St. Peter's Church of Ireland, Drogheda

Last updated

St Peter's Church
Drogheda - St Peter's Church - 20180926105012.jpg
St Peter's Church
St. Peter's Church of Ireland, Drogheda
53°42′55″N6°21′17″W / 53.7153°N 6.3546°W / 53.7153; -6.3546
LocationPeter's Hill, Drogheda, County Louth
CountryFlag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
Denomination Church of Ireland
Churchmanship Broad Church
History
Status Parish church
Consecrated 1753
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s) Hugh Darley (1748)
Francis Johnston (1785 - spire)
Style Georgian, Baroque
Completed1793
Specifications
Bells8
Administration
Province Armagh
Diocese Armagh
Parish Drogheda and Kilsaran
Clergy
Rector Revd. Dr. Iain Jamieson
Curate(s) Revd. Canon Joyce Moore

St. Peter's Church of Ireland is an Anglican (Episcopalian) church located in Drogheda, Ireland, in the Diocese of Armagh. Designed in the Georgian style, St. Peter's starkly contrasts with the Neo-Gothic Roman Catholic church of the same name, located in the town centre.

Contents

History

Cadaver stone of Sir Edmond Goldyng, Drogheda Cadaver stone in St. Peter's churchyard, Drogheda, Ireland.jpg
Cadaver stone of Sir Edmond Goldyng, Drogheda
Baroque exterior showing gates made by Webb of Belfast St- Peter's Church of Ireland, Drogheda- 2014-07-17 11-42.jpg
Baroque exterior showing gates made by Webb of Belfast

Saint Peter's Church of Ireland stands on a site that has been a centre of Christian worship for over 800 years. [1] The church was established on the north side of the River Boyne also before 1186 and was given by Hugh de Lacy to the Augustinian canons of Llanthony Prima in Monmouthshire, Wales. [2] There are the remains of much older buildings in the church grounds possibly dating as far back as the thirteenth century. Traces of old tiles found in the churchyard are similar to those at Mellifont Abbey.[ citation needed ] [3]

The new church, which replaced a larger Gothic building on the same site, was opened in 1753, and was designed by the Dublin-based architect, Hugh Darley. [4] The uppermost (fourth) stage of the spire is thought to have been designed by Francis Johnson, and was added in 1793. [5]

The present interior of the Church is largely the result of a major reordering in the late 19th century. The original box pews were removed and the present rows of pews installed in their place. The sanctuary area was reordered in 1907 and the present pulpit and prayer desk installed circa 1909. The organ, for which the Corporation of Drogheda gave £300 in 1771, was built for the Church by John Snetzler in London.[ citation needed ]

Five great bells were hung in the old church, and these were severely damaged or destroyed by Cromwell's forces. [6] The new Georgian church had one bell until 1791, when a peal of eight bells was cast by John Rudhall and hung for change-ringing. Save for the tenor bell being recast in 1889 by John Taylor & Co [7] (as the Rudhall foundry had closed in 1835 [8] ), the original bells remain, and are rung twice a week. [9]

After an arson attack on the church in 1999 there was a huge restoration project which provided new buildings to the church.[ citation needed ]

Churchyard

Within the churchyard of St. Peter’s can be found many interesting and varied funerary monuments. Of these, perhaps the most interesting and visited is a "cadaver stone" taken from the tomb of Sir Edmond Goldyng and his wife Elizabeth Fleming. It is built into the churchyard wall, east of the present building and shows two cadavers enclosed in shrouds which have been partially opened to show the remains of the occupants of the tomb.

Helen M. Roe in the Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquities, 1969 estimates that a date for the tomb would seem to fall within the first quarter of the 16th century. [10] This type of tombstone is part of a fashion widespread in Europe, although relatively rare in Ireland, which explored bodily decomposition and human mortality. This reflected a preoccupation with death arising from the great plague of 1347 to 1350, and subsequent epidemics. [11]

St. Peter's Church of Ireland, Drogheda, Co. Louth - 1752.jpg

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drogheda</span> Town in County Louth, Ireland, with suburbs in County Meath

Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 42 km (26 mi) north of Dublin city centre. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth but with the south fringes of the town in County Meath, 40 km (25 mi) north of Dublin city centre. Drogheda had a population of 44,135 inhabitants in 2022, making it the eleventh largest settlement by population in all of Ireland, and the largest town in reland, by both population and area. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Newgrange is located 8 km (5.0 mi) west of the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin</span> Diocesan cathedral of Dublin and Glendalough, Church of Ireland

Christ Church Cathedral, more formally The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, is the cathedral of the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough and the cathedral of the ecclesiastical province of the United Provinces of Dublin and Cashel in the (Anglican) Church of Ireland. It is situated in Dublin, Ireland, and is the elder of the capital city's two medieval cathedrals, the other being St Patrick's Cathedral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Louth</span> County in Ireland

County Louth is a coastal county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of Meath to the south, Monaghan to the west, Armagh to the north and Down to the north-east, across Carlingford Lough. It is the smallest county in Ireland by land area and the 17th most populous, with just over 139,100 residents as of 2022. The county is named after the village of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Drogheda</span> Church in Drogheda, Republic of Ireland

