Draft:St. Comgall's Church

The first record of a parish in Antrim was in taxation records from 1306, under Pope Nicholas IV. Several churches existed in the area long before the plantations which began in 1606, the ruins of these church vanished over time. Just north of Antrim, near the Dun Silly Hotel, was a church built by St. Sillan who later became Abbot of Bangor Abbey. Dun Silly is believed to be named after him. His successor as Abbot was 'Fintan of Antrim', who died in AD 602.

Saint Comgall foretold a prophecy before he died, which was that "by permission of Supreme King of Kings, my bones shall be removed without defect from beloved Beannchair (Bangor) to Aentrebh (Antrim)".

The reformation of the church in Ireland saw all church land go to the King, Henry VIII. This was when Penal Law was at its peak in Ireland. Celebrating Mass was punishable by imprisonment of 1 year.

Prior to the opening of a church in Randalstown, Mass was heard at Mass rocks in the open air. Catholics, in Antrim, who wanted to hear mass has to travel to Randalstown before 1818.{{Cite web |title=Parish History |url=https://www.antrimparish.com/parish-history/ |access-date=22 May 2025 |language=en-US}}

File:Statue of Mary (1818), South niche.jpg

The current church is the second to exist on the site. The first was built from 1818 to 1820, and originally called the "Church of Antrim", not St. Comgall's. Funds were raised in 1817 to build a new church in the town by the Rev. Bernard McCann, Curate (CC) of Drummaul. £1400 (£103,376, as of 2025) was spent to built the first church. The church was 66ft (20.1m) from North to its South side. East to its West end it was 70ft (21.3m), and 30ft (9.1m) wide. The east side was used as a Sunday school, attending were 174 children: 105 boys and 68 girls. When the first church opened it only had 60 seat holders. Seat no. 27 was bought by Lord Massereene for the use of his servants. Those who were not seat holders had to stand and observe Mass. It accommodated 600 churchgoers. A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the only surviving object of the 1818 church, this statue now sits in a niche overlooking the adjoining graveyard.{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Brendan |title=Silent Night, Holy Night - 200 year of a Catholic chuch in Antrim |date=18 November 2018 |publisher=Antrim Printers |location=Antrim |pages= |language=English}}

In the 1860s Fr. O'Loughlin, Parish Priest (PP) of Drummaul and Antrim, began the work of building a new church, the site was planned to be at the "station junction and craigstown roads" near Randalstown, but the sub-landlord refused to sell the site. This act birthed an amazing feat conceived by Fr. O'Loughlin to build the new church around the pre-existing one. The old church was left intact until construction reached its roof height, the old church was dismantled and moved block-by-block through the door of the new church (St. Comgall's). Left over bricks, from St. Comgall's, were moved to railway street (0.3 miles as the crow flies) and used to build the Protestant Hall, now an Orange Hall. Henry Madden and James Loughlan were the two stone masons on site, and Samuel Percy was the sculptor. The bell was presented to the church by William Ross in 1871. In 1917 a Mass was held to celebrate the erection of the organ in the church bought for £400 at the time.

In 1873 the Parish of Antrim was formed, breaking away from Drummaul.

Fr. Davey, PP 1935–1970, was told that covering the church in linseed oil would help to preserve the church's black stone, so the church was covered in the oil in an effort to preserve the colour of the stone. The oil coat sealed the stone, so much that trapped moisture couldn't get out of the porous stone. Water began to damage the timber frame, and run down the walls inside, so in the 1970s the church was renovated, and the oil removed. The removal process contributed to the lightening of the stone as has weathering over time.

During the 1970s renovations two permanent confessionals were built on either side of the sanctuary. There were added as extensions to the preexisting church building, when viewed from outside the distinction between the original stone and new stone used can be seen.

To mark 200 years of a Catholic church in Antrim town a book, wrote by the Sacristan of St. Comgall's, Brendan Smith, was published in 2018. The book titled "Silent Night Holy Night - 200 Years of a Catholic Church in Antrim" details the history of the church, parish, the associated School and GAA club, and a history of Antrim town. As well as Christianity throughout the surrounding area.

