St. George's Church, Belfast
Encyclopedia
The Parish Church of Saint George, Belfast, more commonly known as St. George's Church, Belfast, is a Church of Ireland
church located on High Street in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
. It is the oldest Church of Ireland church in Belfast. It was designed by Irish architect, John Bowden
, and opened in 1816. Major refurbishment work was completed in June 2000.
and chancel
plan and built of sandstone. The west end, facing High Street, has a large Corinthian pillared portico, giving the impression that it is a two storied building. Inside there is a gallery on three sides. The portico was originally built in 1788 as the main entrance of Ballyscullion House in County Londonderry
for Frederick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol
and Bishop of Derry
. After he died in 1803, the house was gradually dismantled and the portico was bought and transported to Belfast. The coats of arms on the pediment are of the Diocese of Down and the city of Belfast. It originally had a plain ceiling, but in 1865 the ceiling was removed and the trusses exposed and decorated by architect W. J. Barre
, who also added a new pulpit in 1867. A chancel, designed by Edward Bradell, was added in 1882.
and River Farset
met. In the 14th century A chapel of ease
of the main parish church at Shankill, was constructed here for those waiting to cross the mud flats which covered most of the area that has become Central Belfast. By the time of the Plantation of Ulster
, the church had become the main parish church for the area. In 1613 James I of England
granted a charter to Belfast
as a key garrison town in the plantation, and St. George's became the 'corporation' church. William of Orange
passed through Belfast on his way from Carrickfergus
to the Battle of the Boyne
, and had a famous sermon, Arise Great King, preached to him here.
By the late 18th century, however, the church had fallen into disrepair and the Earl of Chichester
, the dominant local landowner, gave land for a new parish church for Belfast to be built on a more expansive site a few hundred metres away on Donegall Street. This church would later become St Anne's Cathedral
. Henry Joy McCracken
, a leading member of the Society of the United Irishmen
and 1798 rebellion was buried in the churchyard after being hanged, before later being moved to Clifton Street Cemetery
.
However, by the 1800s, the growth of industrial Belfast necessitated a second Anglican church being built, and a new St. George's was built on the old site, opening in 1816. Throughout the 19th century, the church had a series of rectors known for their flamboyant style, and in the early 20th century, St. George's developed its distinct High Church
ethos. The movement of people out of the City Centre in the 20th century saw the congregation drop, and during The Troubles
, the church was seriously damaged on a number of occasions by Provisional Irish Republican Army
bombs.
to introduce Harvest Thanksgiving, musical recitals in church, early morning celebrations of the Holy Communion, a robed choir
, drama in church, the Christmas Midnight Eucharist, the Three Hours Devotions on Good Friday
, and to adopt the 1984 Alternative Prayer Book of the Church of Ireland.
, between 1817 and 1821, best known for his work in collecting Irish music at the Belfast Harp Festival
.
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
church located on High Street in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It is the oldest Church of Ireland church in Belfast. It was designed by Irish architect, John Bowden
John Bowden
John Bowden was an Irish architect and member of the Board of First Fruits of the Church of Ireland from 1813 to 1821. He was born in Dublin and died in 1822....
, and opened in 1816. Major refurbishment work was completed in June 2000.
Features
The church was designed by John Bowden of Dublin in 1811. The foundation stone was laid in June 1813 by the Earl of Masserene and the church opened in June 1816. It has a simple naveNave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
plan and built of sandstone. The west end, facing High Street, has a large Corinthian pillared portico, giving the impression that it is a two storied building. Inside there is a gallery on three sides. The portico was originally built in 1788 as the main entrance of Ballyscullion House in County Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
for Frederick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol
Frederick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol
Frederick Augustus Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol, PC , known as The Earl-Bishop, was Bishop of Cloyne from 1767 to 1768 and Bishop of Derry from 1768 to 1803.- Life :...
and Bishop of Derry
Bishop of Derry
The Bishop of Derry is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Derry in Northern Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.-History:...
. After he died in 1803, the house was gradually dismantled and the portico was bought and transported to Belfast. The coats of arms on the pediment are of the Diocese of Down and the city of Belfast. It originally had a plain ceiling, but in 1865 the ceiling was removed and the trusses exposed and decorated by architect W. J. Barre
W. J. Barre
William Joseph Barre was a prolific Irish architect who built many well known buildings in Belfast in a Gothic Revival style, but was always overshadowed by his great rival, Charles Lanyon....
