Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB09/14/003

Address :
Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church Chapel Street Cookstown BT80 8QB

Townland:
Loy

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
24/10/1975 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:
124/07

IG Ref:
H8103 7782

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Owner Category

Church - RC

Exterior Description And Setting

A mid-19th century church in a Gothic Revival style of Early English type consisting of a nave, two aisles, chancel and square buttressed tower with a broach spire. It stands within the built-up area of the town facing the main street but set back from it on a slightly elevated site. Walling is of snecked sandstone rubble with dressings of smooth sandstone, and a projecting plinth. Roofs are of Bangor blue slates in regular courses, with perforated ridge tiles. The main east elevation is symmetrical and consists of a very tall central tower which spans the full width of the nave and projects forward from it, with the two aisles set back to each side of it. There are angle buttresses to the corners of the tower which rise in set-back weathered stages to most of its height. The main entrance occupies the base of the tower, and consists of a Gothic arched opening of three orders, containing a two-leaf timber boarded door with large decoratively treated ironwork hinges, and surmounted by a drip moulding with carved head stops. It is approached by a flight of stone steps which run between the buttresses and are mounted with modern ironwork railings to each side. Above the entrance, in the rest of the very lofty first stage of the tower, is a three-light cusped bar-traceried window, containing lozenge pattern leaded glazing and surmounted by a drip moulding with carved head stops; and above that is a small empty cusped arched niche set in a decorated aedicule. Above that in the shorter upper stage is a two-light cusped bar-traceried opening containing louvre boards, set in a Gothic arched opening of two orders rising from battered weatherings and surmounted by a drip moulding and carved stops. This upper stage has an elaborate corbel table of Gothic cuspings, above which a very tall broach spire rises. The spire contains lucarnes at two levels, two-light traceried near the base, and cusped single-light further up, each containing timber louvres and surmounted by ironwork finials. The spire is further embellished with imbrications and small gablets, and is surmounted by a large finial. The north and south faces of the tower are similar to the front face except that the lofty first stage contains only a tall thin cusped lancet window at the bottom, containing lozenge pattern leaded glazing, and a small quatrefoil opening at the top. The south face of this first stage also has a full-height canted bay containing a turret stairway up the tower. The end walls of the aisles, facing east, terminate in set-back buttresses which rise to octagonal pinnacles, and each contain a two-light cusped window with trefoil tracery lights, containing stained glass. The south elevation of the church consists of a tall five-bay nave with a lower chancel extending to the left of it and a lower five-bay aisle projecting in front of it with a lower sacristy and side chapel built across the face of the chancel. The fifth bay of the aisle from the right is now covered by a later projecting gabled porch and ancillary block. The later modern block which appears to be of reconstructed stone, and has openings of 'modernised' Gothic form which do not match those of the original building. The aisle has bay divisions marked by two-stage weathered buttresses. Windows of both nave and the south aisle are cusped two-light clerestorey with a trefoil tracery light, containing lozenge pattern leaded glazing, and surmounted by drip mouldings with plain block stops. Across the base of the aisle is a modern stepped terrace bordered by modern railings. The chancel contains four small trefoil clerestorey windows set in circular surrounds. Across the front of the chancel the side chapel to the right contains a two-light window similar to those of the aisle but with stained glass. To the left of that the sacristy contains a similar window, with leaded glazing, followed by a tall projecting chimney breast and a small projecting gabled porch which contains a rectangular doorway approached by a flight of steps, a trefoil window in the gable, and a simple Gothic lancet in the west side. The west elevation consists of the chancel gable with the sacristy gable extending to its right, the extremities of the chancel marked by buttresses. The chancel gable contains a large cusped five-light geometrical traceried window which contains stained glass and is surmounted by a drip moulding with plain block stops. Above it near the apex is a quatrefoil opening in a circular surround. Below it is a two-centred relieving arch, and below that, in the plinth, is an inverted relieving arch. The sacristy gable, of lean-to form, contains a large three-light window with reticulated tracery set in a rectangular surround surmounted by a square drip moulding with plain block stops, and set beneath a two-centred relieving arch. Below it is a rectangular ledged timber door set in the plinth, presumably leading to a heating chamber. The north elevation is of similar character and general form to the south, but some elements and some details are different. The nave and aisle contain two-light windows with a quatrefoil tracery light, while the aisle contains two-light windows with trefoil tracery. The second bay of the aisle from the left is covered by a projecting porch which has a parapet roof. Its north and west faces each contain a two-light traceried window, while the east side contains a doorway. The doorway is Gothic arched and contains a pair of timber boarded doors with elaborate ironwork hinges. Above it is a cusped recessed panel which looks like an uninscribed datestone. Above it the parapet cants upwards to form a pedimental gable surmounted by a stone cross. The jointing in the stonework of this porch indicates some rebuilding, and judging from a published perspective drawing of it this porch was originally of pitched roof form with the doorway in a gable facing north. It was probably rearranged when the later convent was built and changed to face toward the front, into an alleyway between the church and the convent. Built across part of the face of the chancel is a rectangular side chapel which has the appearance of a chantry. It has a pitched roof, slated as previous. It has buttressing at the corners and also between the two windows on the north side which are similar to those of the nave but contain stained glass. Its west gable contains a three-light geometrically traceried window, also containing stained glass, with a small leaded trefoil in a circular surround, in the apex above it. Behind the side chapel, the chancel contains a tall two-light window with quatrefoil tracery, containing leaded lights, as well as two small clerestorey windows similar to those in the south side of the chancel. SETTING: The church is approached from the main street to the east by a tarmac driveway running alongside a pedestrian path laid with modern pavoirs, and bordered by modern railings. Both drive and path are bounded to the outside by grass strips. The path leads up to the front of the church and around its perimeter to the south side. The driveway continues along the south side to an extensive tarmac car park at the rear. The main front gateway consists of a modern arrangement of iron gates and piers with flanking railings on low screen walls recessed back from the pavement. Close to the north of the church stands a later Victorian convent, and its mid-20th century chapel which is enclosed within a grassy garden at the front. Behind the convent there is a lawn which runs alongside the north aisle of the church.

