The site of the original, old church and graveyard at Blackhill was taken over by the DoE Historic Buildings Section and given a facelift in the mid 1990's. Inside there is a substantial mausoleum of the von Stieglitz family. Outside, the ground falls away steeply some 15 - 20 metres to the banks of the Ballinderry river. It must have been an impressive sight some three or four hundred years ago standing in splendid isolation atop the Blackhill.
Rev H B Carter in his "History of Derryloran Parish" 1891 suggests there were five churches in the Tyrone district in the 6th century. They may have been even older, existing from the time of St Patrick in the 5th century.
These could have been Donaghendry, Donaghrisk, Ardtrea, Tamlaght, Magheraglass, Lissan and Derryloran. The first two can be identified because they partially retain their ancient names. All of them are mentioned in numerous histories and references since the 6th century.
In the 'Annals of The Four Masters', AD, 1123 and 1136, Derryloran is spelled Doire-Luran. In the roll book of Armagh the spellings are Doirelauran, Derrylauren and Derryloran. The name came from the fact that the area was covered with oak woods (Doire) but it is not certain whether the rest came from a saint called Lauran or Laurance who lived in the area.
On 7 August 1449 Derryloran took into its care the church at Drumcraw. Both found it financially impossible to exist separately. It was thought that some of the mullions of an extremely antique pattern were transferred from Drumcraw church or Tullagh Temple as it was then known to Derryloran old church at Blackhill in 1449 when the parishes were joined. It is likely that this Derryloran Church was replaced in 1622. The remains of this new church are probably the ruins of a church still standing to this very day at Blackhill to the south of Cookstown. It lies beside the Ballinderry River, close to the bridge at Blackhill on the main Cookstown to Omagh road.
It is interesting to note that when the growing population necessitated more accommodation this particular church was not repaired and enlarged despite the fact that it lay on an ample site on the outskirts of the town. It is thought that this was not due to the fact that a more central site was needed, rather that the building had little of architectural significance to inspire its retention.
In 1822 the church at Blackhill was replaced by a new one at Gortalowry. (The field of Lowry or Loran).
It is in the traditional cruciform shape and was built using local quarry stone. The design was by John Nash and the cost was £2769.4s.7d The characteristics of this important centre of religious worship are its simple Gothic style with plain octagonal spire and castellated exterior walls. The interior is of the Saxon style including a vaulted vestibule.
The church was consecrated on 8 August 1822. We are extremely fortunate to have several sketches of the Church by Nash at the Rectory, Cookstown, on paper dated 1814. These confirm a church in traditional cruciform style with an impressive window over the communion table which faces east. The spiral stone staircase to the tower and spire is in the porch. Just beyond the interior entrance doors are the four plain pillars to carry the balcony. The whole building is large and spacious with ample aisles, a circular chancel and large sanctuary. The pulpit is proposed to be at the entrance of the north transept and it is likely that the baptistery would have been located in the centre of the church were the main aisle bulges out.
Large stone buttresses supporting the building are found at each exterior corner. The drawing of the front elevation of the church details the battlement like tops to the tower of cut stone. There is a pinnacle on each corner of the tower which then extends upwards into an impressive octagonal stone spire. The Gothic arches to the main entrance door and louvres on the front face of the tower combined with the Saxon styled battlement feature on the tower top confirms the mix of styles favoured by Nash at the time.
1831 - 1859: Dr Bardin Alterations
Between 1820 and 1830 Cookstown's population quadrupled, mainly because of the new linen industry. This population growth obviated the need for increased seating capacity within the local church. At Derryloran this need was met by extending Nash's church on the Gortalowry site in 1831 during the incumbency of Dr Bardin.
Interestingly, we are able to tell what this first extension since Nash consisted of by looking at drawings dated 1859. These particular drawings were prepared by Mr Welland, the Diocesan architect in Armagh. His reason for drawing them was in preparation for a further extension proposed in 1859 by the then rector, Mr Maloney. whom had decided that yet more accommodation was required. In order to begin his task of drawing the proposed 1859 extension, Welland obviously needed to first make drawings of the building as it existed at that moment in time.
It is clear from Welland's plans of the 1859 church that in 1831 the south transept had been made much larger than the existing south transept designed by Nash in 1822. The space between the two windows in the south wall had been used to maximum effect. The pulpit and prayer desk look as though they have been moved to the north wall so that they faced the newly extended south transept. It is reported that the wealthy parishioners had their seats there. Most probably they contributed to the extension and were given pride of place in the new transept.
