Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB26/50/077 A

Address :
St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church Donegall Street Belfast County Antrim BT1 2FL

Townland:
Town Parks

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
26/06/1979 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Church

Former Use
Church

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
130-13 NE

IG Ref:
J3370 7496

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

Free-standing symmetrical double-height stone Romanesque Revival catholic church, built c.1875, to the designs of Timothy Hevey and Mortimer Thompson, with four-stage tower and spire rising from the front west elevation. T-shaped on plan facing west with apsidal sanctuary to the east, pair of lean-to side aisles and apsidal side chapels. Pair of two-storey blocks to the rear abutting the east elevations of both transepts with a further three-storey brick block abutting the north transept, built c.1960. Located on a slightly elevated site at the north end of Donegall Street. Damaged by fire c.1995, subsequently reroofed and restored to the interior. Replacement roofs throughout, c.1996 comprising pitched natural slate roofs with lead valleys, roll-moulded black clay ridge tiles with a semi-conical roof to the apsidal sanctuary and roof light. Semi-conical slate roofs to both apsidal side chapels and decorative trefoil iron finials throughout. Roofs set behind slightly raised gables with moulded sandstone coping, gableted kneeler stones and Celtic cross stone finials. Replacement steel box guttering and steel downpipes. Coursed and squared rock-faced red sandstone ashlar walling, uncoursed to the rear elevation. Flush pale sandstone platbands, double convex continuous string course over ground floor and splayed sandstone trims to red sandstone plinth course. Weathered angle buttresses with gableted heads. Generally round-headed window openings formed in voussoired flush sandstone surrounds with bowtel moulded heads, stop-chamfered reveals, splayed sills with continuous sandstone platband at impost level with leaded glazing. Front west elevation comprises a rectangular-plan entrance bay housing the narthex rising as a square-plan tower surmounted by octagonal-plan spire and flanked by a pair of side entrances housed in lean-to side aisles. Occupying the entire base of the tower is a triple-height round-headed stepped arch with crocketted gable above and framing a rose window over an arcaded stage stepped to accommodate the gabled door surround below. A pair of square-headed door openings with roll-moulded heads and diagonally-sheeted stained timber doors with decorative cast-iron door furniture framed by polished limestone columns with stiff-leaf capitals supporting a stepped round-headed arch with a decoratively carved foliate tympanum and statue of St. Patrick supported on a single column between the paired openings. The doorcase is framed by a shallow gable with foliate stop labels and surmounted by a stone Celtic cross with an arcade of round-headed window openings flanked by slender columns and stiff-leaf capitals rising with the gable and having leaded glazing. Large stone rose window comprising a series of oculi filling the head of the giant arch with three stepped roll-moulded voussoired heads rising from three slender limestone columns (two descending to ground level) having stiff-leaf capitals and banding. The angle buttresses to the four corners of the tower meet to support a pair of blind arcaded pinnacles to each side elevation supported on carved seraphim corbels and flanking slender crocketted gables. The upper part of the tower is encircled by a pierced balustrade with three round-headed openings and slender colonnettes to each elevation flanked by weathered angle buttresses, those to the side elevations having hooded niches and colonnettes. A corbelled course over this stage supports a further balustrade with the angle buttresses rising to single plinths supporting octagonal spirelets to the belfry-stage. An octagonal base to the spire rests among the spirelets with a slender round-headed opening to the cardinal faces having louvres and framed by engaged colonnettes. The tapered stone spire has decorative lucarnes with colonnettes and poppy-head finials to the cardinal faces while the spire is surmounted by a further stone finial and a wrought-iron Celtic cross. The side entrances have square-headed door openings set within round-headed arches springing from limestone columns with stiff-leaf capitals and elaborate foliate carving to the tympanum with diagonally-sheeted double-leaf timber doors. North nave elevation has a gabled section to the aisle entrance flanked by weathered buttresses and surmounted by tapered stone finials. The gable has a simple rose window with sandstone surround. To the centre of the elevation is a single-height apsidal chapel. The north transept projects beyond the nave and has a double gabled elevation facing west, that to the north rendered in pink cement including the north facing gable to the transept. The north gable to the transept has bipartite round-headed window openings with central roundels (at gallery level) and a rose window to the gable. Gabled doorcase to the transept having a square-headed door opening with roll-moulded head, stop-chamfered jambs, a double-leaf diagonally-sheeted timber door with cast-iron door furniture and a semi-circular fanlight over the lintel cornice with leaded glazing. Flat-roofed three-storey extension abutting the north transept, built c.1960 in pink brick. East rear elevation has a central double-height apsidal sanctuary flanked by lower gabled side chapels in turn flanked by a pair of two-storey blocks. The apse is abutted by a series of weathered buttresses with the side chapels having flush rose windows. The northeast vestry block has paired square-headed window openings with flush sandstone surrounds and leaded single-glazed timber sash windows. The southeast block has a hipped slate roof with iron finial, slender round-headed window openings and a deeply set round-headed door opening to the south elevation with stop-chamfered sandstone surround and a diagonally-sheeted timber door and fanlight. South nave elevation is detailed as per north nave but retaining its coursed rock-faced red sandstone ashlar walling. Setting Located on a slightly elevated site on the east side of Donegall Street, facing west with a small front area enclosed by original wrought-iron railings on sandstone plinth walls, matching gates and decorative iron lamp standards. The limestone steps to the front entrances fill the entire front area while the side areas are finished in bitmac enclosed by the presbytery to the north. Roof : Natural slate RWG : metal Walling : sandstone ashlar Windows : leaded

