Clonard Church - Gates screen

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Entrance screen to the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer (HB26/31/001A) and Clonard Monastery (HB26/31/001B), erected c.1910.

Elaborate cast and wrought-iron vehicular gates embellished with iron crosses flanked by matching pedestrian gates hung on tall square-plan limestone ashlar piers. Decorative stop chamfers result in octagonal top sections surmounted by tapered and stepped capstones. Rock-faced limestone ashlar plinth wall encloses west side and rear of church with decorative wrought-iron railings. The car park to the south is enclosed by similarly designed replacement plinth wall and replacement steel railings.

Irregular plan garden laid out as lawn with symmetrical bitmac footpaths and some religious statuary and concrete steps with urns. The west wall is built in red brick laid in English garden wall bond with cement coping. The east boundary wall is largely poured concrete with some red brick sections and cement coping. The south boundary wall is rubble basalt with stacked coping.

Setting
Located on the east side of Clonard Street as the principal entrance to the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer HB26.31.001A) with the garden located to the southeast of Clonard Monastery (HB26/31/001B). Gates open onto bitmac forecourt to the church with stone setts opening onto the road. The walled garden is formally landscaped enclosed to a large bitmac car park to the west.

Roof N/A
RWG N/A
Walling Rock-faced limestone ashlar
Windows N/A

Historical information

Shortly after becoming Catholic bishop of Down and Connor in 1895, Dr Henry announced his intention to found a house for the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (better known as the Redemptorists) in west Belfast. The bishop believed that the Redemptorists would be able to assist local clergy.

Clonard House was acquired and the Redemptorists took formal possession of it on 31 October 1896. This provided only short-term accommodation for the Redemptorists for plans approved by Rome allowed for the building of a residence large enough to house a community of 18-20 and also provide a retreat for men.

The monastery was designed by John Joseph McDonnell, one of the principal architects working in Belfast at this time. The first sod was dug by Fr Griffith on 9 June 1898 and the foundation stone was laid on 15 August by Bishop Henry. The monastery was completed a year and nine months later. The Redemptorists moved into it on 2 May 1900. The next day the Sisters of Mercy moved into Clonard House.

A temporary church having been erected in 1897, plans were made to build a new permanent church on a site beside the monastery. The design this church was the work of the J. J. O’Donnell. Work began in 1907 and the dedication ceremony took place on 1 October 1911.

It would appear that from an early date the area immediately in front of the church and monastery was elaborately laid out in gardens. This can be seen on the 1931 map of the area. In 1966 the car park was extended into the monastery garden. In 1973, Clonard hall was erected at the lower end of the garden.

In 1996 there was a proposal to replace the railings, gates, piers and walls that formed the perimeter of the Clonard campus on the Clonard Street side (which had formed the boundary of the car park). These had become dilapidated and were replaced with higher standard stone pillars and railings to match those around the church. The work was carried out in time for the centenary of the arrival of the Redemptorists in Belfast. The new wall was of Mourne granite. Funding was provided by the Department of the Environment and by the 'Making Belfast Work' scheme.

References

Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
Ordnance Survey 6-inch map, 1901 – OS/6/1/60/3
Ordnance Survey 6-inch map, 1920-31 – OS/6/1/60/4
Valuation Revision Books – VAL/12/B/43/D/17 (1897-1905)
Valuation Revision Books – VAL/12/B/43/J/3 (1906-15)
Valuation Revision Books – VAL/12/B/43/J/5 (1915-30)

Northern Ireland Environment Agency
First Survey Record – HB26/31/001
HB Records – HB26/31/001
Ordnance Survey 1:1250 map – Sheet 130–13SW

Published sources
Old Ordnance Survey Maps: The Falls, 1931 (Alan Godfrey Maps, 1989) – a reproduction of the 1:2,500 scale map)
Patrick O’Donnell, Clonard Church and Monastery (1978)
C.E.B. Brett, Buildings of Belfast (2nd ed., Belfast, 1985)
Paul Larmour, Belfast: an illustrated architectural guide (Belfast, 1987)
James Grant, One hundred years with the Clonard Redemptorists (Blackrock, 1993)
Church of the Most Holy Redeemer. Clonard Church Centenary Guide (2012)

Online sources
Natural Stone Database: www.stonedatabase.com
Dictionary of Irish Architects: www.dia.ie (which
references the Irish Builder, 15 June, 7 September 1907, 17 October 1908, 28 October 1911, 22 June 1912)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
R. Age
S. Authenticity

Evaluation

Entrance screen to the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer (HB26/31/001A) and Clonard Monastery (HB26/31/001B), erected c.1910. The elaborate entrance screen of cast and wrought-iron vehicular gates embellished with iron crosses are flanked by matching pedestrian gates hung on tall square-plan limestone ashlar piers, is a fitting addition to the complex exhibiting fine craftsmanship. The walled garden, possibly a former orchard, provides a peaceful setting to the monastery and a tranquil public amenity. The entrance screen has group value with the church and monastery and constitute an important ecclesiastical complex with social interest for the local community.