Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB20/08/050

Address :
St Comgall's RC Church Castle Street Antrim

Townland:
Town Parks

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
10/12/1974 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Church

Former Use
Church

Conservation Area:
Yes

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
96-13 SE

IG Ref:
J1476 8714

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Owner Category

Church - RC

Exterior Description And Setting

A cruciform church in Italianate style comprising nave, chancel, transepts, and a prominent western tower. Main entrance faces west. West elevation comprises gable of nave with central projecting tower. Walls of coursed basalt rubble with granite plinth and sandstone dressings. Nave gable has clasping buttresses, of squared basalt rubble, rising to orb-and-cross finials; moulded coping to gables. Tower is square, of three stages marked by stringcourses and set-backs, with four openings; clasping buttresses of squared basalt rubble to each corner, which rise through three weathered stages to frieze-blocks with circular sunkings, and moulded cornice surmounted by a parapet and blocking course surmounted by orb-and-cross finials; parapet has circular piercings. Openings are a semi-circular arched doorway to ground storey with recessed moulded arch with keystone, containing a pair of rectangular timber panelled doors with arched fanlight over, containing margin lights; an ocular window at first floor stringcourse level, containing plate glass, with moulded surround surmounted by the stringcourse arching over it, with a keystone; a semi-circular arched niche at the first floor or second stage, with block surrounds, bracketed cill, and containing a sculptured figure of a male saint; and a semi-circular arched window to the second storey or third stage, with block surrounds and bracketed cill, containing timber louvres. Similar louvred openings occur in the other faces of the top stage of the tower, with similar surrounds to openings to the first floor sides but filled with arched timber fixed windows with margin lights. Sides of tower at ground floor level contain curved bays returning back to the main nave gable; lead dressing to roofs of curved bays. Metal gutters and downpipes to curved bays. North elevation of main body of church: 2-storey; roofs of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; walling as previous to entrance front gable but without plinth. Nave is three windows wide: upper windows are semi-circular arched, with block surrounds and projecting cills, with arched timber fixed lights with margins of modern tinted glass; lower windows are small rectangular timber, 3-light comprising a central bottom-hung vent flanked by margins with modern tinted glass. Projecting transept has similar roof and walling to previous, with clasping buttresses; comprises a 2-storey gable with a central projecting single storey porch with parapet roof. Transept gable has a Venetian window in first floor below a segmental relieving arch, comprised of a semi-circular headed window with keystone, as previous to nave, coupled with rectangular sidelights, with block surrounds; centre light glazed as previous to upper windows of nave; empty semi-circular headed niche in apex of gable above a stringcourse; gable surmounted by stone cross. West side of transept is 2-storey, 1-bay, containing similar windows to nave. East side of transept similar except it contains a later single storey ground floor projection in snecked rock-faced concrete blocks, painted to match stonework of church; concrete coping to flat parapet roof; cast iron hopper and downpipe; pvc soil pipe; modern rectangular flush timber door with louvers. North side of porch: walling of snecked basalt rubble with sandstone plinth, moulded stringcourse, moulded cornice and blocking course to flat parapet roof, with sandstone ball finials to corners. Doorway square headed with lugged sandstone moulded surround containing a pair of rectangular timber panelled doors. East side blank; west side contains a pair of coupled semi-circular arched timber windows in a square lugged and heeled sandstone surround with stop-chamfered reveals. North elevation of chancel: 2-storey, of similar roofing, walling, and rainwater goods as previous to nave; two windows at first floor level, arched as previous to nave; ground floor contains a modern rectangular flush timber door with plain glazed fanlight and wired glazing to side lights, set in a sandstone block surround with keystone and curved corners, and stop-chamfered reveals. East elevation of chancel: of similar walling to previous with projecting moulded stringcourse at main eaves level; orb and cross finials on stepped pedestals to base of gable coping, and stone cross finial to apex; contains a large semi-circular arched window in block surround as previous, with radially spoked glazing to head and central horizontally pivoting opening light. South elevation of chancel end is similar to north except ground floor contains a rectangular timber fixed window, 2 panes plus margin glazing, set in stop-chamfered block surrounds of horizontally tooled reconstituted stone; modern steel bars affixed; to the left is a later flat parapet roofed projection similar to north elevation except no openings. South elevation of main body of church: similar to north except there is a sculpted figure of a female saint in the niche of the transept. SETTING: The building stands in its own grounds which it shares with the presbytery to the north and other associated buildings, on a corner site, facing the main road but set back form it. Tarmac paths around church with steps and pavings to the west; burial ground to the south; and grassy slope to the east. Boundary to west formed by a low basalt rubble wall backed by a hedge with an original gateway in front of main entrance, comprising a set of four cast iron pillars of square section, with ornamented panels to main piers, moulded bases, and pyramidal caps, with name 'St Congal' inscribed on each pillar, with name plaque of ‘Riddel & Co. Belfast’ on the bases; a pair of central vehicular gates, flanked by pedestrian gates, in ornamented ironwork. Presbytery of mid-to-later 19th century date, of red brick with painted quoins and dressings, and hipped roofs, but original windows replaced by inappropriate modern glazing. Well kept lawns, trimmed shrubs.

Architects

Historical Information

Completed in 1870 after a period of about five years building which dates the design to c 1866. Consecrated on 30 October 1870 by Rev Dr Dorrian; erection mainly due to the exertions of Rev H. O’Loughlin P.P., of Randalstown. The bell for the tower was presented by Mr Ross of Belfast. In contemporary newspaper reports of the consecration, and as inscribed on the gate piers, the church is referred to as St Congal’s. This church replaces an earlier one on the site erected in 1818, of cruciform plan, with galleries around three sides. References – Primary Sources 1. OS Map 1962, Co Antrim 50. Secondary Sources 1. Northern Whig, 31 October 1870, p 2. 2. Belfast News-Letter, 31 October 1870. 3. Weekly Northern Whig, 5 November 1870. 4. J. O’Laverty, An Historical Account of the Diocese of Down and Connor, Ancient and Modern, Vol III (Dublin, 1881), p 294. 5. UAHS, Antrim and Ballymena (Belfast, 1969), p 5. 6. Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland, Vol 29: Parishes of County Antrim XI, 1832-3, 1835-9 (Belfast, 1995), pp 9, 45. 7. J. Hanna, Old Antrim (Catrine, Ayrshire, 2002), p 23.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form H-. Alterations detracting from building I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting

Historic Interest

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

Evaluation

This is a Victorian church in Italianate style of cruciform plan with a prominent tower which retains its original ornamental plasterwork to the interior and forms an impressive landmark on the northern side of the town.

General Comments

Date of Survey

06 November 2004