Architects

Hevey, Timothy Thomson. M

Historical Information

St Patrick’s RC Church, Donegall Street is a Romanesque style church dating from 1875-7 to designs by Timothy Hevey and Mortimer Thomson and replaced an early nineteenth-century church on the same site. (Heatley) The original church on the site was built between 1810 and 1812 of stone and brick to designs by Patrick Davis and was the second catholic church to be built in Belfast.(www.dia.ie) This early church was built as a supplement to the first Catholic chapel in Belfast, St Mary’s on Chapel Lane dating from 1784. As numbers of Catholics began to rise with the expanding population of Belfast, then based on the thriving cotton industry, St Mary’s became inadequate for the needs of the congregation and the priest Father O’Donnell was able to take advantage of a plot of land in Donegall Street which had been left in trust for the Roman Catholic inhabitants of Belfast. The congregation at the time was not wealthy and the construction of the church was dependent on donations from liberal Protestants such as Lord Castlereagh who donated 100 guineas. The church was roofed over by 1811 and the building was used in 1812 for a meeting calling for the repeal of penal laws. However, the chapel was not consecrated until 5th March 1815. The first St Patrick’s chapel is shown in an engraving held by the Ulster Museum and is not dissimilar in form to St Malachy’s church of 1844, which perhaps derived its inspiration from the earlier building. (Heatley) The early church is shown on the first edition OS map of 1832-3, as a rectangular building with projecting front entrance bays and is listed in the Townland valuation at £64.15s.7d. The church received some criticism when first built, chiefly on account of its battlemented pediment which was thought to be an incongruous mixture of Grecian and Gothic, but there were also many who found it elegant and tasteful. In 1825 the parish priest was elevated to the bishopric of Down and Connor and the first ordination of a bishop in Belfast took place at St Patrick’s. (Heatley) In about 1866 it was decided to break up the old Belfast parish into the parishes of St Mary’s, St Patrick’s, St Malachy’s and St Peter’s, the bishop of Down and Connor retaining his position as parish priest over all the churches and appointing priestly administrators to each church. In June 1867 part of the floor of the chapel collapsed, and the wish was expressed to build better and enlarged accommodation, but it was not until 1873 that a committee was formed with the view of building a new church. The architects were instructed to make the maximum use of the constricted site, recessing the church as far back as possible and bringing it as far forward as the Town Council would allow. The plans chosen were prepared by Timothy Hevey and Mortimer Thomson and the contractors were Messrs Collen Bros of Portadown and Lisburn. The rear of the new building occupies the footprint of the earlier chapel but there is no evidence to suggest that any fabric of the earlier church was retained. The foundation stone was laid on April 18th 1875 and the church was consecrated on August 12th 1877. Decorative carving on the high altar and the statue of St Patrick above the entrance were completed by Messrs Neill & Pearse of Dublin, James Pearse the English stonecarver being the father of Patrick Pearse, nationalist poet, political activist and one of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. Thomas Sheridan & Co cast the two-ton bell, said to be the largest in Ulster, in their Dublin foundry. A twelve foot cross of wrought iron was manufactured by Webbe’s of Ballymacarrett and blocked into position on top of the spire. (Heatley) The total cost of the building was £20,000 and the church was valued in 1900 at £860. (Valuation records) The design of the church attracted particular praise in the Irish Builder both for the galleries which could accommodate 300 to 400 people