In 2025 renovations went under way on 28th May 2025, to repair plaster work on the South transept walls. On 29th may they officially began with the erection of a partition.Renovations' progress seen in these photos:

File:St. Comgall's - South Transept, under renovation.jpg

File:South transept under renovation - St. Comgall's church.jpg

The Church is part of a larger site. Consisting of a graveyard, Parochial House, Stables, and a Parish Hall.

St. Comgall's Church is a latin cross plan church. The nave hosts pews that lead into the crossing, before the altar.

The North transept has a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and a confessional, the South transept is similar in layout to the opposite. It has a statue of Jesus Christ (Statues donated: 1870 by Mr James Davey and Mrs Blakinson Houston) and baptismal font, as well as a second confessional.

File:Organ at St. Comgall's Church.jpg

At the narthex (West or back of the church) there are a set of steps that lead to the organ loft, here the choir perform during Mass. The congregation are permitted to sit here. "You would not believe how many people have wanted to come here and play the organ... We have had musicians from America, Germany, Denmark, Australia and Sweden. Apparently, it is one of the top ten in the organ world that people really want to play. One guy came recently (2020), he flew from Sweden to Heathrow to Belfast and came straight here in a taxi and played for three hours, he set up a couple of recording devices, [and] when he left, he said 'that's another one of the ten ticked off!'". The organ was built by Evans and Barr of Belfast.

File:Sanctuary at St. Comgall's Church, in the wake of Easter. During the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.jpg. In the wake of Easter (2025)]]

The sanctuary consists of a marble altar (Donated: 1870 by Mrs Magee of Belfast), which has a depiction Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. The altar also hold the relics of St. Comgall. In the behind the altar is the tabernacle which sits on a marble table, following a similar design to the altar, it is silver-gilt. To the altar's right is the ambo, which is also made of marble and again follows a similar theme to the altar, from here is spoken the Gospel, readings from the Bible, and the homily. Also on this side are the processional cross, liturgical candle, and sanctuary lamp. The sacristy is accessed via a door on this side. On the opposite side (the altar's left), is the lectern solely used by the priest, from which he says the Introductory Rites and the Concluding Rites of the Mass. Above is a life sized crucifix.

Around the walls of the church are the stations of the cross (Donated: 1870 by Mrs McPeake). Ordered clockwise, the first station is on the left side of the back wall, of the South transept.

The façade of the church features a tower which holds the bell. The bell no longer swings due to the age of the supporting structure, when it did swing it was pulled by a, single-man operated, rope that pulled the bell, from which in the vestibule. In 1994 this was replaced by a hammer controlled by a panel in the Sacristy. The bell rings before each mass held at the church, as a call to worship, and each time at the Angelus.

The church hid a secret for many years until 1970 when renovations were being carried out it was discovered the church had a crypt, just beneath the West door, it was built with the intention that Fr. Laughlin would be buried there, however he died, and was subsequently buried, in Boston, USA. The crypt is still there today.

The black stone used for the construction of the church came from Hart's Quarry in Farren flo Magherlane, and the white freestone from Co. Down.

Before renovations in the 70s busts of the 12 Apostles were supported by columns inside the church, now only four remain, they are placed at the corners of the crossing of the transepts, where the ceiling meets the walls. It is said that one of the busts resembles Fr. Davey.

File:Grave of Pvt. H Duffin, and family.jpg

The graveyard is on the churches South-side, to the right side of the façade.

Father Davey, when chaplain at Holywell Hospital, would take patients who had died with no family and bury them in the church's graveyard.

Notable graves:

A single Commonwealth War Grave, belonging to a Private H. Duffin, who was killed in action on 9 April 1918, WWI. He belonged to the Royal Irish Regiment.{{Cite web |title=Commonwealth War Graves |url=https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/73301/antrim-st-comgall-s-roman-catholic-cemetery/}}

Rev. Vincent Davey, PP 1934–1970, is buried in the graveyard. It is the closest grave to the church, from the South porch.

File:St. Comgall's Parochial House.jpg

There has been a house on the site since at least 1818 as mentioned in an 1832 Ordinance Survey map, and in a 1862 valuation of the site.

