Survey Data
Reg No
32401921
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Social
Previous Name
Beltra Church (Dromard)
Original Use
Church/chapel
In Use As
Church/chapel
Date
1815 - 1820
Coordinates
159957, 330397
Date Recorded
20/08/2004
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached Church of Ireland church, built 1817. Cruciform plan with transepts at west end adjacent to two-stage tower, single-storey flat-roofed porch in corner between nave and south transept. Hipped slate roof, clay ridge and hip tiles, half-round cast-iron gutters on eaves corbel course, cast-iron downpipes. Unpainted roughcast walling, remains of wall hung slating to lower south face of tower and west side of south transept, projecting crenellated parapet with octagonal limestone conical pinnacles to corners of tower roof, diamond panels containing circular blind openings to north, south and west sides of tower. Pointed-arch window and belfry openings, ashlar limestone surrounds, hood mouldings over belfry openings, limestone sills, painted Y-tracery timber windows with oblong panes and inward-opening bottom-hung casements, painted Y-tracery timber louvres to belfry, coloured diamond pane leaded lights to east window. Semi-circular window opening to west side of tower. Shallow pointed-arch door opening to base of tower, chamfered tooled ashlar limestone surround with inscription at apex 'AD 1817', painted timber door with three full-height pointed panels. Interior with altar at east end with semi-circular altar rail, pulpit at west, painted timber panelled box pews, stone slab floor with cast-iron grilles, painted plastered walls, painted timber panelled wainscotting, painted flat plastered ceiling deeply coved at edges, original oil lamps on brass poles. Located along a narrow lane in woodland setting, gravelled paths, lawns, stone grave markers to graveyard to north of church, rubble stone boundary wall, wrought-iron flat-bar gates, stepping stones over wall. Derelict school house with pitched slate roof to west of church.
Appraisal
This simple, but wonderfully intact, church is set beautifully in the wooded landscape. It retains many of its original features including interior furniture and traceried windows. It also boasts a school house and graveyard containing many fine carved headstones. The church is important historically and socially as an example of Board of First Fruits church building in Ireland during the nineteenth century.