Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB02/03/002

Address :
St Finloch’s R C Church Nedd Road Oghill Ballykelly Co Londonderry BT49 9HZ

Townland:
Oghill

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
28/03/1975 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:
28/11

IG Ref:
C6216 2108

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Owner Category

Church - RC

Exterior Description And Setting

The church is sited on the slopes of the townland of Oghill close to the side of Ned Road and enjoying fine views of Lough Foyle and the Inishowen hills beyond. Ned Road rises steeply to the church so that it appears to sit on a lofty eminence. The entrance gable faces the roadway. Below the building lies the graveyard and the location of the previous church erected in 1828 of which little evidence can be seen except that the older graves are in that part i.e. to the east. This church had a T plan layout. Up two flights of narrow steps from the roadway and across a small forecourt is the stark smooth plastered simulated ashlar entrance front. It is bounded on either side with a long panelled clasping pedestal, gabled and pinnacled buttresses with a sharp pointed chamfered doorway with label moulding this is terminated with a bishop’s head on one side and a veiled woman’s head on the other. At the apex of the facade are a gabled bellcote and a louvred oculus with hood moulding and quasi trefoil tracery. The long walls of the simple five bay church are punctuated on each side with tall pointed and hood windows with moulded ‘Y’ tracery having central mullion and transom. The glazing is subdivided in 54 small Georgian panes which form delightful switch lines at top. Each window has a pivoted opening. A double weathered sandstone string course runs the full length of each wall at cill level and below it the wall thickness increases. On the south side there are only four windows as the small sacristy block interrupts the rhythm. Windows are trimmed with sandstone and each hood moulding has a moulded stop of a figurehead or a floral subject. The long walls like the gables are finished in smooth rendering carefully lined to imitate ashlar. Below the string course is ashlar sandstone. The whole has a patina of lichen. The small vestry has two pairs of pointed diamond paned windows on the east side. One pair and a door on the other. Against the gable there is a tiny store or boiler room. Walls are smooth rendered with ashlar quoins and are similar to windows and door. All roofs are slated , they have gables and sandstone barges and plain ridge tiles. Gutters and downpipes, ogee and round respectively in cast iron. The east gable has a three light flamboyant traceried window with diamond panes, sandstone trim with moulded label and sculpted stops. Above a louvred oculus without tracery. The main doorway has narrow moulded panelled doors with similar in tympanum neatly completed in Gothic style. The low wing walls on either side of the entrance are capped in a sandstone coping

Architects

Given, George White & Hegarty

Historical Information

The present church erected in 1849, replaced an earlier church of 1828 built with a T plan and sited downhill in a position known as the Hollow where the graveyard lies. St.Finloch"s is still referred to colloquially as 'The Hollow Chapel". It, like its successor was paid for by the Fishmonger Company who would have preferred the church to be erected in Ballykelly village. In 1848 the newly appointed parish priest, Patrick McEldowney, of Limavady approached the Company for assistance in replacing the Hollow chapel and in February 1849 plans and estimates amounting to £1,200 were approved. The architect being Mr Given (George) though Philip Donnelly refers to a Mr Giocu which must be an error. The Fishmongers deputation saw the building in 1850 when the interior was unfinished and attended mass in it. A sister of Arthur Sampson, agent to the company donated the stained glass window in the east end and the company contributed £49.3s. 10d. towards altar and benches. Steps from Nedd Road added in c1870. The altar and reredos were removed in 1981, architects White & Hegarty and used to provide reorganised sanctuary fittings. The gallery was extended in 1951 when Anthony O’Doherty was parish priest. References: Ordnance Survey Memoirs Vo. 25; Philip Donnelly, The Great Church of the Roe J S Curl, The Londonderry Plantation 1609-1914 E Daly & K Devlin, The Clergy of the Diocese of Derry

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

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

Historic Interest

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

Evaluation

A good example of a neo-Gothic style church, with simple rectangular plan, gallery and projecting sacristy with lower roof, good ornamentation in the form of panelled clasping buttresses at each quoin capped with gable pinnacles, moulded label mouldings with fine sculpted steps and gabled bellcote. The building has good proportions, regularly spaced windows and good continuity of architectural detail in stone and wood. It occupies a commanding site overlooking Lough Foyle. Its authorship is of interest being financed by the London Company of Fishmongers and designed by a non catholic architect Given who was associated with the design of the R C Parish Church (HB02/13/001). The building is of great interest in the local scene and a good example of its type being a variant of the Church of Ireland’s ‘Planter’s Gothic’.

General Comments

Date of Survey

29 April 1998