St Patrick, Aghacommon
St Patrick, Aghacommon
St Patrick's is a Roman Catholic parish church on Derrymacash Road, Aghacommon, County Armagh, often known as Derrymacash Chapel. It is the mother church of Seagoe parish in the Diocese of Dromore and is listed at Grade B+ (HB14/03/003).
- Location
- Aghacommon, County Antrim
- Country
- Northern Ireland
- County
- County Antrim
- City / town
- Aghacommon
- Address
- Derrymacash Road, Aghacommon, County Antrim, BT66 6AJ
- Postcode
- BT66 6AJ
- Built
- 1834; choir gallery c.1923–26; bell-tower 1977–78
- Denomination
- Catholic Church
- Dedication
- Patrick
- Diocese
- Dromore
- Parish
- Seagoe
- Grade
- B+
- Style
- Barn style with lancets
- Materials
- Basalt walls with sandstone dressings and tooled quoins; band-coursed rubble
- Grid reference
- J 048 590
- Opening hours
- Open 9am to 5pm daily.
- Access
- Accessible toilets in church. Level access to the main areas
Overview
The Dromore diocesan parish history records that the present church was built in 1834 on the site of an earlier Mass-house, during the pastorate of Father John McLeigh. The Stone Database for Northern Ireland describes a barn-style church with four lancet windows to each side, sandstone dressings and tooled quoins to basalt walls, and a square tall tower joined by later walls to the nave. Construction is given as about 1850 in that survey; the parish account dates the fabric to 1834.
The National Churches Trust notes later reordering: the sacristy moved from the south to the north side and a new choir gallery added about 1923–26 under Patrick James Neary of Newry. Wall linings are reported from 1913–15. The high altar of 1925 is from the studio of Antonio Caniparoli in Carrara. The parish history records that the bell-tower was erected in 1977–78, financed principally by a gift of the Donaghy family. The church remains in regular use.