Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB10/05/003

Address :
St Eugene's RC Church, Plumbridge Road, Newtownstewart, Co Tyrone BT78 4NR

Townland:
Glenknock or Cloghogue

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
02/11/1989 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:
88-15

IG Ref:
H4091 8663

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Owner Category

Church - RC

Exterior Description And Setting

Detached double-height Roman Catholic Church, dated 1823, located to the west side of Plumbridge Road. Church consists of rectangular nave with gabled transept to north (T-shaped plan internally); single-storey sacristy to south, added c.1860 and extended c.1950; single-storey gabled porches to north and west, added c.1990; square four-stage tower to east. Roof is pitched natural slate with blue/black clay ridge tiles over corbelled eaves course; cross finials to gables; half-hipped to sacristy. Walls are smooth rendered over projecting plinth. Windows are pointed-arched-headed timber-framed double Y-tracery containing plain glass in painted sandstone surrounds. Principal gable faces east and is abutted at centre by square tower; exposed sections at left and right each contain quatrefoil oculus in painted surround to gallery level. Tower contains Tudor-arched-headed double-leaf six-panelled timber doors in painted sandstone surround; plain string-course to second stage containing timber tracery oculus in painted surround; plain string-course to bell stage containing pointed-arched-headed louvred opening to each elevation; moulded string-course to parapet with pinnacles to corners houses recessed octagonal timber fretted belfry surmounted by copped clad spire and ironwork finial. South elevation is abutted at centre by sacristy; exposed sections to left and right each contain two windows. Sacristy contains replacement square-headed vertically-sheeted timber entrance door flanked at each side by square-headed timber-framed 6/6 sliding sash window with painted masonry sill; square-headed vertically-sheeted timber entrance door to west elevation; single square-headed timber-framed 6/6 sliding sash window with painted masonry sill to east elevation. West gable is abutted at ground floor by gabled porch; exposed section contains single window to gallery level surmounted by oculus in painted surround to apex. Porch contains pointed-arched-headed leaded stained glass window; timber casement window to north elevation; pointed-arched-headed double-leaf vertically-sheeted timber doors to south. North elevation is abutted at centre by north transept; exposed sections to left and right each contain single square-headed 6/6 sliding sash window with exposed sash box. Transept is abutted at ground floor by gabled porch; exposed section contains two windows containing leaded lattice lights to gallery level surmounted by oculus in painted surround to apex; two round-arched-headed 9/15 sliding sash windows to east elevation; single round-arched-headed 9/15 sliding sash window to west elevation. Porch contains pointed-arched-headed leaded stained glass window; timber casement window to north elevation; pointed-segmental-arched-headed double-leaf vertically-sheeted timber doors to south. Set within churchyard containing single-storey roughcast outbuilding to south-east; site bound to road at east by roughcast walling with sandstone coping; access through square painted ashlar sandstone piers supporting pair of cast-iron gates; secondary access through square roughcast piers supporting pair of steel gates to south-east; rubble retaining wall to north-west. Roof Natural slate Walling Smooth render Windows Pointed-arched-headed Y-tracery containing leaded stained glass RWG Replacement cast-iron ogee profile gutters and round downpipes (some square replacement)

