St. Patricks Church of Ireland, 260 Upper Malone Road, Dunmurry, Belfast, County Down, BT17 9LD

St Patrick's Church of Ireland stands on Upper Malone Road at Dunmurry, south of Belfast, adjacent to the Drum Bridge over the Lagan. The church is a cruciform Gothic Revival building constructed in 1870, with a tower that dates from circa 1795. It is graded B+.

The main structure features a steeply pitched gable-ended roof of natural blue slate with green slate banding and clay ridge tiles. A hipped roof covers the half-octagonal chancel, topped with a finial cross and partial ridge rail. Cast iron rainwater goods with ogee moulded gutters and box downpipes drain the roof. The walling is squared rubble with tooled sandstone quoins, surrounds, string and eaves courses and coping stones, while the earlier tower is constructed of split-stone rubble with cut stone dressing.

The windows throughout are leaded stained glass set into stop-chamfered sandstone surrounds. Doors are diagonally timber sheeted with wrought iron strap hinges and ironmongery.

The tower is a three-stage structure. The lower section is squared rubble rising to cornice level. Above this sits an octagonal middle section featuring a recessed geometrical timber louvered equilateral arch with rubble surrounds, rising to frieze level. This section is embellished with carved laurel wreaths and a dentil course, surmounted by an octagonal stone spire crowned with a weathervane cock. The principal entrance is located in the tower on the right of the east elevation.

The front entrance is set centrally on the east elevation, accessed by a modern ramp and steps. The door is contained within an ordered equilateral sandstone arch with a plain moulded outer arch and chamfered inset above impost level. This is embraced by a single-storey projected gable of circa 1870 with a quatrefoil blank and gable cross, supported by chamfered stone pilasters on a plinth rising to cornice level. Above the door sits a cut stone raked string course with the apex centrally located, falling to a horizontal string course below, suggesting a pediment. A blank oculus inscribed with historical text records: "This church was built in 1798. The spire of which (being wood) was blown down in 1831. The present stone spire was built at the expense of John Charley of Finaghy 1833." The rear of the tower retains gable remains of the earlier church with modern external stairs to the belfry.

The principal west-facing gable is symmetrically arranged with five round-headed arches containing stained glass at lower level and a single, taller, arched opening at upper level. Coping stones fall to a flush gable shoulder with a gable cross at the apex.

The north elevation comprises three asymmetrically arranged stained glass windows. The gabled north transept projects on the left with lateral buttresses on either side. Two large equilateral arched stained glass windows are located centrally with a finial terminating the apex stone. Each cheek of the transept has two smaller equilateral arched stained glass windows. At the bottom right corner is a ladder-box with dressed stone surrounds and a secure iron door.

The east-facing rear elevation is asymmetrically arranged with a semi-octagonal projecting chancel centrally located. A single-storey, lean-to hall and half-hipped former vestry abut the left. The semi-octagonal gabled chancel has battered lower stone courses. Each gable displays carved sandstone geometrical tracery headed by a septfoil with stained glass beneath a trefoil, with a plain gargoyle projecting from the kneeler stone. Leaded lights are fitted to the right-hand cheek of the chancel. A rear shoulder arch entrance with trefoil gablet opens to the left. The rear door, accessed by five well-worn sandstone steps, has stop-chamfered sandstone surrounds; an arrow-loop opening is situated adjacent to the left. A square-leaded lattice light with sandstone surrounds serves the former vestry, with stepped access to the heating chamber below.

The south elevation is asymmetrically arranged with a matching gabled transept abutting to the right, featuring a chimney stack. A projecting single-storey modern flat-roofed vestry constructed circa 1960 employs sympathetic materials, proportions and details. The earlier tower adjoins via a recessed single-storey link to the left.

The church stands on the crest of a hill in a rural setting, enclosed by a rubble masonry perimeter wall. Access is through an associated lych gate, beyond which a series of yew trees form a processional route through the gardens. A driveway leads to a car park on the left. To the right lies the graveyard, encompassed by mature trees that partially screen the church and grounds from the main road. The rear of the church overlooks open fields.