Survey Data
Reg No
12403702
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Historical, Social
Original Use
Church/chapel
In Use As
Church/chapel
Date
1815 - 1820
Coordinates
264450, 131555
Date Recorded
08/12/2004
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached four-bay double-height Catholic church, built 1817, on a cruciform plan comprising two-bay double-height nave with single-bay double-height transepts to north and to south, single-bay double-height chancel to west, and single-bay three-stage entrance tower to east on a square plan having pyramidal spire. Renovated, post-1965, with interior remodelled. Pitched slate roof on a cruciform plan with clay ridge tiles, rendered coping to gables, and iron rainwater goods on rendered eaves. Limestone ashlar elongated pyramidal spire to tower behind parapet with cross finial to apex. Unpainted roughcast walls with tooled limestone ashlar walls to tower having cut-limestone dressings including oculus apertures to second stage with carved surrounds, stringcourses to upper stages, and cut-limestone coping to parapet having corner finials. Pointed-arch window openings with fixed-pane fittings having leaded stained glass panels (one six-over-six timber sash window having tracery to overlight). Elliptical-headed window opening to second stage to tower with no sill, tooled cut-limestone voussoirs, Y-mullions forming tripartite pointed-arch arrangement, and fixed-pane fittings. Pointed-arch openings to top (bell) stage to tower with no sills, and louvered panel fittings. Square-headed door opening with seven cut-limestone steps, and replacement tongue-and-groove timber panelled double doors. Full-height interior remodelled, post-1965, with timber pews, and carved timber Gothic-style altar/communion railing to chancel. Set back from road in own grounds.
Appraisal
A pleasantly-composed middle-size church exhibiting a traditional plan form together with a sparse external decorative treatment attesting to an early period of construction predating Catholic Emancipation (1829): possibly a later addition a stout tower incorporating an elegant stepped profile forms an imposing focal point in an otherwise modestly-detailed composition while drawing comparisons with the tower featuring in Saint David's Catholic Church (Mullinarrigle) (12403606/KK-36-06) in nearby Listerlin (Mullinarrigle). Having been well maintained the church presents an early aspect with substantial quantities of the historic fabric surviving in place: elements of artistic design significance displaying high quality craftsmanship include stained glass panels surviving alteration works carried out following the Second Vatican Council (1963-5). Forming a neat group with the associated presbytery (12403701/KK-37-01) the resulting ensemble contributes positively to the townscape value of Tullagher while the church also forms an appealing assemblage with the associate school (12403711/KK-37-11) nearby.