St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church is located on West Street, Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland. Designed by J. O'Neill and W.H. Byrne and built in the French Gothic style of local limestone ashlar in 1884. This Roman Catholic church is known for its tall west gable, rose window and for containing the national shrine of St. Oliver Plunkett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diocese of Armagh (Church of Ireland)</span> Anglican diocese of the Church of Ireland

The Diocese of Armagh is the metropolitan diocese of the ecclesiastical province of Armagh, the Church of Ireland province that covers the northern half (approximately) of the island of Ireland. The diocese mainly covers counties Louth, Tyrone and Armagh, and parts of Down. The diocesan bishop is also the Archbishop of Armagh, the archbishop of the province, and the Primate of All Ireland. The Archbishop has his seat in St Patrick's Cathedral in the town of Armagh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belchamp St Paul</span> Human settlement in England

Belchamp St Paul is a village and civil parish in the Braintree district of Essex, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St John the Baptist's Church, Knutsford</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St John the Baptist's Church is in the town of Knutsford, Cheshire, England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Knutsford. Its benefice is combined with that of St John the Evangelist, Toft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Chad's Church, Over</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Chad's Church, Over, is in the town of Winsford, Cheshire, England. It was formerly in the separate town of Over, but with the growth of Winsford it has become part of that town. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Middlewich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Peter's Church, Little Budworth</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Peter's Church is in the village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Middlewich. Its benefice is combined with that of St Mary, Whitegate. The church stands on the highest point in the village and its tower dominates views of the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldham Parish Church</span> Church in Greater Manchester, United Kingdom

The Church of St. Mary with St. Peter, mostly known as Oldham Parish Church, is the Church of England parish church for Oldham in Greater Manchester, England. It forms part of the Diocese of Manchester, and is one of several Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St George, Bolton</span>

The Church of St George, Bolton, is a redundant church in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It was designated a Grade II* listed building on 26 April 1974. It was completed in 1796 and had a shallow chancel and south chapel added or rebuilt 1907 by James Simpson. It closed in 1975, and is now a crafts centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Pol de Léon's Church, Paul</span> Church in Cornwall, England

St Pol de Léon's Church, also known as Paul Parish Church, is a parish church in the Church of England Diocese of Truro, located in Paul, Cornwall, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St Mary le Ghyll, Barnoldswick</span> Church in Lancashire, England

The Church of St Mary le Ghyll is in Ghyll Lane, Barnoldswick, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Skipton, the archdeaconry of Craven, and the Diocese of Leeds. Its benefice is united with those of Holy Trinity, Barnoldswick, and St Michael, Bracewell. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Trinity Church, Holdgate</span> Church in Shropshire, England

Holy Trinity Church is in the village of Holdgate, Shropshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Ludlow, the archdeaconry of Ludlow, and the diocese of Hereford. Its benefice is united with those of St Peter, Diddlebury, Broadstone Church, St Michael, Munslow, and St Catherine, Tugford. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It stands in the former southwest bailey of Holdgate Castle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Trinity Church, Eccleshall</span> Church in Eccleshall, England

Holy Trinity Church in Eccleshall, Staffordshire, England, is a Grade I listed Anglican church.

John Murphy was an Irish bellfounder. His foundry, which started making bells in 1843, cast bells for many churches in Ireland and elsewhere, including several rings of bells hung for change ringing.

William Henry Byrne was an Irish architect who mainly designed churches. He studied under James Joseph McCarthy before going into business with John O’Neill in 1869. He worked on his own after O'Neill's death in 1883.

Hugh Darley (1701–1771) was an 18th-century Irish architect and stonecutter who is most notable for his work as builder, stonecutter, supplier and architect on various buildings and projects in the Trinity College Dublin campus.

References

  1. "St Peter's Drogheda - St Peter's Church of Ireland, Drogheda".
  2. The Topography and Layout of Medieval Drogheda by John Bradley, published by the Old Drogheda Society, 1997.
  3. "1752 – St. Peter's Church of Ireland, Drogheda, Co. Louth". Archiseek - Irish Architecture. 7 January 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  4. "DARLEY, HUGH * - Dictionary of Irish Architects". www.dia.ie. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  5. "1752 – St. Peter's Church of Ireland, Drogheda, Co. Louth". Archiseek - Irish Architecture. 7 January 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  6. Drogheda.armagh.anglican.org. (2018). A Brief History of St. Peter’s Church of Ireland, Drogheda - St Peter's Church of Ireland, Drogheda. [online] Available at: http://drogheda.armagh.anglican.org/history/ [Accessed 8 Jun. 2018]
  7. Dove.cccbr.org.uk. (2018). Dove Details. [online] Available at: http://dove.cccbr.org.uk/detail.php?searchString=drogheda&DoveID=DROGHEDA [Accessed 8 Jun. 2018]
  8. Web.archive.org. (2018). Living Gloucester - The Rudhall Family I. [online] Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20120208022551/http://www.livinggloucester.co.uk/made/bell_founding/rudhall_i/ [Accessed 8 Jun. 2018]
  9. Drogheda.armagh.anglican.org. (2018). Bell Ringing - St Peter's Church of Ireland, Drogheda. [online] Available at: http://drogheda.armagh.anglican.org/bellringing/ [Accessed 8 Jun. 2018]
  10. Helen M Roe Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquities, 1969
  11. "St Peter's Church of Ireland".