Donegal Church

Detached Church of Ireland church, built c. 1828 – 31 and extended in 1890, comprising three-bay nave elevations to east, three-stage tower (on square-plan) to the west end having spire over (on octagonal-plan), shallow projecting chancel to the east (added 1890), shallow transept/organ extension attached to the west end of the north elevation of the nave, and lean-to vestry (c. 1890) attached to chancel. Pitched natural slate roofs having raised cut stone coping to the gable ends, projecting cut stone eaves course, cast-iron rainwater goods, ashlar stone chimneystack, and having moulded corbelled sandstone kneeler stones to gable end of chancel and to transept to north. Squared rubble sandstone construction to tower and west elevation of nave having chamfered cut stone plinth to base, moulded stone stringcourses, and with clasping squared rubble sandstone pilasters/buttresses (on square-plan) to corners of tower at first stage level rising to chamfered cut stone buttresses over terminating in cut stone pinnacles (on octagonal-plan) at parapet level having cut stone detailing. Ashlar construction to spire. Squared rubble sandstone pilasters to corners of nave at west gable end rising to cut stone pinnacles over having cut stone detailing. Cut stone ‘gabled’ parapet to west face to tower having moulded cut stone stringcourse and coping, and rising to cut stone pinnacle to centre; cut stone crenellated parapet to other faces of tower. Clockface (on circular-plan) to west elevation of tower between second stage and belfry level having cut stone surround forming part of stringcourse to tower. Roughcast rendered walls to side elevations of nave (north and south), to chancel, and to transept/organ extension to the north; chamfered cut stone plinth to transept. Pointed arched window openings to north and south elevations of nave having plain ashlar sandstone surrounds, timber Y-tracery and timber transoms, cut stone sills and multi-pane windows. Triple-light window opening to chancel gable having cut stone plate tracery with multifoil window to head with cut stone surround and stained glass windows. Trefoil-headed window opening to the north elevation of transept/organ extension having chamfered ashlar sandstone surround, chamfered stone sill and leaded diamond-pane window; quatrefoil opening over to gable apex having cut sandstone surround. Pointed-arched window opening to west face of tower at first stage level having chamfered ashlar sandstone surround, cut stone hoodmoulding, and cast-iron multi-pane window opening; lancet openings to north and south faces of tower at second stage level having plain raised chamfered ashlar sandstone surrounds and timber multi-pane windows; pointed-arched window openings to tower at belfry stage having chamfered sandstone surrounds, hoodmouldings, and timber louvers. Tudor-arched doorway to the south face to tower having ashlar sandstone surround, and timber door with overlight. Interesting interior with barrel-vaulted boarded timber roof, Victorian encaustic tiled floor, chamfered staged limestone(?) chancel arch (added 1890), timber organ to pointed-arched opening to transept, gallery to the entrance gable supported on cast-iron Doric columns and having moulded timber balustrade/parapet with pierced panels, and timber altar fittings. Set back from road in own grounds a short distance to the north of the Diamond, Donegal Town. Graveyard to site; three-bay single-storey modern Sunday school to the south of site. Set bounded on road-fronted to the west and the north by rubble stone boundary wall having crenellated coping over. Pedestrian gateway to the west of site comprising a pair of moulded cast-iron gate posts (on octagonal-plan) and wrought- and cast-iron gate. Flight of stone steps to gateway. Gateway flanked to either side by sections of roughly dressed and squared walling having cut stone coping and with iron railings over with fleur-de-lis finials. Railings terminated to either side (north and south) by cut stone gate piers (on square-plan) having cut stone coping over.