A Restoration Success

St Patrick’s (1874-7)
Donegall Street, BT1 2FL

On the Northern edge of the city centre stands this imposing church, the original Pro-Cathedral for the diocese of Down and Connor, and the former residence of the bishop, designed by Timothy Hevey and built by Mortimer Thompson. The passer-by on Donegall Street is greeted by a fine spire (180ft) over a high recessed arch enclosing a rose window, a tympanum with statue and the west door. The facade is, as is the building as a whole, mostly composed of red Scrabo sandstone from County Down, with some detailing and carving in limestone. The tympanum above the main door contains a statue of St Patrick attributed to James Pearse (father of the Irish Nationalist and Political Activist, Patrick Pearse). This, as with the two smaller tympanums, has some floral carving including the Sacred Heart with Passion Flowers.



In 1995 the church was severely damaged by a fire started in a nearby derelict building, the whole roof of the church being destroyed. Local architects Rooney and McConville were employed to conserve and refurbish the building. This included the building of a new roof and the re-ordering of the sanctuary with new furnishings.

The interior of the church is bright and spacious with the roof being carried on tall, slender granite columns with sandstone bases (which were once painted brown). The focus of the whole church is the old high altar, with its tall romanesque reredos as it sits in its central position in the apse. Although this somewhat dwarfs the new, West-facing limestone altar, it does draw the eye toward the spacious sanctuary. The new furnishings, altar and ambo in limestone and a sedelia in wood, are very tasteful and substantial looking. The bronze of the Supper at Emmaus, on the front of the altar, matches the bronze of the Baptism of the Lord in the baptistry. The baptismal font itself, predates this church, being part of the first church on this site.



When visiting St Patricks, the visitor cannot help but be struck by the beauty of the triptych on the left side of the nave. It is by Sir John Lavery and depicts Our Lady, flanked by Saints Patrick and Brigid. Sir Edwin Lutyens designed and had made an altar to sit beneath this triptych, but this is now lost. Another feature in this church is the handsome memorial to Bishop Patrick Dorrian, the great builder, educationalist and man of vision. This sits beneath the North gallery but the Bishop is buried beneath the sanctuary.

The scale of this building is very impressive. From the street it appears sturdy and imposing, whereas the interior is a long bright space, which is warm and welcoming. The warmth is certainly added to by the coloring of the wood on the new ceiling, supported by two arcades of coloured granite pillars and sandstone arches. The excellent acoustic and general atmosphere of the church certainly impart a sense of the sacred to the visitor.