Ballynure Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached gable-fronted single-cell double-height rendered Presbyterian Church, built 1851 (dated 1723), facing west and set on an east/west axis with its south side elevation facing the road in the centre of Ballynure village. Square-plan former entrance tower to front gable, now partially obscured by a gable-fronted vestibule.

Pitched natural slate roofs to hall and vestibule with synthetic ridge tiles to the hall and roll-moulded black clay ridge tiles to the vestibule. Natural slate pyramid roof to the former entrance tower breaking through the ridge of both the hall and the vestibule with an iron finial and a rendered corbelled course to the eaves. Replacement metal guttering to plastic box fascia and plastic downpipes. Small rendered chimneystack to the north rear gable.

Pebbledash rendered walling, smooth render quoins and a smooth render plinth course. A pointed-arched blind panel to the west elevation of the tower with a roll-moulded surround and a further recessed round panel to the gable of the vestibule with a hood moulding and ‘1723’ raised lettering to the panel.

Full-height pointed-arched window openings with roll-moulded surrounds, concrete sills, hardwood framed windows and stained glass and weather glazing. Pair of full-height pointed-arched window openings to the vestibule with a further window opening to both side elevations with roll-moulded surrounds, concrete sills and Y-tracery hardwood windows.

Central pointed-arched front door opening with splayed machine-cut stone surround, pair of raised-and-fielded hardwood doors and matching panel to the arch above. Door opens onto newly paved front area enclosed to the street by a low cement rendered wall with steel railings and pair of cement render piers.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Pebbledashed
Windows: Pointed arched, timber framed windows
RWG: Metal replacement

Historical information

According to the Ballynure Presbyterian Church website, the church was established around the year 1722 and though dated 1723 on a panel in the vestibule, it was rebuilt in 1851. Previously the Presbyterians in the area attended the neighbouring Church at Raloo (about five miles away). At the time of this development Ballynure was quite commercially important, the old cotton mills provided employment to those in the vicinity as did the Beetling mills. The first Minister is claimed to have been a Rev Watt. The church website also notes that in 1850 the old building was demolished and replaced with a new building. Apparently while this work was undergoing, the workmen found a number of cannon balls within the church, but their provenance is unclear.

James Boyle in 1840, writing in the ‘Ordnance Survey Memoirs’ on Ballynure, describes a church in Ballynure (although he doesn’t mention if this is a Presbyterian Church). He describes the church as follows;

“Situated a little outside the North West side of the village. It is a clumsy little structure with a low square tower and belfry at it western end. It measures 52 ft long and 30ft wide and would accommodate about 100 persons, though the congregation seldom exceeds the tenth of that. It is in a very neglected and dirty state and not in good repair. The date of its erection is unknown" (p 33).

He describes the form as rectangular “ it measures externally 58 ft 3 by 25 ft 3. It is built of stone and rough cast. ...It is said to be of extreme antiquity or rather to occupy the site of a very ancient religious house. The church as it stands is said to be about a century old. The tower and belfry were erected in 1815” (p 37). Boyle also mentions a Presbyterian Meeting House in Ballynure which is situated near the western end of the village, this was erected in 1767 and underwent repairs to the cost of £450 in 1827.

It appears that the reference Boyle makes to the church is the correct building, as he claims in 1840 that this building is about a century old.

The Presbyterian Historical Society claims that 1722 is the date of petition for the creation of Ballynure Presbyterian congregation. The rebuilding in the 1850's was during the ministry of Samuel Hamilton, a gallery was added at this time and a Sunday school was started also.

Gable-fronted vestibule added 1982. Extensions to the north gable added 1965 containing the Choir room and Minister’s room. New gable-fronted lecture hall added 2007, built to the northwest of the Church.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI Ordnance Survey Memoirs, Vol 32, August 1840.

Secondary Sources

1. Presbyterian Historical Society Website. [Internet source]
Available from: (Accessed 25th Nov, 2008).
2. Ballynure Presbyterian Church Website. [Internet Source]
Available from: (Accessed 25th Nov, 2008).
3. Irish Architectural Archive "Dictionary of Irish Architects" [Internet Source] Available from:
Accessed 20/05/09.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A detached gable-fronted single-cell double-height rendered Presbyterian Church, built 1851 (dated 1723), located to the centre of Ballynure. This roughcast building is simply detailed in gothic style and retains much of its original character. While of local interest, it is not among the best examples of the type and has been compromised by various alterations and additions.

General comments

This building is not worthy of a full Second Survey. A partial record has been taken as this building was surveyed in the First Survey but not listed at that time.