Our Lady of the Angels Oratory (RC)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a simple modern hall church. Orientated N-S on south side of Greencastle Road.

The roof is tiled with green pantiles; eaves and verges oversail and have plain fascia and barge boards. Timber cross is mounted in the north gable. Cast iron ogee gutters with matching down pipes.

The body of the church is rendered over a smooth-rendered base, with a rock-faced granite plinth to front gable. A slightly lower porch abuts the blank front gable. Porch roof is a small-scale version of the nave. Its walls are ashlar rock faced granite with tooled edges and raised strap pointing. Two crazy-paved white marble steps lead to a central doorway which comprises a pair of eight-panel stained timber doors set in a smooth dressed ashlar granite door case. Jambs are chamfered and recess pointed and support a large one-piece granite lintel on which is inscribed “PAX ET BONUM” (peace and goodness); in bas-relief are two crossed arms with a cross between. The top of the lintel forms the cill of a window above (same width as doors), with jambs (as the door) rising to either side. The window head steps in three stages as it reaches the apex of the gable. Each stepped block has a chamfered corner. The window glazing is subdivided into a grid, each inset with four square blue-glass quarries.

The nave is five bays in length and the fifth bay, at rear, accommodates confessionals that form out-shots below an extension of the common roof. There is a buttress between each bay. Each window has pre-cast concrete dressings, and contains two vertical lights.

The sanctuary abuts the south gable of nave and has a roof as the porch. It has a triple light on its right (east) cheek.

Parallel to the east wall, at rear left (as viewed from façade), is a sacristy linked by a flat roofed corridor into the body of the church. It is finished to match the finishes and details of the nave. Its rear gable has two modern metal-framed casements and security grilles over. Its east wall has a plain plywood door up tree concrete steps. Its north wall has a small leaded-glass tripartite window.

At the road front is a gate screen all approximately 1m high consisting of a pair of iron gates hung off square granite piers and beyond canted screen walls of ashlar rock-faced granite. At rear of sacristy is a cast-iron cow-tailed water pump. Its head bears the inscription ‘J. Clements Belfast’. The pump is intact but not working (connection between handle and plunger missing).
To east is a substantial two-storey slated and rendered parochial house of no special merit.

Historical information

Local priest states that this building was built in 1961. It is known as an oratory as it is used only on week days and not for weekend mass.

Parochial house dates from 1887.

Primary sources:
1. PRONI – VAL 12B/19/14C, (1887 valuation) p.114.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This building has a distinct, but severe character. Its exterior is sharply detailed and minimally decorated and its internal fittings are attractive but of little note.