Saint Buadan's Church (Culdaff)

This plain but appealing Church of Ireland church originally dates to the mid-eighteenth century, and it retains its early form and character. It also retains much of its early fabric including quarry-glazed windows with timber Y-tracery and intersecting tracery, and timber panelled doors with attractive multi-paned overlights. The layout of this church is typical of the standard two- and three-bay hall and tower churches, which were built in large numbers, particularly between 1808 - 1830, using loans and grants from the Board of First Fruits (1722 - 1833). The plain exterior elevations are enlivened by the simple ashlar surrounds to the openings, while the plain stringcourses and corner pinnacles to the tower add some additional muted decorative interest. The tower, which is the landmark feature in the streetscape of Culdaff, was apparently added in 1828 although it may be original to the church. The attractive slate sundial to the south elevation of the main body of the church is an interesting survival that adds significantly to the site. The plain simple interior is enlivened by the timber balustrade to the gallery with trefoil-headed perforations, the marble wall memorials, and by the groin vaults to window heads. This church was described by Lewis (1837) ‘a small neat edifice, in the early English style, with a square tower of modern erection’. The vestry or vestry porch to the north elevation is a later addition, perhaps added in 1836 as part of the proposed works to be carried out to designs by Joseph Welland (1798-1860), architect to the Board of First Fruits and subsequently to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners (after 1837). The graveyard contains a collection of mainly upstanding gravemarkers, some of which are of modest artistic merit. The graveyard also contains a number of graves of early eighteenth-century date and maybe earlier, that predates the present edifice and may be associated with an earlier church to site. One of these early gravemarkers appears to be dated 1687, and commemorates a Rory MacKeane. According to local tradition this may be the site of an early Christian church founded by St. Buadan, which later fell into disuse before being taken back into use by the Church of Ireland in the seventeenth century. The original graveyard around the current church may have extended from Ardmore Graveyard (see 40802007) located a short distance to the south-east at the opposite side of the road. There are also a number of Commonwealth graves to site, which add additional interest to the site. Located to the east end of the small village of Culdaff, this church is an integral element to the built heritage and social history of the local area. The simple boundary walls and gateways to site add to the setting and context, and complete this composition.