12ft square x 3 storey tower and 24ft x 18ft x 2 storey vestry. There is no change in the Valuation revision book valuations indicating the same building existed up to the present. However, Rowan suggests that the present edifice dates from 1886, the architect being George L. O'Connor. This work may, however, relate to additions to the earlier structure rather than a complete rebuild.

Primary sources:
1. Ordnance Survey Memoir, Galloon Parish, Co Fermanagh (1835).
2. OS 6” map, 1st edition (1834), Co Fermanagh sheet 40 (PRONI OS 6/4/40/1).
3. First Valuation book, 1836 (PRONI VAL 1B/411A, p.48).
4. OS 6” map, 2nd edition (1857), Co Fermanagh sheet 40 (PRONI OS 6/4/40/2).
5. Second Valuation book, Galloon Parish, Clones Union, 1860 (PRONI VAL 2B/4/7F, p.37).
6. OS 6” map, 3rd edition (1907), Co Fermanagh sheet 40 (PRONI OS 6/4/40/3).
7. Valuation revision books, 1866-1929 (PRONI VAL 12B/25/9A-E).

Secondary sources:
1. A. Rowan, North-West Ulster, p.437 (Harmondsworth, 1979).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A 19thC Gothic barn church with tower set within a churchyard containing mostly late 19thC and 20thC memorials. Two entrance porches were later added to SE gable; and a sacristy and side-altars to the NW gable.