Our Lady of Lourdes RC Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Ddouble-height Hiberno- Romanesque revival Roman Catholic church, built 1909 to designs of E & J Byrne, located to the west side of Victoria Avenue. Rectangular nave with engaged round tower to north-east corner; porch and sacristy to north side.

Roofs are pitched and natural slated; fretted clay ridge tiles; stone verges; masonry cross finials to gables. Walling is squared-and-snecked rock-faced basalt over projecting plinth with brick dressings; sandstone machicolation moulding to eaves. Windows are round-arched-headed with sandstone voussoirs, stepped brick surrounds and chamfered concrete sills.

Principal elevation is gabled (facing east) and contains, central round-arched-headed entrance with chamfered brick surround; moulded brick archivolt rests on cavetto moulded impost supported by sandstone colonettes; original double-leaf timber diagonally sheeted doors with decorative strap hinges; flat-arched drip mould with label stops encloses pair of square brick relief panels above. At upper level, group of three windows (larger to centre) are surmounted by central louvred oculus to apex. Abutted at right by three-stage round tower containing window to first and second stage; stone belfry with Ionic columns supporting round-arch-headed colonnade, surmounted by conical roof and ironwork cross.

South elevation has six pairs of windows, each set within a recessed bay with machicolated head and separated by pilasters with brick quoins.

West gable comprises grouping of three windows (larger to centre) surmounted by louvred oculus to apex flanked to corners by pilasters with brick quoins. Abutted at left by sacristy.

The north elevation has six pairs of windows, as the east elevation. Second bay from left is abutted by gabled porch with corbelled eaves; brick two-order rebated round-arched-headed entrance with brick hood-moulding containing double-leaf timber diagonally sheeted doors surmounted by brick relief panel; accessed by concrete steps; window to east and west elevations. Bay at right abutted by gabled sacristy containing pair of square-headed windows; pair of square-headed windows to east; replacement square-headed door and window to west. Abutted at left by tower.

The church is situated on an elevated site within a modern churchyard with hall and primary school to west within the grounds. Bounded to Victoria Avenue to east by brick walling with masonry saddleback coping. Modern steel gates to north supported on brick piers. To front of church, pair of cast iron gates and to north, square rendered pillars support further cast-iron gates.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Rockfaced squared-and-snecked basalt
Windows: Round-arched-headed leaded stained glass
RWG: Cast-iron ogee gutters and round downpipes

Historical information

The church first appears on the 1921 OS map. Our Lady of Lourdes was completed in 1909, replacing an earlier church, St. Colman’s, built in 1899 (Irish Architectural Archive).

Our Lady of Lourdes cost over £2,000 to build according to this extract from The Irish News 11th February 1909: ‘The new church in Whitehead will cost £1,500, its Tower about £180, the church furniture about £500. There will also be a debt of about £550 on the chapel-school in Whitehead.’ (Carrick Parish History).

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/47/7 - Fourth Edition OS Map (1921)
2. PRONI VAL 12/B/7/18A-F - Valuations Revisions (1864-1929)

Secondary Sources

1. Carrick Parish History. [Internet source]. Available from: Accessed 10/12/08.
2. Irish Architectural Archive. ‘Dictionary of Irish Architects.’ [Internet source] Available from:
Accessed 20/05/09.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A detached double-height Hiberno- Romanesque Roman Catholic church, built 1909 to designs of E & J Byrne, located to the west side of Victoria Avenue. This building is well proportioned and ornately detailed with brick dressings and relief panels to exterior. It retains a well preserved interior and is one of the more significant buildings in the whitehead Conservation Area.