Survey Data
Reg No
20987050
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Social, Technical
Original Use
Church/chapel
In Use As
Church/chapel
Date
1955 - 1960
Coordinates
173100, 62657
Date Recorded
10/05/2009
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Freestanding cruciform-plan gable-fronted three-bay double-height Roman Catholic church, dated 1957, having eight-bay nave with clerestory, lean-to single-storey side aisles and gable-fronted single-storey transepts to sides (north, south). Bow-fronted chancel with conical roof to rear (east) and three stage bell tower to south-east corner. Single- and two-bay barrel roofed porches to transepts. Pitched slate roofs with red brick eaves throughout, having tooled limestone gable copings with cruciform finials and cast-iron rainwater goods. Hipped slate roof with cruciform finial to tower. Stretcher bond red brick walls with incised rendered plinth, having carved limestone string courses and square-headed recesses to window bays. Limestone carving of the four evangelists to front elevation and carved limestone stations of the cross to southern side aisle. Group of three round-headed window openings within shared moulded render surround with archivolts and chamfered sills to front elevation, having lead-lined stained glass windows. Round-headed window openings with tooled limestone and render sills elsewhere in single and paired arrangements, having red brick voussoirs and timber-framed lead-lined stained glass windows. Round-headed louvre openings with red brick voussoirs with keystones to upper stage of bell tower, having timber louvre. Round-headed door openings throughout, having double-leaf timber panelled doors and fanlights, moulded render surrounds and voussoirs to front (west) elevation openings, red brick voussoirs elsewhereFull-height interior with carved timber pews and panelled rendered gallery. Balcony above entrance having glazed parapet, surmounting rendered Doric columns. Carved moulded marble altar, pulpit and reredos on raised mosaic platform with marble steps. Freestanding plinth mounted bellcote within grounds to east, having fluted cast-iron columns surmounted by cast-iron frame and bell displaying embossed lettering. Roughcast rendered enclosing walls having render coping and square-profile gate piers with decorative rendered caps and single and double-leaf cast-iron gates.
Appraisal
This imposing church is a key feature in the town, with its imposing scale and use of red brick marking it out from surrounding buildings. Decoration is restricted to features such as render door and window surrounds, the fine carved depictions of the Evangelists by Seamus Murphy RHA and the stations of the cross by Eamon Casey. The interior retains much of its original features and fittings intact. Located in the town centre, it continues to act as an important social focus.