Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB08/08/009

Address :
ST. COMGALL'S CHURCH DROMORE KNOCKCLOGHRIM Magherafelt CO.LONDONDERRY (AKA DESERTMARTIN PARISH CHURCH.)

Townland:
Dromore

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Survey 1:
B

Date of Listing:
04/07/1983 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
CHURCH

Former Use
CHURCH

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:

Vernacular:

Thatched:
No

Monument:

Derelict:

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OS Map No:
078/13SE

IG Ref:
H8577 9295

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Owner Category

CHURCH

Exterior Description And Setting

Architects

Historical Information

The present church was built in 1820-21 with the help of a loan of £800 from the Board of First Fruits (the body which from 1711 until 1834 assisted in the building of CoI churches and rectories). The identity of the architect is not known. The north transept and robing room were added in 1869 to a design by Joseph Welland and William Gillespie, the then joint architects to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, the organisation that succeeded the Board of First Fruits. The nearby rectory (25 Dromore Rd – HB08/08/008) dates from 1831. The church replaced one which stood closer to the centre of Desertmartin village, (just NE of Main Street -Knocknagin TD), that is believed to have been of pre-1622 construction, and possibly mid-15th century. It was abandoned mainly due to the fact its site was liable to flooding from the Grange Water. References - Primary sources 1 OS maps, 6inch County series, Londonderry sheet 41 - 1832, 1854, 1905-06, 1927-29, IG sheet 78 - 1976 2 OS Memoirs, Desertmartin parish - 1835 (transcribed and published by QUB, 1990) Secondary sources 3 Leslie, Rev. James B., 'Clergy of Derry and Raphoe' (Enniskillen 1937, reprinted and updated UHF, Belfast, 1999), pp.64, 180-83 4 HERoNI LDY041:002 SMR file on the old church at Desertmartin 5 Rowan, Alistair, 'North West Ulster', (1979), p.231 6 Dictionary of Irish Architects (online at https://www.dia.ie)

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

Historic Interest

Evaluation

General Comments

Date of Survey