Kilskeery Church (C.of I.), 113 Kilskeery Road, Trillick, Omagh, BT78 3RJ

Kilskeery Church (Church of Ireland)

A detached, double-height Church of Ireland church dating to the late 18th century, located on the north side of Kilskeery Road, Trillick. The church is a rectangular-on-plan single-cell building with a chancel to the east, distinguished by its four-stage bell tower with crenellated parapet and fine ashlar spire to the west. A single-storey lean-to vestry is attached to the north, with a lean-to boiler house to the west.

The building is constructed of roughly coursed rubble walling over a projecting stone plinth, with pitched natural slate roofs featuring flat stone verges supported on torus moulded kneelers and plain acroter at the east gable apex. Corbelled eaves support half-round cast-iron rainwater goods. The principal elevation faces west and is divided by the tower at its centre; the exposed sections to left and right are blank and abutted by the boiler house respectively.

Windows throughout are paired gothic openings containing leaded latticed stained glass with margin lights, divided by single chamfered mullions within stepped chamfered stone surrounds with voussoirs. The north elevation contains four such paired windows; the south elevation contains five paired windows. The east gable features a central geometric bar-tracery chancel window with leaded stained glass and margin lights, with chamfered mullions and stepped chamfered surround with voussoirs, over which sits a projecting string course.

The four-stage tower forms the most significant architectural feature. The first stage contains the principal entrance on its south elevation—a gothic opening with square-headed timber-sheeted doors and fixed timber panel above, set within sandstone cavetto moulding, with a mason's mark to the left of the door. The west elevation of this stage contains a gothic window with leaded latticed stained glass and margin lights in plain masonry surround with stone voussoirs and projecting masonry cill. The second stage displays a painted masonry plaque inscribed "DEDICATED TO GOD / A.D. MDCCXC" on its south elevation, with a metal wall tie to the left; the west elevation contains a round-arch vertically divided fanlight window with stone voussoirs and projecting masonry cill, with another metal wall tie to the north. The third stage contains a central gothic timber louvred belfry opening to each face. The fourth stage is crenellated with pinnacles at the corners.

The north elevation is abutted by the single-storey lean-to vestry, which is detailed in keeping with the main block and contains a central square-headed dipartite window with leaded latticed stained glass, margin lights, single chamfered mullion, and stepped chamfered sandstone surrounds on its north elevation; its east elevation contains a replacement timber-sheeted door with stepped chamfered sandstone surround. The lean-to boiler house to the west contains a central gothic timber casement window with plain chamfered surround on its north elevation.

The church occupies an elevated site within its churchyard, accessed through the road at the south by smooth rendered walling and square smooth rendered piers with precast concrete stepped caps with ball finials, supporting replacement metal gates.

Historical records indicate some ambiguity regarding construction date. The stone datestone records 1790, whilst the Ordnance Survey Memoirs claim the church was erected in 1772 at the expense of the incumbent Reverend Archdeacon Hastings. The Townland Valuation Records provide dimensions of 84 feet long by 30 feet 6 inches broad by 15 feet high for the church body, with the steeple measuring 15 feet long by 17 feet 6 inches broad by 60 feet high. The Ordnance Survey Memoirs describe the building as "a neat plastered building with a square tower and freestone spire" and note it was "neatly fitted up inside with pews and a gallery and will accommodate 500 persons; the average attendance on each Sabbath is from 400 to 700 persons."

The building underwent significant improvement in 1890 by Thomas Elliott of Enniskillen, who added a new ceiling, pews, floor, vestry and east window. The original spire was taken down and re-erected in 1830. The vestry and east chancel window thus date to the late 19th century. The church retains well-preserved interior features that contribute to its overall character as a good example of a relatively early Church of Ireland building of the late 18th century.