St Matthew's Parish Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A double-height rubble stone Parish Church with two-stage entrance tower and stone broach spire; dated 1850 and located on an elevated site west of Main Street in Scarva. Set on an east-west axis with tower to west, small chancel to east and gabled projection flanked by lean-to porches to south.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and raised verges with kneeler stones. Gothic pinnacle to gabled projection to south. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods on ovolo-moulded eaves course. Walling is random rubble stone with sandstone dressings, including a chamfered plinth and quoins. Windows are mainly timber-framed cast-iron lattice lancets in sandstone surrounds with splayed sills and hood moulds.

West gable is abutted by central entrance tower; exposed sections blank. Tower comprises Tudor-arched opening to south with a replacement square-headed timber-sheeted double leaf door with timber-sheeted tympanum. Above the door is a rectangular Gothic stone plaque with cusped detailing and shield inscribed, 'Erected to the Glory of the Most Holy Trinity. AD-1850'. West elevation has a lattice paned lancet at ground floor; north elevation has blind lancet. Moulded string course divides first stage from belfry stage which has Y-tracery louvered vents to three sides and is surmounted by a broach spire with lucarnes on a corbelled string course over a plain recessed frieze.

The north elevation of the nave is four windows wide.

The east elevation is abutted by a small chancel which has three graded leaded and stained glass lancets covered by a wire panel.

The south elevation of the nave has a window to either side of a central symmetrical gabled projection with central break-front bay comprising a single central lancet, corbelled kneelers and gothic pinnacle to apex. Flanking bays have single lancet with lozenge shaped latticework; left cheek is blank; right cheek has modern square-headed timber-sheeted door.

Setting

Set on an elevated site accessed via a tarmacadam lane to south, with views to west over the village and to surrounding farmland. The site is bounded by a rubble stone wall. Modern housing estate to east. Surrounded by graveyard with headstones dating from the mid-nineteenth century. To west is a set of red-brick gate piers with yellow brick dressings and sandstone caps supporting a cast-iron arch and gate. Steps lead down to the rear entrance of St Matthews Parochial Hall (HB17/03/033). To north of this is a set of fluted sandstone gate piers with decorated frieze and pointed caps supporting a replacement latch gate. Entrance gates to southeast corner have large sandstone gate piers with chamfered shafts and pointed caps supporting cast iron gates.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Rubble stone
Windows: Lattice paned lancets
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

St Matthew’s Church in Scarva was built in 1847/50 to designs by James Sands and remains much as originally conceived, some internal refurbishment having taken place over the years. The ‘Church’ is first shown, captioned, on the second edition OS map of 1860.

The village of Scarva was founded, beside the newly-opened Newry Canal, in 1746 by Mr John Reilly of Scarva House who also built a ‘neat and commodious’ Presbyterian meeting house in 1753. This was the only place of worship in Scarva for a century until John Temple Reilly, local landlord and descendant of the village’s founder, built the present Episcopalian church. (History of Congregations; Harris)

A new parish was formed at Scarva in 1846 from parts of Aghaderg, Tullylish and Ballymore parishes. The foundation stone of the new church was laid in September 1847 by John Temple Reilly of Scarva House, who had donated the site and the building was consecrated on 15th September 1850. The dedication was to St Matthew, whose feast day is 21st September. (Clergy of Down and Dromore)

The first edition OS map of 1834 shows a small square structure on the site, known as General Monk’s Castle. Knox states that there were earthen ramparts in Scarva which were levelled by Mr Reilly in 1847 at the time construction of the church began, and that the stones of the old castle were used in forming the foundation of the church. “The tower of the church is in the exact position of the old castle and the graveyard occupied the site of the ramparts”. (Knox) The compact square plan of the castle suggests that it was a tower house and it is believed to have been built by General Monk in 1641 to protect the pass through the Great Bog. (Topographica Hibernica)