but were not overly prominent and for the ‘original and ingenious’ design of the tower which was a parallelogram on plan where it met the nave reducing to a square in its upper reaches. (Irish Builder) Dundonald sandstone was the main building material with other local sandstones and limestones used as dressings. (www.stonedatabase.com) Some work was completed at the church in 1904 to designs by E & J Byrne with carving by Winter and Thompson, but the nature of this is unclear. (www.dia.ie) In 1917-19 alterations were carried out including the laying of mosaic flooring in the sanctuary and the installation of an altar (now gone) by Edwin Lutyens, one of the most influential British architects of his generation. Above the altar, was a frame (also by Lutyens, now gone) for a triptych by celebrated Belfast-born artist Sir John Lavery, who was baptised in St Patrick’s. (Heatley; www.dia.ie) In 1971 the High Altar in St Patrick’s was rearranged in conformity with Vatican II and the rubble of the old altar was used as foundation material for the new. (Heatley) Some repointing and stone replacement took place in the 1960s and 70s. (www.stonedatabase.com; Larmour; Brett) The interior of the church was badly damaged in an accidental fire in 1995 and the building was open to the elements for several months before rebuilding could begin. Restoration was carried out under the supervision of architects Rooney and McConville and the roof and ceiling were replaced, all interior walls replastered and marble cladding removed. The mosaic floor was replaced by Mosart Studios in County Roscommon and the organ loft extended to receive the restored organ. The Lavery triptych was cleaned and replaced (currently on loan) and the tomb of Bishop Dorrian located and restored. (UA International) Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/1 – First Edition OS Map 1832-3 2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1858 3. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1901-2 4. PRONI OS/6/1/61/6 – Sixth Edition OS Map 1931 5. PRONI VAL/1/B/710A Townland Valuation (1828-40) 6. PRONI VAL/2/B/7/3AGriffith’s Valuation (1856-64) 7. PRONI VAL/7/B/9/14 – Belfast Revaluation 1900 8. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/C/1-45 Annual Revisions (1863-1930) 9. Irish Builder Vol 16, 15th December 1874, p343 10. Irish Builder Vol 17, 15th June 1875, p6 11. UA International Vol 14 Iss 7 Oct/Nov 1997, p44-6 Secondary Sources 1. Brett, C.E.B. “Buildings of Belfast 1700-1914” Belfast: Friar’s Bush Press, revised edition 1985 2. Heatley, F “The Story of St Patrick’s Belfast, 1815-1977” 3. Larmour, P “Belfast, An Illustrated Architectural Guide” Belfast: Friar’s Bush Press, 1987 4. Patton, M “Central Belfast: An Historical Gazetteer” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1993 5. www.stonedatabase.com 6. www.dia.ie

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form H+. Alterations enhancing the building I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting

Historic Interest

V. Authorship W. Northern Ireland/International Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

Free-standing symmetrical double-height stone Romanesque Revival catholic church, built c.1875, to the designs of Timothy Hevey and Mortimer Thompson, with four-stage tower and spire rising from the front west elevation. Replaced an earlier Gothick church dating from the early nineteenth-century. This exercise in Romanesque Revival is richly detailed and exhibits robust styling and character; the tower and spire in particular form a noteworthy composition, along with the high quality of sculpture and detailing throughout. Although extensively damaged by fire the church has been restored to maintain its historic interest. The history of the church in this area adds to the interest of the site. St Patrick's is a fine example of a major church and the work of a notable local architect.

General Comments

Date of Survey

16 October 2012