Architects

McCarthy, J J

Historical Information

Built in 1855-60 to the designs of J.J. McCarthy, architect of Dublin. Designs prepared in 1854; completed building consecrated on 3 June 1860. The contractors were Johnston and Charles; stone carving was by Purdy and Outhwaite of Dublin; the reredos was carved by Lane of Dublin; and the east window was by John Hardman & Co of Birmingham. Additional works carried out by Ralph Henry Byrne in the 1930s; Re-rooding, new porch and baptistry rails. References - Primary Sources 1. OS Map of 1857. 2. The Builder, 10 June 1854, p 305. 3. Building News, 19 June 1857. 4. Dublin Builder, 1 July 1860, Vol. 2, p 294. Illustration. 5. Dublin Builder, 15th August 1894, Vol. 36, p187. Illustration. 6. Builder, 10th June. 1854, Vol. 12, p305. 7. Builder, 7th July, 1855. Vol 13, p323. 8. Builder, 2 July 1860. Vol. 18, p346 & 447. 9. Irish Builder. 1925, Vol. 67. p315 10. Irish Architectural Archive: Drawings dated 1932. 11. W.H. Byrne and Son Drawings Collection. 2006.142. Secondary Sources 1. UAHS, Dungannon and Cookstown (Belfast, 1971), p 33. 2. J. Sheehy, J.J. McCarthy and the gothic Revival in Ireland (UAHS, Belfast, 1977), pp 45-46. 3. A.J. Rowan, The Buildings of Ireland: North-West Ulster (Harmondsworth, 1979), pp 215-216. 4. S. Walker, Historic Ulster Churches (Belfast, 2000), p 114.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

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

Historic Interest

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

Evaluation

This is a very impressive mid-19th century church in Gothic Revival style which is unusually ambitious in its size and arrangement. It was designed by J.J. McCarthy of Dublin, the leading Catholic church architect of his time in Ireland and is a fully developed example of its type, in terms of plan form, while also displaying an appropriate degree of architectural elaboration to the exterior, in its varied window tracery patterns and minor carved details, and ornamental features to the interior which include highly ornate chancel furnishings, as well as stained glass windows. Other features such as piscinas in the walls and the impressive light fittings add to the richness of the interior. It stands as a building of considerable local interest and social value, as well as formal architectural impressiveness, forming both an important local landmark in its own right as well as part of an interesting group with the later Victorian convent and its 20th century chapel alongside. The church may also be viewed in a national or international context as a significant example of a church by an important architect who worked all over Ireland.

General Comments

Date of Survey

15 November 2007