Church of the Immaculate Conception (RC), New Road, Glenarm, Ballymena, Co Antrim, BT44 OAA

Church of the Immaculate Conception

This is a simple single-storey Roman Catholic church built in 1875 to designs by the Belfast architects O'Neill & Byrne. It stands on the south side of New Road in Glenarm, close to the coast at the south-east end of the village. The building is constructed in squared basalt with sandstone dressings in the Irish Gothic style.

The main west elevation features a projecting gabled side porch with a double timber-sheeted entrance door set within a pointed arch opening with drip moulding and label stops. The porch has red sandstone (possibly Dumfries) dressings to the door and quoins, and small gothic arched windows to its north and south faces. To the left of the porch is a tall pointed arch window, followed by three more similar windows to the right, all with in-out sandstone dressings. Shallow buttresses are positioned at each corner of the main elevation. The west face of the chancel includes two further windows of the same type.

The south gabled elevation of the chancel has three pointed arch windows with in-out dressings, the central window being taller than the others. At the apex of this gable sits a small stone finial fashioned as a Celtic cross.

The east elevation has five lancet windows with in-out sandstone dressings and buttresses at each end. A small lean-to vestry projects to the rear on the east side, with the chancel roof having a much steeper pitch than the vestry roof. The vestry has a large mullioned window and a small window on its east face (both square-headed), a square-headed door on the north face, and a centrally placed mullioned window on the south face, all with sandstone dressings.

The north gabled elevation displays three small low-level quatrefoil windows with pointed arch-shaped dressings, directly above which are three tall pointed arch windows, the central one being taller. The gable is surmounted by a gabled stone bellcote with battered sides and a small wrought iron finial at its apex. Decorative 'Cocks Comb' style fireclay ridges sit on each roof ridge. All roofs are covered with natural slate and have stone copings. Cast iron rainwater goods are present throughout. Decorative cast iron railings sit on a low stone base, with matching gate furniture.

The church was built at a cost of approximately £3,000 under the direction of main contractor Archie McNeill, who lived in nearby Altmore Street. The building underwent renovation in 1903 and again in 1961, when the present altar was installed. A small school house was built to the immediate east of the church in 1888 and remained in use as a school until the 1960s, when a new larger building was constructed to the west. The older school building now appears to serve as the church hall.

Prior to the construction of this church, Glenarm's Catholic congregation worshipped in a house in Altmore Street, later moving to a converted barn at the rear of the property, which also served as a school during weekdays. According to Lady Londonderry (daughter of the Countess of Antrim), a letter dated 1861 to her agent Richard Wilson proposed building a Catholic church at Glenarm, though this plan came to nothing. Lady Londonderry was, however, responsible for building a new Catholic church in Newtownards in 1877.

The church, its gates, and railings are listed as a group.