, who also added a new pulpit in 1867. A chancel, designed by Edward Bradell, was added in 1882.
History
The church stands on what had been a fording place where the River LaganRiver Lagan
The River Lagan is a major river in Northern Ireland which runs 40 miles from the Slieve Croob mountain in County Down to Belfast where it enters Belfast Lough, an inlet of the Irish Sea. The River Lagan forms much of the border between County Antrim and County Down. It rises as a tiny fast...
and River Farset
River Farset
The River Farset is a river in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a tributary of the River Lagan. It is on the County Antrim side of the Lagan and joins the Lagan close to its outflow into Belfast Lough. The River Farset is now contained within a tunnel under Belfast's High Street; a tunnel supposedly big...
met. In the 14th century A chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
of the main parish church at Shankill, was constructed here for those waiting to cross the mud flats which covered most of the area that has become Central Belfast. By the time of the Plantation of Ulster
Plantation of Ulster
The Plantation of Ulster was the organised colonisation of Ulster—a province of Ireland—by people from Great Britain. Private plantation by wealthy landowners began in 1606, while official plantation controlled by King James I of England and VI of Scotland began in 1609...
, the church had become the main parish church for the area. In 1613 James I of England
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
granted a charter to Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
as a key garrison town in the plantation, and St. George's became the 'corporation' church. William of Orange
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
passed through Belfast on his way from Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus , known locally and colloquially as "Carrick", is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,201 at the 2001 Census and takes its name from Fergus Mór mac Eirc, the 6th century king...
to the Battle of the Boyne
Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thronesthe Catholic King James and the Protestant King William across the River Boyne near Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland...
, and had a famous sermon, Arise Great King, preached to him here.
By the late 18th century, however, the church had fallen into disrepair and the Earl of Chichester
Earl of Chichester
Earl of Chichester is a title that has been created three times in British history. It was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1644 when Francis Leigh, 1st Baron Dunsmore, was made Earl of Chichester, in the County of Sussex, with remainder to his son-in-law Thomas Wriothesley,...
, the dominant local landowner, gave land for a new parish church for Belfast to be built on a more expansive site a few hundred metres away on Donegall Street. This church would later become St Anne's Cathedral
St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast
St Anne's Cathedral, also known as Belfast Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Donegall Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland...
. Henry Joy McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken was an Irish industrialist and a founding member of the Society of the United Irishmen.-History:...
, a leading member of the Society of the United Irishmen
Society of the United Irishmen
The Society of United Irishmen was founded as a liberal political organisation in eighteenth century Ireland that sought Parliamentary reform. However, it evolved into a revolutionary republican organisation, inspired by the American Revolution and allied with Revolutionary France...
and 1798 rebellion was buried in the churchyard after being hanged, before later being moved to Clifton Street Cemetery
Clifton Street Cemetery
Clifton Street Cemetery, Belfast, holds the graves of a number of Belfast's most distinguished figures. The cemetery, whose entrance is at Henry Place in Belfast, is cared for by Belfast City Council and can only be accessed by prior arrangement with council officials. The cemetery contains the...
.
However, by the 1800s, the growth of industrial Belfast necessitated a second Anglican church being built, and a new St. George's was built on the old site, opening in 1816. Throughout the 19th century, the church had a series of rectors known for their flamboyant style, and in the early 20th century, St. George's developed its distinct High Church
High church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
ethos. The movement of people out of the City Centre in the 20th century saw the congregation drop, and during The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
, the church was seriously damaged on a number of occasions by Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
bombs.
Traditions
St. George's was the first Anglican church in IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to introduce Harvest Thanksgiving, musical recitals in church, early morning celebrations of the Holy Communion, a robed choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, drama in church, the Christmas Midnight Eucharist, the Three Hours Devotions on Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
, and to adopt the 1984 Alternative Prayer Book of the Church of Ireland.
People
The first church organist was Edward BuntingEdward Bunting
Edward Bunting was an Irish musician and folk music collector.-Life:Bunting was born in County Armagh, Ireland. At the age of seven he was sent to study music at Drogheda and at eleven he was apprenticed to William Ware, organist at St. Anne's church in Belfast and lived with the family of Henry...
, between 1817 and 1821, best known for his work in collecting Irish music at the Belfast Harp Festival
Belfast Harp Festival
The Belfast Harp Festival, 11-14th July 1792, was a four-day event organised by Dr.James McDonnell, Robert Bradshaw and Henry Joy McCracken, following a six year lapse from the last Granard harp festival...
.