Holy Trinity Church of Ireland Church

An attractive and distinctive Church of Ireland church, of late nineteenth-century date, that retains its early form and character, and is a feature of some appeal to the west end of Dunfanaghy. The pointed-arched openings lend it a muted Gothic Revival-style that is typical of its type and date in Ireland. Its visual appeal and integrity are enhanced by the retention of salient fabric such as the natural slate roof, leaded stained glass windows, and battened timber doors. It is well-built using good quality rubble stone masonry with high quality cut and ashlar detailing, particularly to the openings, the raised parapets to the gable ends, and the clasping buttresses to the corners. The three graded window openings to the gable ends are especially noteworthy. The form of this church is unusual for its type with an L-shaped plan, multiple gables, and a quasi-dummy transept to the north. This fine church was built to designs by John Lanyon (1839-1900), an engineer and architect born in Belfast and based in Dublin and Belfast who is probably best known for his work on the railways (he was company architect and engineer for a number of northern based railway companies including the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway Company, and the Great Northern Railway of Ireland). The church was built on a site donated by Alexander John Robert Stewart of nearby Ards House (now demolished; Lanyon also made plans for unexecuted alterations at Ards House and for the construction of a new stable yard for Stewart). The main contractor involved was McClelland of Derry. Although dated 1874, the church was apparently opened on the 2nd of May 1873 and consecrated on the 28th of June of the same year. This fine church is one of the more significant elements of the built heritage of the local area, and is an integral part of the social history of Clondahorkey as the main place of worship for the Church of Ireland community for almost 150 years. The simple boundary walls, and the fine gateway with ashlar piers and wrought-iron gates, add significantly to the context. The unusual bell tower, perhaps a relatively modern addition, adds further to the setting. This building forms a pair of related structures with the former rectory (see 40807011) adjacent to the south. The Revd. John Brodie was the rector here in 1881 and 1894 (Slater’s Directory).