St Malachy's RC Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Simple, two storey gabled RC church of 1837, with rubble façade, pointed arch windows, gabled porch and buttresses. The building is set on the W side of Ballykilbeg Road, c.5 miles W of Downpatrick.

The front gable faces E. To the centre at ground level is a gabled entrance porch. To the E and S faces of the porch there is a pointed arch doorway with timber sheeted double doors with brick dressings. The door to the E (gabled) face does not appear to be original as its brick dressings are of a more modern brick than that to the S. Above the E doorway is a small (relatively recent) stone panel which is inscribed ‘St Malachy’s c.1745 1775 1837’ (dates of building work). To the N face is a pointed arch window with brick dressings (all openings have brick dressings) and timber ‘Plate tracery’ frame with stained glass. The porch has granite in / out quoins and a slated roof with stone parapets. Stone cross to gable apex.

Above the porch (to main front gable) is a large pointed arch window with similar tracery (but with three lancets). The dressings to the arch are in a more recent brick than those to the rest of the opening. There is a relieving arch above the opening.

The N and S facades are largely similar, having four tall pointed arch windows with frames as porch window and buttresses between. Some of the brick dressings to the windows have been renewed and the stonework beneath each window has been repointed, giving one the impression that the windows have been reduced in size (though this seems unlikely). There are relieving arches above the buttresses. The buttress stonework is not tied in with the main walls, almost as if they were added at some point.

The rear gable has a large central pointed arch window with geometrical tracery timber frame. At ground level is a small single storey gabled vestry, which extends N (as a gabled bay) beyond the gable itself. To the E face of the gable is a timber sheeted door. To the S face is a small sash window with Georgian panes (6/6). To the right of this (and also attached to the main gable) is a small flat roofed, breeze block-built, boiler house. To the N (gabled) face is a small sash window. The roof of the vestry is slated, with stone parapets to the gables. A rendered chimney stack rises from the vestry roof (against the main rear gable).

The entire façade is in snecked fieldstone rubble with in / out granite quoins. The roof is slated and has stone parapets. There is a small stone cross to the front gable apex. Cast iron rw goods.

Historical information

This church was built in 1836-7 replacing an earlier single storey church dating from 1745. Both the Poor Law valuers and the compilers of the OS Memoirs visited the site in the course of their business in 1836 and reported on the construction of the new building. The old church (which measured 54½ x 22½ x 8 with a ‘return’ at 29 x 22½ x 8) was still standing when the valuers surveyed the area, but the foundations had been laid for the new structure. When the OS memoir writers arrived (in December 1836) they reported that the work on the new building had been ongoing since July and was due to be completed the following summer- at a cost of £600.

The interior of the church has witnessed various alterations over the years, the most significant change occurring in c.1935 when the coffered ceiling was added. Externally, the rear vestry may have been extended at some point and an extra doorway has been inserted in the porch.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/37/1 OS map, Down sh 37, 1834
2 PRONI VAL/1B/3 1st valuation, Down, 1836
3 Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams ‘Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland: Parishes of Co Down IV’, (QUB 1992), p.49 [1836]
4 PRONI OS/6/3/37/2 OS map, Down sh 37, 1858
3 PRONI OS/6/3/37/3 OS map, Down sh 37, 1901

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

Simple, two storey gabled RC church of 1837, of definite architectural and historic interest, with rubble façade, pointed arch windows, gabled porch and buttresses.