BALLINTRA METHODIST CHURCH
Built 1895
From Buildings of Ireland:
"This late-nineteenth century Methodist Church retains much of its early architectural character and form, despite some alterations. The plain form of this building is enhanced by the handsome, if robust, rock-faced sandstone façade to the south-east gable end, facing over the main street. Even the decorative features here such as the bellcote, kneeler stones and the relieving arch above the triple graded pointed-arched openings are reduced to the essential, but still illustrate the quality of the stone used and the skill of the craftsmen involved. This building was built to designs by William Fawcett Gilchrist (c. 1863 – 1907/8), a Sligo-based architect.
The present building replaced an earlier Methodist church/chapel (c. 1860) at Ballintra, which was located a short distance to the north-west of the present site, which in turn replaced an earlier building of this type in the town (location not known but in existence in 1837). A Methodist manse formerly stood adjacent to the south, now demolished. The good quality decorative cast-iron gates and railings contrast with the severity of the building’s appearance, and are a good example of late nineteenth-century mass-produced cast-iron ware. The robust boundary walls and piers to the south-east complete the setting and is an important part of the streetscape of Ballintra in its own right. This building is an integral element of the built heritage and social history of Ballintra, and is a physical reminder of the religious diversity that existed in rural Donegal at the time of construction, and still exists in this area today."
"This late-nineteenth century Methodist Church retains much of its early architectural character and form, despite some alterations. The plain form of this building is enhanced by the handsome, if robust, rock-faced sandstone façade to the south-east gable end, facing over the main street. Even the decorative features here such as the bellcote, kneeler stones and the relieving arch above the triple graded pointed-arched openings are reduced to the essential, but still illustrate the quality of the stone used and the skill of the craftsmen involved. This building was built to designs by William Fawcett Gilchrist (c. 1863 – 1907/8), a Sligo-based architect.
The present building replaced an earlier Methodist church/chapel (c. 1860) at Ballintra, which was located a short distance to the north-west of the present site, which in turn replaced an earlier building of this type in the town (location not known but in existence in 1837). A Methodist manse formerly stood adjacent to the south, now demolished. The good quality decorative cast-iron gates and railings contrast with the severity of the building’s appearance, and are a good example of late nineteenth-century mass-produced cast-iron ware. The robust boundary walls and piers to the south-east complete the setting and is an important part of the streetscape of Ballintra in its own right. This building is an integral element of the built heritage and social history of Ballintra, and is a physical reminder of the religious diversity that existed in rural Donegal at the time of construction, and still exists in this area today."
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