St. Gerard's Roman Catholic Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A gabled symmetrical red brick church dating from 1953-56 to designs by John J. Brennan. Rectangular plan form aligned E to W having a double-height gabled nave with abutting narrow lean-to N and S aisles, and lower two storey projecting gable to W. The church is located within its own grounds with a modern two-storey pitched roof Parish Community Centre to S, on a site to the W side of Antrim Road.

Pitched natural slate roof with projecting eaves. Cast iron ogee guttering and hoppers discharging to rectangular section downpipes.
Rusticated red brick walling laid to English garden bond with artificial stone dressings and string courses at cill and impost levels.
Paired semicircular-arched windows with engaged polygonal column between, having stained leaded glazing (unless noted otherwise).

Principal elevation:
The three-bay wide principal elevation is symmetrical and faces E. Double height gable to central bay with raised leaded verge and kneelers; stone cross to apex. Large four-part round-arched window with projecting moulded hood, splayed cills and engaged polygonal columns between the windows. Three small rectangular windows below.
The central bay is flanked by single storey projecting flat-roofed bays with large round-arched door openings with stepped brick arch hoods and splayed sides having double-leaf panelled timber doors opening onto six nosed steps.

South elevation:
The S elevation consists of the double-height eight-bay wide S aisle and two-bay wide extension to W end. Projecting ground floor to aisle having flat roof with concrete coping.

Round arched door opening to fourth bay from E with a large moulded artificial stone canopy above having a double-leaf timber panelled door opening onto a single step. Three-bays to each side all have three small rectangular windows with splayed artificial stone surrounds to lower level and paired windows above. The upper floor of the last bay of the aisle to W projects in line with the ground floor wall.

The extension has paired square-headed windows to GF and paired round-arched windows to FF. Recessed bay at roof level with paired round-arched windows.

West elevation:
The symmetrical gabled rear elevation faces W and consists of a three-bay wide two-storey gable and double-height gable of main church behind. Lower gable has plain timber barge boards and stepped red brick kneelers.

Round-arched door opening to central bay to GF within a projecting door surround having a square-headed timber panelled door with fanlight opening onto a single step. Three-part window to FF above round-arched to centre and square-headed to sides.
Two square headed windows to each side to GF and single square-headed window to FF.

North elevation:
The N elevation consists of the double-height eight-bay wide N aisle and two-bay wide extension to W end. Projecting ground floor to aisle having flat roof with concrete coping.
Round arched door opening to fourth bay from E with moulded artificial stone canopy above having a double-leaf timber panelled door opening onto a single step. Three-bays to each side all have three small rectangular windows to lower level and paired windows above. The upper floor of the last bay of the aisle to W projects in line with the ground floor wall.
The extension has paired square-headed windows to GF and paired round-arched windows to FF. Recessed bay at roof level with paired round-arched windows.

Setting:
The church is located within its own grounds with a modern two-storey pitched roof Parish Community Centre to S, on a site to the W side of Antrim Road. Large tarmaced parking to E, tarmaced driveway around the church and some grassed areas around. The site is enclosed by un-coursed rock-faced basalt walling to Antrim Road and coursed artificial stone walling to N.
The main driveway to the SE has four square rock faced stone piers supporting metal gates, forming a wide opening. The gateway to NE opens onto wide steep steps. A secondary driveway to N has cast iron gates supported on square section metal standards.

Materials:
Roof : Natural Slate
RWG: Cast Iron
Walling: Rusticated Red Brick
Windows : Stained Leaded Glazing

Historical information

St. Gerard’s Roman Catholic Church, a red-brick Romanesque-style located on the Antrim Road, was constructed in 1953-56. In the aftermath of the Second World War the upper Antrim Road was one of the most affluent residential areas in Belfast. The majority of the gentlemen’s mansions (dotted along the avenues and boulevards of Skegoneill, Low-Wood and Greencastle) remained occupied by the predominantly Protestant merchant and professional classes although the Antrim Road became increasingly mixed as middle-class Roman Catholics occupied the post-war housing that was constructed in the area from the 1940s. The local Roman Catholic population had risen to such an extent by the early-1950s that the Bishop of Down and Connor (Bishop Mageean) initiated plans for the construction of a new church in the townland of Greencastle. The church was constructed on land that was owned by a Major Addley. Following Addley’s death in 1951 his widow sold his property, known as ‘Ben Edan’ (a two-storey structure located to the west of the current church), to the Diocese.

St. Gerard’s Roman Catholic Church was designed by John J. Brennan, a Belfast-based architect who resided at Lisheen in Andersonstown. The Dictionary of Irish Architects notes that Brennan worked from premises on Royal Avenue and went on to design Transport House on High Street in 1956-59 (HB26/50/234) and buildings at St. Clement’s Retreat House on the Antrim Road in c. 1960. Construction of St. Gerard’s Roman Catholic Church began in 1953 with P. & F. McDonnell contracted as builders. The church cost £100,000 to complete and was officially opened by Bishop Mageean on 9th December 1956 (Larmour, p. 99; DIA). The completed church was valued at £1,400 under the Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57).

In 1961-62 a retreat house and care home was constructed on the hill overlooking St. Gerard’s Church. This home was also designed by J. J. Brennan and was opened on 16th June 1962. In 1969 St. Gerard’s was formed into a Parish comprising a population of 2,000. It was the first Redemptorist parish in Ireland. The community centre, located to the south side of the church, was constructed between 1979 and 1982 (St. Gerard’s website).

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/57/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1901-02)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/57/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1921)
3. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/5 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
4. Ulster Town Directories (1901-1943)
5. Irish Builder (26 Jun 1957)
6. First Survey Record – HB26/51/015 (No Date)

Secondary Sources
1. Larmour, P., ‘Belfast: An illustrated architectural guide’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1987.

Online Resources
1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie/
2. St. Gerard’s Roman Catholic Church website - http://stgerardsparish.com/history.html

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A gabled symmetrical red brick church dating from 1953-56 to designs by John J. Brennan. Rectangular in plan aligned E to W having a double-height gabled nave with abutting narrow lean-to N and S aisles. The church is located within its own grounds with a modern two-storey pitched roof Parish Community Centre to S, on a site to the W side of Antrim Road.
The church has a well maintained interior which has been modified but still retains a large proportion of original fabric such as timber paraquet flooring and pews. Although of some character the building is not considered to be of special architectural or historic interest.