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St Patrick's Church

St Patrick's Church

199 Donegall Street
Belfast, BT1 2FL

RELIGIONS Catholic

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELIGIOUS SITE

DESCRIPTION
St. Patrick's Church, Belfast is a Roman Catholic church located in Donegall Street area of Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first church was opened on the site in 1815 while the current building dates from 1877.

One notable feature is the indomitable 7ft tall statue of St Patrick above the door.

For two centuries, this historic and much-loved church has been important to the people of the inner-city, as well as visitors to Belfast.
HISTORICAL RELEVANCE
Belfast's first Catholic church was St Mary's, Chapel Lane but with the growth of the catholic population in the early nineteenth century Bishop William Crolly then a priest in residence in the small Georgian town decided to construct a new church in Donegall St. This church was opened in 1815.

In the post-famine era Belfast's Catholic population swelled considerably and while other churches and new parishes were developed, by the early 1870s it was clear St. Patrick's needed an entirely new and larger church. This new church was designed by the architect Timothy Hevey who was Belfast's leading Catholic architect. It was built by Collen Brothers of Portadown and Dublin who constructed the new church around the old one which was then demolished.

The entire fabric of the new church, designed to seat 2000 people, was completed for blessing on 12th of August 1877 by the Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop Daniel McGettigan of Armagh.

The splendour and scale of the church meant it was the chosen venue for the episcopal consecrations of Bishops Henry Henry in 1895, of John Tohill in 1908 and later in 1929 of Bishop Daniel Mageean.

It is a Grade B+ listed building. In the summer of 2017 it was reported that the church needed millions of pounds to complete restoration.
INTER-RELIGIOUS RELEVANCE
For more than two centuries, St. Patrick’s has provided for the spiritual and pastoral needs of the people of inner-city Belfast, as well as workers and visitors to one of Ireland’s principal cities.

St Patrick's invites visitors to Belfast and new residents to the area to visit, join in the sacraments or just to pray quietly.


St. Patrick’s follows in a long and noble Christian tradition within the City, tracing its roots to the most ancient foundations of the Faith in this part of Ireland. Its origins are first recorded in the 1306 Taxation of Pope Nicholas.

St. Patrick’s has also served as a beacon of light for the people of Belfast during some of the City’s darkest and most troubled years. The death toll of parishioners during that 30-year-period of sectarian strife known as ‘The Troubles’ stands at 100. Some of the worst atrocities of that conflict were committed within the parish bounds, and its people still bear the physical and emotional scars of that traumatic chapter in Ireland’s recent history.
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE
St. Patrick’s has served as a beacon of light for the people of Belfast during some of the City’s darkest and most troubled years. The death toll of parishioners during that 30-year-period of sectarian strife known as ‘The Troubles’ stands at 100. Some of the worst atrocities of that conflict were committed within the parish bounds, and its people still bear the physical and emotional scars of that traumatic chapter in Ireland’s recent history.

The parish is a growing and vibrant Catholic faith community but it also serves a busy hospital, a primary school and a number of residential and care homes for the elderly.
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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.