Survey Data
Reg No
20868061
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Historical, Social
Original Use
Church/chapel
In Use As
Church/chapel
Date
1960 - 1965
Coordinates
171367, 71629
Date Recorded
14/04/2011
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Freestanding gable-fronted church, built 1962, with breakfront to north incorporating three-stage tower with projecting entrance porch, ten-bay side elevation to nave, single-storey sacristy to southeast, single-storey porch to east and breakfront to south elevation. Pitched pantile roof with copper rainwater goods with cross motifs to hoppers and concrete spire to tower with cross finial to apex. Rock-faced granite walls with dressed limestone quoins to front (north) elevation, polychrome pre-cast concrete blocks to side and rear elevations with raised aprons beneath windows. Cross to south breakfront. Ashlar limestone to second stage of tower with square-headed openings having metal grilles. Pointed arch window openings with pre-cast concrete surrounds, copper archivolts and tripartite aluminium stained glass windows. Elongated pointed arch window opening to tower containing cruciform stained glass window. Ashlar limestone gable-fronted porch with sprocketed eaves and paired pointed arch door openings having stepped archivolts and reveals to double-leaf timber doors. Side porch having pedimented ashlar limestone doorcase with square-headed door opening having double-leaf timber door. Interior comprising sexpartite vaulted nave and aisles with pointed arch to chancel and foliated capitals to columns.
Appraisal
This church was designed by James Rupert Boyd Barrett, after an earlier church on the site was destroyed by fire, and is one of a number built by the architect for Bishop Lucey of Cork during the 1960's to cater for the growing population of the suburbs of Cork City. The plan respects traditional forms in the arrangement of nave and aisles but the spire, porch and window designs have a markedly modernist flavour and are characteristic of the architect. The appeal of the church lies in the simplicity of its form and design.