Donaghmore Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Much altered 18thC barn church on a junction of Corcreechy Road and Manse Hill Road.

Pitched natural slate roof aligned roughly N-S with moulded concrete skew and moulded kneelers to front (N) gable only. Advanced eaves course carries modern plastic rainwater goods. The S gable has a small cement rendered chimney.

Walls are cement dashed with smooth basecourse and rendered blocked quoins. Modern ground level ventilators on the sidewalls. Front gable faces N and has a broad platband at eaves level forming a pediment with a cusped border. To centre of apex is a large oval panel with moulded architrave with key-blocks at cardinal points. It reads “DONOUGHMORE/ ENLARGED 1762/ 1705/ RESTORED 1895/ PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH” in raised painted render letters.

Façade has a grand central doorcase with dressed granite Tuscan columns supporting a plain stucco entablature on which rests a segmental pediment inset with a decorative motif. Door has six moulded raised and fielded panels and a beaded muntin. To either side of doorcase is a tall semicircular-headed window with rendered apron and architrave with keystone. Both windows are five paned, timber framed and modern, with coloured leaded quarry glazing.

Left (E) and right (W) elevations are both identical. Each has five tall plain windows and a group of decorative windows at their N end. The tall windows are detailed as those to front gable but plainly glazed and margin paned. Margin-panes are leaded and coloured (square panes). The decorative windows at N end consist of a pair of small semicircular-headed lights set within a common rendered architrave with keystones. Over is a large circular wheel window with architrave with keyblock cardinal points. Wheel window has alternating yellow and green glazing.

Rear (S) gable is blank and abutted by a small low single storey return. Return has a pitched natural slate roof with half round plastic rainwater goods and dashed walls. Its end (S) gable contains a small 6/6 sliding sash window with semicircular Y tracery head and granite cill. The left cheek of the return has a four panelled (bolection moulded) door at left. The right cheek of the return is blank at ground floor level; its basement has a modern timber door at left, accessed by five steps enclosed by a modern cement rendered wall. Modern oil tank abuts.

Setting:

Church is set on a junction between the Corcreechy Road and Manse Hill Road. It is enclosed by a dwarf wall, which carries modern (20thC) spearheaded railings supported by diagonal braces. Two sets of gates, one to each road on the junction lead into churchyard. Each pair of gates is hung on large lined-rendered gate piers.

Both sets of gates are iron with cast spearheads and other detailing, each slightly different. To left (E) of church is the modern church hall and the car park.

Historical information

Around 1705 the Presbyterian congregation at Donaghmore separated itself from the Newry congregation and set about building a meeting house. A site was given by John Johnston (d.1765) of Tremont or Traymont (HB16/14/039). Johnston was also the first ordained Minister of the congregation. The meeting house was begun c1705 and was completed in 1706 at a cost of £800 (raised by the congregation). The church was enlarged in 1762.

Captioned on the 1834 OS 6" map as 'meeting house'. Described in the first valuation book as measuring 76ft x 37ft 6in x 20ft, and in the second valuation as 'Presbyterian meeting house'.

Extensive restoration work was carried out in 1895. New windows were added and existing ones remodelled, the front gable was stuccoed, the old gallery was removed, new pews were installed and the whole interior upgraded.

Primary sources:
1. OS 6" map, 1834, Co Down sheet 41 (PRONI OS 6/3/41/1).
2. OSM Newry Parish, 1836.
3. First Valuation, 1836 (PRONI VAL 1B/389, p.334).
4. Second Valuation, 1862 (PRONI VAL 2B/3/69E, p.345).

Secondary sources:
1. J. Davison Cowan “An ancient Parish, that of Donaghmore” London 1914.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This early 18thC barn church has been much altered in the late 19thC and retains no original external features.