The church was built by contractor William Parker of Armagh to designs by James Sands. (Belfast Newsletter; Clergy of Down and Dromore) The laying of the foundation stone was announced in the Newry Telegraph of 9th September 1847 when it was stated that ‘the want of church accommodation has for a long season been deeply felt’. The Rector of Aghaderg parish was a ‘liberal contributor to the new structure’ but the principle contributor and donor of the land was John Temple Reilly, ‘the excellent agent of the Marquis of Downshire’. A ceremonial trowel and apron was presented to him by the architect James Sands. A description was given of the building, which was to be built by private subscription exclusively and was ‘of the most improved order of church architecture’. The church was to be ‘very convenient and very plain but so beautifully proportioned and so chastely ornamented that it must produce an effect more pleasing than a richer structure would do and the commanding situation in which it is placed, high above this little village but well backed by the richly wooded hill of Lisnagade and the grounds of Scarva make it a most pleasing feature in the lovely scene that presents itself to the eye of the traveller approaching Scarva from Trandragee or Newry and is well calculated to turn the eye from earth to heaven and the contemplation from the blessings of well-cultivated fields and a contented people to the source from which all blessings flow and the way in which all enjoyments may be enhanced.” (Newry Telegraph)

The ‘Church’ is first shown, captioned, on the second edition OS map of 1860, situated in a graveyard planted with trees and with a long entrance pathway leading on to Scarva’s main street, with access through the schoolhouse. The church is listed in Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) as a church and graveyard valued at £30 and £1 for the graveyard. There are no changes to the valuation in Annual Revisions.

Renovations and modifications took place in subsequent years as suggested in Bassett’s Directory, “One long street, composing the village, runs at the foot of a beautiful hill. Upon this the Church of Ireland stands. It was built in 1850 and has since undergone changes of interior in accordance with modern ideas. The seats are in the latest style, and there is a handsome reading desk and pulpit. The church-yard is tastefully laid out, and from it there is a fine view of the surrounding country.” (Bassett’s County Down 1886)
The Belfast Newsletter reported in 1898 that the church had reopened following several weeks of internal renovation and external repairs. The church had been repainted and hot water pipe heating by Messrs Riddell & Co, Belfast, installed. (Belfast Newsletter)
Scarva was grouped with Aghaderg parish church in 1982 and two modern stained glass windows have been installed in recent years. (Clergy of Down and Dromore)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/33/1 First Edition OS Map 1834
2. PRONI OS/6/3/33/2 Second Edition OS map 1860
3. PRONI OS/6/3/33/3 Third Edition OS Map 1903
4. PRONI OS/6/3/33/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1903-18
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/55D Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/22A-D Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
7. Seward, W W “Topographica Hibernica” Dublin, 1797
8. Newry Telegraph 9th September 1847
9. Bassett’s County Down 1886
10. Belfast Newsletter 18th April 1893
11. Belfast Newsletter 23rd June 1898
12. Young, A F and Quail, D “Old Gilford, Scarva, Loughbrickland and Lawrencetown” Stenlake Publishing, 2002
13. Street Directory, 1910

Secondary Sources

1. “A History of Congregations in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 1610-1982” authorised by the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Belfast: Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland, 1982 (available at
www.presbyterianhistoryireland.com)
2. Harris, W. and Smith, C. “The Ancient and Present State of the County of Down” Dublin: A. Reilly, 1744 (Reprinted
Ballynahinch: Davidson, 1977)
3. Knox, Alexander, M.D. “A History of the County of Down” Dublin: Hodges, Foster & Co, 1875
4. Rankin, F., Leslie, Canon, J.B., Swanzy, Dean H.B. “Clergy of Down and Dromore” Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation,
1996

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

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

Evaluation

A double-height rubble stone Parish Church with two-stage entrance tower and a stone broach spire to designs by James Sands, dated 1850. Architectural detailing is intact with a well-preserved Victorian interior. The surrounding rubble stone boundary wall and gate piers are also of good quality. This is a good example of a parish church in an unchanged setting by a known architect. The association with John Reilly of Scarva House is also of note.