St. Comgall's C of I Church, Carmeen Drive, Rathcoole Estate, Newtownabbey, Co.Antrim

St. Comgall's Church of Ireland, Carmeen Drive, Rathcoole Estate, Newtownabbey

A mid-twentieth century Church of Ireland church constructed around 1955 and designed by Diocesan architect Denis O'D Hanna, built by F&W Bell, builders. The building employs a distinctive double-tier plan layout with the church located on the upper floor above a church hall at ground level.

The structure is a two-storey portal-framed building of roughcast rendered finish, rectangular on plan and facing east. Its most striking feature is the exposed steel portal frame, which creates the building's characteristic tapering profile. The church is roofed with a deep mansard roof that wholly contains the nave on the upper floor, finished with interlocking concrete tiles. A bellcote projects from the west end, housing a brass bell and smaller bronze bell set within a round-headed opening, topped with a broached copper spire bearing a ball and cross finial. Painted metal rainwater goods run around the building.

The nave windows are elongated 28-pane metal-framed dormers positioned at eaves level, each with a pivoting central panel. The ground floor hall features tall round-headed windows with projecting concrete cills set close to ground level.

A large two-storey extension, constructed around 1985, now dominates the east-facing elevation and contains the original two-stage gable front. This symmetrical extension measures five openings wide on each floor, arranged about a central breakfront with taller central entrance and first floor window. The side elevations are identical, each five windows wide at ground and upper storeys, with square-headed double-leaf timber doors in plain rendered surrounds to the west end. A single-storey flat-roofed extension clasps the west end of the building at ground floor level.

The exposed upper floor on the rear (west) gable features a stained glass round-headed window with recessed apron and double-leaf multi-pane metal-framed doors to either side (painted over), formerly accessed from the vestry extension roof. A metal cross is affixed to the gable apex.

A vestry-kitchen extension projects from the east and rear, constructed of roughcast walling with a tarred roof. Its main east elevation has three round-headed windows set in recesses with smooth rendered aprons; a recessed double-leaf timber door with matching side panel and glazed transom features a horizontal bar handle on its left side. Side elevations each have five small square windows. Remains of concrete access steps, now removed, once flanked both sides.

The church interior is relatively well preserved, with the majority of original fabric and features intact. The portal frame construction—an economical building method particularly suited to single-cell structures and widely used in the postwar period—distinguishes the design.

The building stands in a tarmac yard enclosed by hedges and accessed by mild steel entrance gates. A small boiler house and utility block of no architectural interest stands to the south.

A second church on Rathcoole estate, Rathcoole Presbyterian Church, was constructed in 1956 and also employs portal frame construction, though in precast concrete.