St Michael's RC Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A late 19thC church constructed in dressed granite blocks throughout, set in a churchyard on W side of Clontigora Road. It consists of a rectangular nave (aligned E-W) with side chapels to its W end, a projecting entrance porch to E end and a rear sanctuary.

Pitched natural slate roofs with stone skews and lead flashing. E gable of nave has an ashlar bellcote (containing bell) surmounted by a pinnacle topped with a cloverleaf cross. To W gable is a similar cross, with diamond punctuation to centre, raised on a plinth block. An advanced eaves course supports modern metal ogee rainwater goods and downpipes.

All walls are roughly dressed random rubble with heavy cement pointing (unless otherwise stated). Reveals and buttresses are ashlar granite.

Principal elevation faces E. Its is flanked by a three-stage angled buttress to each corner, delineated by insteps. The third stage is flush with the wall and rises above eaves level. Each is topped by a pinnacle with moulded finial. To ground floor centre is the entrance porch (see later). Above is a Gothic-headed timber window with chamfered and stepped trim, and a splayed keyblock. Window is perpendicular in style, containing three cusped headed panes with four smaller ones filling the spandrel.

Entrance porch has a pitched roof rising above cill level of nave window, and has a gablet to N and S sides. A Celtic cross surmounts its E gable. Porch is detailed as church and is flanked by a single-stage buttress with stepped offsets rising to eaves level. It has window to E face, detailed as before but smaller. Its left cheek has a plain lancet window. Its right cheek contains a gothic-headed entrance with chamfered reveal sweeping outwards to ground level. It contains a pair of t+g sheeted doors.

Right and left nave walls are identical. Each has four equally spaced timber lancets with splayed cills. Between each window, to eaves level are tie plates. The nave is abutted to its W end by a side chapel (see later).

W gable has a large perpendicular tracery window to centre, detailed as before but wider and containing four cusped headed panes. This gable is abutted to each end by a lower flush lean-to sacristy; their E cheeks abut the W face of each side chapel (see later).

Each sacristy has a monopitched natural slate roof with stone skews and is set flush with the W gable of the nave. That to left has a modern timber sheeted door in a stepped reveal set to right end of W face. To its left is a squat lancet in a similar reveal. Its N cheek is blank and its S cheek completely abuts the sanctuary.

The right sacristy is similarly detailed but is abutted by a modern extension to its W face, to the right of which is a lancet. The extension has a monopitched natural slate roof and lined cement rendered walls. Its W face has a modern timber lancet with cement cill. Its left cheek has a gothic-headed modern timber door. Right cheek has a marble memorial slab dedicated to the Very Reverend Canon Murphy, d.1875.

Each side chapel is mirror image. A cloverleaf Celtic cross surmounts the E gable and its W gable has a small chimney. E gable is abutted to centre by a small porch with pitched natural slate roof and a pair of shouldered t+g sheeted doors within a chamfered, shouldered reveal with keyblock. The left and right cheeks are blank. Above porch are three lancet windows, that to centre is taller. The reveals interlock.

The S and N faces of each side chapel respectively have two plain metal lancet windows with a shallow splayed cill, stepped jambs and plainly detailed head.

Its W face is abutted by lower sacristy. The exposed section above has a single lancet (as before).

Setting:

Church is enclosed on all four sides by a rubble stone boundary wall, wet dashed to the road, with embattled stone coping. One piece granite posts support a pair of wrought iron gates with scrolled detail. There are small pedestrian gates to either side. Church is set in a churchyard with many 19thC stone and slate memorials, all facing E. One notable memorial is a granite Celtic cross raised on a stepped granite plinth and enclosed by cast iron railings. It is dedicated to the crew of the SS Clonallan ‘Erected to the memory / of the crew of the ill fated / S.S. Clonallan of Newry / which foundered at sea / on 8th December 1904 / James Hollywood, Captain…….’ Capt. Hollywood lived in a house on the Forkhill Road (HB16/13/014).

Historical information

Consecrated in 1872. Appears as 'St Michael's Church' on 1906-07 OS map.

Primary sources:
1. Second edition OS 6" map, Co Armagh sheet 29, 1861 (PRONI - OS 6/2/29/2).
2. Third edition OS 6" map, Co Armagh sheet 29, 1861 (PRONI - OS 6/2/29/3).
3. HMBB survey card dated 20 May 1987 (quoting Parish records regarding consecration).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A well-proportioned later 19thC Gothic revival church with side chapels and gabled entrance porch, constructed in granite with contrasting stone detailing throughout. It is set within a churchyard and is enclosed on all sides by a rubble stone wall. Internally it has been refurbished and its roof structure is of interest.