Fr. Loughlin, builder of the present church, also erected the current Parochial House in 1872. It is known that on 28 September 1970 Fr. Davey died in the house.

In 1872 the stables were erected along side the Parochial House.

The stables were used to keep the horses and carts belonging to the priests before motorcars. The stable's loft was used to film The Last Rifleman, a 2023 film shot in Antrim town.

The sacristan of the church was going about his day when he bumped into a German Soldier, upon further investigation he climbed a ladder in the stables to find the loft had been converted into a film set. They were filming a scene where a character from the film was hiding from the Nazis.

Officially named on 29 June 1952 as "St. Comgall's Primary School". On the day a Mass was held at St. Comgall's church, before the priests and congregation processed to the school to attend the ceremony.

Father O'Loughlin, Henry, held the position as parish priest for 17 years. He oversaw the construction of the present church, the parochial house, and stables.

Father Davey, Vincent, is a well known holder of the office, and held the position for 35 years. He had also a friendship with Rev. Blackstock, who was the Minister at First Antrim Presbyterian Church, at the time this was very unusual due to the divide between Catholic and Protestants in Northern Ireland at the time{{Cite web |date=25 May 2023 |title=Understanding Northern Ireland’s ‘Troubles’ |url=https://education.cfr.org/learn/reading/understanding-northern-irelands-troubles |access-date=23 May 2025 |website=CFR Education from the Council on Foreign Relations |language=en}}.

The stables on the church's grounds have been used as a filming location for The Last Rifleman.Referred to here: https://www.antrimguardian.co.uk/news/2020/03/25/gallery/how-light-was-shed-on-antrim-s-black-chapel-and-other-stories-8618/, although further research points to The Last Rifleman as the film in question, see: https://northernirelandscreen.co.uk/production-catalogue/feature-films/the-last-rifleman/

File:Grave of Fr. Murphy, Malachy. 'Pastor Emeritus'.jpg|Grave of Fr. Murphy, Malachy. 'Pastor Emeritus'

File:Grave of Fr. Davey, Vincent.jpg|Grave of Fr. Davey, Vincent

File:Stables at St. Comgall's (Disused).jpg|Stables, now no longer in use

File:St. Comgall's (south) from graveyard.jpg|From the graveyard facing towards South transept

File:St. Comgall (West niche, St. Comgall's Church, Antrim).jpg|Statue of St. Comgall facing West, above West door

File:Façade of St. Comgall's Church.jpg|West Façade of the church

File:Vestibule, St. Comgall's.jpg|Vestibule, under which is the crypt

File:St. Comgall's interior, as viewed from the organ loft.jpg|Interior of the church as viewed from the organ loft

File:View of the whole sanctuary.jpg|Sanctuary

File:Crucifix, St. Comgall's church.jpg|Crucifix

File:St. Comgall's church tabernacle.jpg|Tabernacle

File:Altar St. Comgall's church.jpg|Altar

File:Ambo at St. Comgall's.jpg|Ambo

File:Lecturn at St. Comgall's.jpg|Lecturn

File:Sanctuary lamp.jpg|Sanctuary lamp

File:2025 liturgical candle.jpg|Liturgical candle (2025)

File:Confessional at St. Comgall's.jpg|Confessional (North transept)

File:Statue of Mary, the Blessed Virgin.jpg|Statue of Mary

File:Statue of Jesus Christ, St. Comgall's church.jpg|Statue of Jesus

File:Image of Mary and Christ child.jpg|Image of Mary and Jesus, as a child

File:Babtismal Font.jpg|Baptismal font

File:Nave towards the sanctuary.jpg|Nave (towards Sanctuary)

File:Nave of St. Comgall's.jpg|Nave (away from Sanctuary)

File:North transept - St. Comgall's church.jpg|North transept

File:St. Comgall's - South Transept, under renovation.jpg|South transept shortly before renovations

File:South transept under renovation - St. Comgall's church.jpg|South transept during renovations

File:The organ loft, St. Comgall's church.jpg|Organ loft

File:Incumbent (2025) Clergy at St. Comgall's.jpg|Incumbent clergy, left to right: Fr. Aksenczuk, Fr. Emmerson, Fr. Mathew (Mannathukaran)

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