St. Paul’s Church was built in 1829 as a Board of First Fruits church. The Board of First Fruits was an institution of the Church of Ireland that was established in 1711 by Anne, Queen of Great Britain to build and improve churches and glebe houses in Ireland. It was funded from taxes collected on clerical incomes which of course were originally funded by tithes. This board was replaced in 1833 shortly after the building of St. Paul’s by the Board of Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The church was constructed with two-stage tower and spire on the north end and a three-bay nave and vestry on the south end. Architecturally the building retains a variety of features including a handsome tower with spire and pre-Raphaelite stained-glass windows by Rev. A.L. Moore of London. Moore’s work is also seen in Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire, England.
One of the stand out features is the magnificent Window of the Resurrection which was originally intended for Westminster Abbey, London which commemorates the Bell family. There are also two further windows which honour the Burdett and Armstrong families. Other once prominent local people are commemorated through a fine collection of wall plaques inside the main doorway of the church. Arthur Bell Nicholls, his wife Mary Anna and other relatives are buried in the adjoining graveyard and their burial plot can be easily located as it has metal surrounds and four headstones.
The church was extensively renovated in 1990.
St Paul’s ChurchAileen Duffy2023-03-31T15:37:03+01:00