Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB26/13/031

Address :
St. Molua's Church of Ireland Church 645 Upper Newtownards Road Belfast Co.Antrim BT4 3LR

Townland:
Ballycloghan

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
07/04/1994 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:
130/16SW

IG Ref:
J4004 7396

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Owner Category

Church - C of I

Exterior Description And Setting

A large hall-style church, orientated north-west/south-east, built of rustic brick on a steel frame dating from 1961-62 and designed by architect, Denis O’Donoghue Hanna. Pitched roof with concrete tiles and large rectangular west window to pedimented gable, surmounted by three tall thin spires clad with cedar shingles and topped with metal crosses, at the ecclesiastical west end. Tall serrated slot windows with coloured glass, set at 45° to main walls, to north-east and south-west elevations. Church located on the southern side of the Upper Newtownards Road on a site slightly lower than road level, opposite the grounds of Stormont Estate. Contemporaneous halls set to south of site with brick wall to northern boundary with curved gate screen, two sets of gate piers with decorative lamps standards to inner set of piers and pair of ornate metal gates. Hedging to other boundaries. Area to behind gates has tarmac surface with grassed areas immediately in front of main entrance doors to church, to east and west of site and to rear. Pitched roof with concrete tiles. Three tall thin spires to ecclesiastical west end; two smaller spires rising from shoulders of gable to either side of central taller spire rising from brick plinth set back on ridge; all with supporting columns and 'swept-eaves' detail to cedar shingle clad spire and surmounted with simple metal cross and ball detail at apex. Cast-metal rainwater goods. Principal elevation faces north-west (ecclesiastical west). Brick walls with projecting shouldered gable with large rectangular window divided into smaller panes above entrance with six timber panelled doors with carved square handles. Above doors are six brass engravings by James McKendry, each showing two figures of angels with figures representing the workers who designed and built the church at their feet. Slightly curved brick walls to single storey wing either side of main gable with flat felted roof, timber fascia and polycarbonate skylights, having stone moulded panel representing the Holy Spirit (to the east) and the Eagle (to the west) to centre of curved wall. Tall thin windows to projecting wall with plain glass, facing north-east and north-west. North-east wall has single storey wing to north end with five mouldings set in panels formed using brick headers depicting: The Creation; Adam and Eve being driven from the Garden of Eden; St Molua curing his father of a cancerous foot; the protecting hands of God; and, St Molua as a Bishop supervising the building of a church. Three square windows to south-east elevation. Rustic brick recessed wall to main wall behind wing; central section has tall slot windows set at 45° to main wall with coloured glass and having concrete lintol and cill to each window. Two storey projecting wing to south end with pair of timber doors and two square windows to ground floor level, north-west elevation. Five rectangular top-hung timber window openings with panelling below at ground floor level to north-east elevation. South-east elevation has curved triple apses with apses to east and west formed in timber with glazed section to ground floor level, vertical clad timber with decorative silvered motifs representing the 'tares'; with glazed section to upper level all with obscure glass. Both with flat roofs, metal downstand and brick plinth. Central section in rustic brick in projecting panels divided by narrow recesses, culminating in multiple gabled roof details creating a chevron pattern with vertically boarded timber to gables. Timber fascia and soffit; concrete tiles and ridges, all abutting gable end wall with concrete skews. South-west wall as north-east except that two-storey projecting wing has double height timber and glazed door and screen to north-west elevation accessed by modern ramp. Marble memorial plaque to ground beneath windows inscribed 'Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever'. Moulded panels to south-west elevation of single storey wing depict: The Rose of Sharon and the Lamb of God; the pelican feeding its young; the fish with the tree that grew from the mustard seed; the Lion of Judah with Christ bruising the head of Satan; and, the True Vine and the chalice. Setting: Church located on the southern side of the Upper Newtownards Road on a site slightly lower than road level, opposite the grounds of Stormont Estate. Contemporaneous halls set to south of site with brick wall to northern boundary with curved gate screen, two sets of gate piers with decorative lamps standards to inner set of piers and pair of ornate metal gates. Hedging to other boundaries. Area to behind gates has tarmac surface with grassed areas immediately in front of main entrance doors to church, to east and west of site and to rear. Materials: Roof Concrete tiles RWGs cast metal Walls Rustic Brick Windows Timber, metal

