St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, 59 Sherrigrim Road, Stewartstown, Dunannon, BT71 4DH

St Mary's Roman Catholic Church

This is a 19th century church in Gothic Revival style, built in 1845 for Reverend James Lennan on the site of a previous church established in 1797 and repaired in 1807. It stands on the edge of Stewartstown village, set back from the main road within its own grounds.

The church is of cruciform plan, consisting of a short nave, transepts, and shallow chancel, with a later tower and spire added to the right of the chancel. The walling is of hammer-dressed snecked sandstone with smooth sandstone dressings, including block surrounds to windows, and a projecting plinth. Weathered diagonal buttresses project from the outer corners of each section of the building. Those to the transepts and chancel gable rise to octagonal pinnacles, though some of the stonework to these pinnacles, just above and below eaves level, is recent replacement. The roofs are of Bangor blue slates in regular courses, with cast iron rainwater goods and circular downpipes.

The main south elevation, which faces directly toward the main road, presents the most visually significant view of the church. The chancel gable projects forward from the building, with the tower projecting slightly forward from it, both together projecting forward from the two transepts which extend to each side. The chancel gable contains a three-light geometrical traceried window with stained glass behind modern storm glazing, surmounted by a drip moulding with plain block stops. In the apex of the gable is a datestone inscribed '1845', set in a trefoil surround, and surmounting the gable is a cusped stone cross. To the left of the chancel, the angle between it and the transept is filled by a canted bay in two stages, containing a small rectangular window at lower level and roofed by stone weatherings.

The tower is of square plan and consists of two stages surmounted by a tall stone broach spire. The lower stage contains two Gothic lancets, one above the other. The upper stage contains a two-light plate traceried opening with louvre boards, set in a Gothic arched surround rising from a single weathering. The tall broach spire above contains a louvred lucarne at its base and an elaborate metal finial and cross at the top. The other faces of both the upper tower stage and the spire are similar to this face, while the lower stage on the east face is blank. This robustly detailed tower and broach spire are of very distinct form, stylistically recalling that of J.J. McCarthy's Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Cookstown, although the author of this church is not known.

The transepts, set back to the left of the chancel and to the right of the tower, each contain a simple Gothic arched lancet with a drip moulding. The west elevation consists of the west transept gable projecting forward from the nave. The transept gable has diagonal buttresses to the corners, both rising to octagonal pinnacles, with some of the stonework recent replacement. It has a central doorway containing a pair of rectangular ledged timber doors with a Gothic arched plate glass fanlight, set in a chamfered arched surround with a drip moulding, and approached by a stone step. Above it is a single light window similar to the south side of the transept. The north face of the transept is blank, while the west elevation of the nave contains a tall Gothic arched lancet without any drip moulding. The east elevation of the church is similar to the west, with similar openings and details.

The main entrance originally faced north, in the centre of the nave gable, but a modern extension built in 1995 has created a lateral porch across that gable and provided two entrances into it, approached from the east and west sides. Two other entrances, in the gable of each transept, facing east and west, are also used. The north gable of the nave is now largely covered over by the lower full-width projecting modern extension which encloses the original central entrance. The top portion of a lancet window is still exposed above the ridge of the extension, now truncated to form a lunette. The extension projecting to the north is domestic in character, with a low eaves line, small rectangular three-light windows in each elevation, and a short square chimney on the gable. Both the east and west faces have a pair of rectangular ledged timber doors set in a glazed screen, which lead into a new north porch to the church. Below the chimney on the north gable is a circular datestone inscribed '1995'.

Although the interior has lost original character and appearance due to modernisation, the building retains a relationship with pre-emancipation plan forms. The exterior, which has recaptured its original appearance following the reinstatement of pinnacles to the buttresses, stands as a significant local example of its type.

Setting

The church is approached from the main road to the south by a tarmac path which divides into two to run around the sides and rear of the building. The grounds are laid out as a grassy graveyard to the front and grassy banks to the rear. A very densely packed burial ground occupies rising ground to the east of the building, and a new tarmac car park is located on higher ground to the north, reached by a driveway and linked to the lower churchyard by a modern stepped path with modern iron railings.

The front boundary is formed by a smooth rendered wall topped by rough stone copings. The main gateway is set back and comprises a pair of original High Victorian ornamented gates and iron piers, inscribed 'Musgrave, Belfast', flanked by curved screen walls. These 19th century ironwork gates and piers contribute an important element of original historic fabric to the setting. The church enjoys a largely unspoiled rural churchyard setting and undoubted social importance as a local landmark.