St. Bride's Church of Ireland Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached double-height Gothic Revival Church of Ireland church, built 1866-1868 to designs by Welland & Gillespie of Dublin, located to west side of Kilbride Road. Cruciform on plan, aligned east-west with diminished chancel at east and three-stage tower with broach spire to west end of south elevation.

Roof is pitched slated, blue/black clay roll-top ridge tiles, sandstone moulded verges, replacement painted moulded cast-iron gutters with rectangular downpipes with fleur-de-lys fixings (foundry mark to downpipes: ‘APEX 4x3’), chimneystacks with off
setting and trefoil punctuation to west and north gables. Walling is random-coursed rock-faced basalt over double splayed sandstone plinth; red sandstone rock-faced platband beneath sill level and to springing arch-level; angled clasping buttresses with offsetting. Windows are Gothic arches with stained glass, chamfered blocked sandstone reveals and stop-ended hoodmoulds, unless otherwise stated.

West gable has three lancets (diminished to centre), hoodmoulds connected by stringcourse, and central round-headed rose window with geometric-plate tracery; red sandstone voussoirs over.

North elevation is abutted to left end by gabled north transept. Exposed elevation is three windows wide; that to right is a lancet, remainder have geometric-plate tracery. North transept is two diamond lattice margin paned windows wide with a clamp buttress divider; round-headed rose window (detailed as others) above. Right cheek has Gothic vestry entrance, red sandstone stop-ended hoodmould, shouldered punctured sandstone tympanum, varnished timber vertically sheeted door with wrought-iron hinges. Left cheek is blank.

Chancel has central Geometric-tracery window with red sandstone voussoirs, exposed sections of nave gable are blank.

South elevation abutted to left end by tower, abutted to right end by south transept. Exposed section has two windows, as others. South transept detailed as north transept (windows are not lattice paned). Tower is gabled beneath an octagonal stone spire ornamented with angle ribs and three pairs of red sandstone platbands. First stage has central Gothic vertically sheeted hinged double-leaf door, moulded surrounds; there are bootscraper niches to either side; cheeks are battered with dressed stone spurs between angled buttresses to first stage and surmounted by trefoils to second stage. Third stage has slender three-quarter engaged colonnettes to corners; scalloped timber belfry louvres with moulded stringcourse below red sandstone platband.

Setting

Set on an elevated site with lawn, mature trees and hedges; gravel drives accessed at east by steel gates set in rubble stone boundary wall; sundial to southeast; modern maintenance shed to northwest.

Roof: Pitched slated, blue/black clay roll-top ridge tiles
Walling: Random-coursed rock-faced basalt
Windows: Gothic Geometric-plate tracery
Rainwater Goods: Replacement painted cast-iron

Historical information

The church, dated 1866-1868, is first shown on the third edition OS map of 1901-2. It is not recorded in Griffith’s Valuation of 1859, the first evidence of the Church is found in the Valuation Revisions from c.1865-1870, which records a church and yard on the site, valued at £20.0s 0d.

Kilbride Church is dedicated to the early Celtic saint, St. Bride, also known as Brigid of Kildare (c. 451–525). The history of religious activity in the area is long established, originating in a sixth century monastic settlement, and later the medieval St Mary's Church (c.1250). St Bride's was designed in 1866 by Welland & Gillespie, architects to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, in Gothic Revival style. Consecration took place in June 1868. Refurbishments were carried out in 1958 and 1976. Little change in layout has occurred, however the 1958 renovation divided the north transept into two spaces, adding an additional floor to the original vestry.

The stained glass to the chancel and south transept is by Ward & Hughes, the modern stained glass to the nave dates from the late 1960s to 1990s. Drawings of the church are archived in the RCB Library in Dublin. The organ was built by Messrs. Hill of London in 1868, refurbished in 1917 and 1959. The Gothic pulpit and two prayer desks were presented in 1934, the brass eagle lectern in 1927. The bell in the tower was cast by Robert Stainbank of London in 1868 and bears the Latin inscription: Misericordias Dei in Oeternum Cantabo. (I will sing of God’s mercies forever.)

According to Cox, 'In Ireland there are 14 churches named [after St. Bridget] and 35 Townlands. (This figure does not include Kilbride Parish Church in County Wexford, and may exclude others as well).’ (Cox, p10)

Cox also states that the history of the church in the parish of Kilbride goes back to the early centuries of Celtic Christianity. The parishes of Donegore and Kilbride were united under a Vicar and Curate sometime before the seventeenth century and remained so until 1864, when the union was dissolved; the present church was constructed four years later. The original iron gates were made in the local foundry established by John Rowan (now gone, but a memorial to Rowan still exists at Doagh HB21/02/002). Unfortunately, the gates were replaced c.2002.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/45/1 -First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/45/2 - Second Edition OS Map (1857)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/45/3 –Third Edition OS Map (1901-2)
4. PRONI VAL/1/A/1/45-Townland Valuation Map (1834)
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/1/17A-Townland Valuation Fieldbook (1836)
6. PRONI VAL/2/A/1/45A -Griffiths Valuation Map (1859)
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/8B -Griffiths Valuation Fieldbook (1859)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/1/4C-E -Revision Valuation Fieldbook (1868-1904)
9. PRONI VAL/12/D/1/45A -Revision Valuation Map (1859-1876)

Secondary Sources

1. Cox, Robert Roland. History of the Parish of Kilbride (Doagh, Co. Antrim: Self-published, 1959)
2. Handbook of United Diocese of Down, Connor and Dromore. (1886), pg. 97.
3. Brett, C.E.B. Buildings of County Antrim. (Ulster Architectural Heritage Society: 1996).
4. Lewis, Samuel. A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837)

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

St Bride’s Church of Ireland is an attractive rural Gothic Revival church designed by architects to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners Welland and Gillespie in 1866. Neatly and modestly proportioned, the church is handsomely ornamented with polychrome stone detailing and mouldings enlivened by delicate features such as the angle ribs to the spire, scalloped louvres in the tower and other small details. The interior is plainly detailed, with some alterations to the layout. Overall, the church has been well preserved and the quality of the setting maintained. It is of some social importance in the locale contributes to the historic character of the area.