Architects

Historical Information

St. Molua’s Church of Ireland, a Modern church located on the southern side of the Upper Newtownards Road and opposite the grounds of the Stormont Estate, was erected in 1961-62. The parish of Stormont was established in the late-1950s to meet the demands of the rapid development of housing in the area. Donaldson records that the Diocese of Down and Dromore purchased the plot of land in 1957 for £1,537. In the post-war period very few new churches were erected in the Diocese due to the government’s strict control of the allocation of building materials. By 1959 these restrictions were relaxed when the boundaries of the parish of Stormont were laid out; the new parish was officially constituted on 1st January 1960. Prior to the construction of the current church, the congregation met in a temporary church hall that was dedicated on 16th April 1960 (Donaldson). The Irish Builder notes that St. Molua’s Church of Ireland was designed by Denis O’Donoghue Hanna (1901-1971), a local architect who also designed the contemporary Church of the Pentecost in Cregagh and the Church of St. Brendan in Sydenham and was the author of a number of books on provincial architecture such as Ulster Barn Churches: Their origins and development. Hanna submitted his designs for the church to the Select Vestry in June 1960 and later described his design as ‘Modernist with roots in the traditions of the Church’ (Donaldson). The First Survey expanded on his point and described the church as ‘an exceptionally interesting example of the work of an architect who sought not only to blend traditional and modern styles in architecture but was also concerned to foster modern ecclesiastical art.’ Larmour would describe the building as ‘a big hall church in a mixed style with something of Coventry Cathedral in the serrated side windows. Amazingly tall and thin slated finials and spire of oriental or Slavic inspiration.’ The church hall to the rear of the church was also designed by Hanna (Irish Builder; Larmour, p. 112; DIA). Tenders for the construction of the church and its hall were invited in March 1961 and on 30th September 1961 the foundation stone of the church was laid by the wife of the Rev. F. J. Mitchell (the foundation stone of the church hall had been laid on 17th June). The church’s organ was constructed utilising parts of an organ from St. Matthias’ Parish Church in Dublin (closed in 1956). A new organ was crafted from the parts by Charles A. Smethurst of Manchester. The church bells of St. Molua’s were acquired following an appeal in the local press. One bell was acquired from Hollymount Parish Church in Co. Mayo but was replaced in 1987 by a recorded peal of bells. The church hall was opened on 3rd March 1962 by Mrs. Mitchell and on 3rd November the church was consecrated by the Bishop of Down & Dromore.’ The new church was dedicated to St. Molua, a 6th century priest who trained at Bangor Monastery and who established a number of churches throughout Ireland. The Irish Builder records that the total cost of the church came to £60,000 (Donaldson; St. Molua’s Church website). The stone plaques on the exterior of the building were designed by David Pettigrew and that each possessed a symbolic meaning: ‘one carving represents the Word of God … on another the Holy Spirit descends into the sacramental symbols … the Creation and Fall are depicted on stone plaques on the other side of the building’ whilst two additional carvings depict scenes from the life of St. Molua. Walker states that stone plaques and carvings are significant ‘for the way in which [they] recall the time when visual imagery was one of the church’s strongest evangelising tools.’ The angels depicted above the entrance to the church symbolise the protection of Heaven whilst the figures beneath them represent the workers who designed and built the church. Walker wrote of the churches interior: ‘The main theme of the interior of the church is God’s plan for the redemption of man and the illustrative panels on the ceiling relate the life of Christ and ultimately His offer of salvation.’ The centrepiece of the interior decoration of the church is a mural of the ‘Son of Man’ that was painted by Desmond Kinney (Larmour; Walker, p. 163). Upon the completion of the buildings St. Molua’s Church and Church Hall were valued at £1,400 under the Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72). In 1964 the church was named as one of only a dozen churches in the Diocese that possessed architectural interest by the RCB Artistic and Ecclesiological Committee. The church was listed category B+ in 1994. The NIEA HB Record could not be consulted but the church’s website records that high level repairs were carried out to the church in early 2014. The renovation, which was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, included the replacement of the cedar wood shingles that cover the building’s spires and the replacement of the windows in the side gallery and vestry (St. Molua’s Church website). References Primary Sources 1. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/30 - Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72) 2. First Survey Record – HB26/13/031 (No Date) 3. NIEA HB Records – HB26/13/031 (Missing) Secondary Sources 1. Donaldson, P., ‘St. Molua’s Church: The story of the first thirty-three years of Stormont Parish’ Belfast: St. Molua’s Church, 1993. 2. Larmour, P., ‘Belfast: An illustrated architectural guide’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1987. 3. Walker, S., ‘Historic Ulster Churches’ Belfast: Queens University Belfast, 2000. Online Resources 1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie 2. St. Molua’s Church website - http://www.stormont.down.anglican.org/

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form E. Spatial Organisation F. Structural System I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting

Historic Interest

S. Authenticity T. Historic Importance X. Local Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance V. Authorship

Evaluation

This large hall-style church, built of rustic brick on a steel frame dates from 1961-62 and was designed by local architect, Denis O’Donoghue Hanna. There are three tall thin spires clad with cedar shingles, topped with metal crosses, at the ecclesiastical west end. Tall serrated slot windows with coloured glass, set at 45° to main walls, to north-east and south-west elevations give light in coloured bands to the nave whilst there are a number of moulded panels decorating the front and side walls. Six brass engravings, by James McKendry, are located immediately above the timber entrance doors with Celtic designs used on the metal handles. Internally the walls are of rustic brick, with patterned tiling to the floor and ceiling paintings but the interior is dominated by the large mural on the wall of the apse, depicting Christ in Majesty by Desmond Kinney. The building is well detailed both inside and out and an excellent example of a mid twentieth century church building. Externally, the church is also complemented by the brick wall, gate piers, gates and light fittings on the northern boundary.

General Comments

Date of Survey

30 September 2014