Architects

Toye, E J

Historical Information

The church was built as a simple rectangular structure in 1785, which may have been thatched. In 1823 the church was remodelled into a T-shape and in 1834 a wooden steeple and belfry on a square brick base were added, together with a porch to the west. In the 1860s an extension was added to the south containing meeting rooms and sacristy. This was extended in 1949. Porches to west and north were added in the 1990s. The wooden spire was replaced in 1904, clad in copper in 1909 and re-clad in 1977 and 2001. An ‘R C Chapel’ is captioned from the first edition OS Map in 1833. By 1905 the church is captioned ‘St Eugene’s R C Ch’. It has undergone many changes in plan, beginning as a simple T-shaped structure that has become cruciform by 1905. Townland Valuations record a ‘Roman Catholic Chapel’ valued at £7. Griffith’s values the chapel at £12 and notes that it is leased from Daniel Baird. Revisions (1860-1929) raise the value to £16 initially and in 1879 to £20 due to the addition of ‘stables’. The OS memoirs state that ‘the Roman Catholic Chapel, situated in the townland of Glenknock or Cloghogle, 75 yards North West of the road between Newtownstewart and Tobermore and at the distance of 5 furlongs from the former, is a rectangular building in the form of the letter T, 72 feet in length and 57 feet in extreme breadth, containing 3 galleries and lighted by 12 windows. It accommodates 1,500 persons and the average attendance is 1000.. it was built by private subscription about the year 1785 and repaired with additions in the year 1823 at an expense of 150 pounds, raised by private subscription. In the year 1834 a temporary wooden steeple and belfry, resting upon a square brick base, was erected at the side of the chapel. Its total height is 53 feet and it contains a bell weighing 330 pounds. Incumbent Reverend Philip Porter P.P. (p.8). Gebbie writes that the present Roman Catholic church was built in 1785 and Father Charles McBride was the parish priest. He continues, “1823-The old rectangular Roman Catholic Church altered into the present T shaped church by the Rev. Philip Porter, P.P. The new structure had twelve windows and three galleries. Much of the labour was given free and Protestants also helped gladly. In 1834, he erected the present wooden steeple and belfry on a square brick base, and hung a 330 lb. weight bell. It was the first belfry in the Roman Catholic diocese since penal times, and indeed was rung before the one in Armagh Cathedral. Father Porter was a man of exceptional and many-sided abilities. He was greatly acceptable to the whole community. It is said he was accustomed to attend the Orangemen’s celebrations on July 12th and indeed was presented with a sword by the [Orange] Order [of Newtownstewart] on his leaving the parish in token of much friendship.”” Gebbie also states that the church was remodelled in 1861 at a cost of £807 by Father William Heggarty P.P.(Gebbie, 1946). Rowan dates the timber belfry and spire “by E J Toye” to1904. (p.442) The parish website states, “The Stations of the Cross were purchased by Fr John Keys O’Doherty in 1871…In 1909 the wooden spire was clad in copper. Fr John McGowan oversaw a major job, remarkable in that it was planned at the end of the war when all materials were in short supply, and completed in 1949 when "money was tight and times were bad." The work included a new roof, marble Altar and rails, (presented by Mr Fred Roche) and extension to the sacristy. The spire (re-covered in 1977) suffered severe storm damage on Christmas eve 1999 and was practically rebuilt and re-clad with copper in 2001, total cost £55,000.00.” References: Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/6/17/1 -First Edition OS Map (1833-4) 2. PRONI OS/6/6/17/2 -Second Edition OS Map (1854) 3. PRONI OS/6/6/17/3 -Third Edition OS Map (1905) 4. PRONI VAL/1/B/637A -Townland Valuation (1820-1840) 5. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/17C -Griffith’s Valuation Map (1858) 6. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/40A -Griffith’s Valuation (1858) 7. PRONI VAL/12/B/39/10A-E -Valuation Revisions (1860-1929) 8. Day, A. and P. McWilliams, eds. “OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Tyrone I, 1821, 1823, 1833-36, Vol. 5.” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1990. Secondary Sources 1. Ardstraw Parish. [Internet Source]. Available from: Accessed 12th April, 2009. 2. The Changing Years-in the grouped parishes of Ardstraw, Baronscourt and Badoney Union. Historical Committee of the grouped parishes (.date?) 3. Mitchell, C. J. Haldane. “Omagh: Paintings and Stories form the Seat of the Chiefs.” Donaghadee, Co. Down, Cottage Publications, 2000. 4. Gebbie, John Hewitt. “Ardstraw Parish Church, Newtownstewart: Year Book and Blotter, 1946.” Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone: Self-published, 1946. 5. Rowan, Alistair. “North West Ulster: Londonderry, Donegal, Fermanagh, and Tyrone.” Buildings of Ireland Series. Dublin: Penguin Books, 1979.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

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

Historic Interest

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

Evaluation

A detached double-height Roman Catholic Church, dated 1823, located to the west side of Plumbridge Road. This church exhibits an unusual and rare development of its plan form from, rectangular to T-shaped and now cruciform. The church, rebuilt and extended on the site of an earlier eighteenth-century building, has a plainly detailed exterior augmented by an unusual and octagonal timber fretted belfry surmounted by copped clad spire and ironwork finial. Internally, the church retains original plasterwork and timberwork with original Queen-post roof structure. The church has a prominent location on the main road to Plumbridge and is sited within agricultural land, visible from the village of Newtownstewart. This is an important and early catholic church which has an impressive external design and an intimate interior.

General Comments

Date of Survey

07 April 2009