A robing room was also built between 1822 and 1859 adjacent to the north transept. The whole extension was carried out with care and retained the integrity of Nash's original design. The exterior plan shows that the new extension had a pitched roof in keeping with the rest of the church and Nash's favourite battlement style wall top was extended along the new building. The window on the south side of the tower's lower section has been reduced in size while the window in the south transept appears larger than in Nash's drawings. After the 1831 extension no appreciable deviation from the original style intended by Nash has occurred.
The Diocesan Architect, Mr Welland, prepared drawings showing two proposals for extension in 1859. His first plan was to accommodate 562 people and was quite reckless. The whole building was to be turned 90 degrees to the north. In order to achieve this Welland proposed major structural internal relocations. Had it gone ahead, this renovation would have drastically altered the building from the original Nash design. Inside, the Saxon style ceiling would have probably disappeared.
Welland's second plan was less ruthless. This is probably the reason why it was accepted. The church was simply made longer and wider. The transepts were moved further to the east, the south transept being reduced in size. The chancel and sanctuary remained in the normal east position. Additional windows were placed in each longer nave wall and the robing room, pulpit and prayer desk were re-sited. It was estimated that the whole building could hold 575 people, even bigger than plan A.
The new drawings clearly show how in effecting the 1859 extension most of Nash's original building was demolished. Indeed, all that remains of Nash's church today is the section from the balcony pillars to the west external door, including the tower and spire. However, looking at the church today this is not apparent. Over the years the members recognised the heritage Nash had left them and they have extended and repaired with care and attention to detail so much so that if Nash were alive today he would still recognise the building as one of his own both outside and inside.
As you enter the church through the west outer door you are immediately surrounded by the work of John Nash. The entrance porch and the first few feet of the church are all that remains of the original building Yet this suggests that something special awaits you.
Passing through the west inner door the full beauty and spaciousness of the whole church is striking. The aisle stretches for almost one hundred feet to the sanctuary in the east with its impressive new east window. This marks the end of Nash's building. The next pew is longer to fit the wider body of the church extended under Welland. A few feet in front of this rests the baptismal front which is said to have been brought from the former church at Blackhill.
As you look around this point several impressive memorial tablets adorn the walls. The most magnificent to generous benefactors and former rectors of the church. As we continue down the aisle we note an impressive array of stained glass windows which were donated down through the years. Moving towards the east end the north and south transepts are visible. The north transept has the old east window as a feature. At this point the pulpit, in memory of Sarah Jane Craig 1892 and brass lectern can be seen in greater detail The ornately carved oak case of the organ lies behind the carved stone pulpit on the north side. The tiling on which the lectern rests was donated in memory of parishioners who died in World War 2.
We have now reached the chancel area with the choir seats leading to the sanctuary with an impressive oak reredos and magnificent window featuring St John, Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of Christ and Joseph of Arimathea.
Finally, as we turn to face the congregation a fine view of the church from east to west shows many of the features we have seen in our walk from the west door. This includes the impressive arched Saxon style oak beams in the ceiling and the narrower west end where the balcony used to be and where Nash's remaining section of the church is slightly narrower than the extended part.
The parish has continued to the present day with only one further structural alteration. This was the addition of a choir vestry and clergy vestry in 1950 between the north transept and sanctuary walls. Even here the building is of the highest quality using local stone to blend with the old as well as Gothic arched windows. In addition, in the 1990s major remedial work was carried out on the spire, belfry and lightning conductor. The cost of putting right all these defects was £13800 - five times the cost of the whole original building.
So today, as we enter a new millennium we look to the present trustees and parishioners of Derryloran Parish Church to preserve this Nash Heritage for a new era. A major restoration work was completed in early 2000 at a cost of over £500 000.
The project was funded with the assistance of the National Heritage Lottery Fund
and the Department of Environment Historical Buildings Branch. The work took 8
months to complete and entailed:
At the same time two new stained glass windows were installed, the Millennium Window by subscription of the Parishioners and the Gregg Memorial Window in memory of the late Eric and Lily Gregg.
During 2001/2002 many other improvements have been made to the church including:
The 1999 Stewardship Campaign set a goal of clearing the Church Restoration Fund debt by 2003. The generosity of the Parishioners thus far has been, according to Canon Porteus," quite outstanding although a lot still remains to be done".
It is quite obvious that the same meticulous attention to detail and care of the building will continue for some time to come. Derryloran Parish Church, one hundred and seventy seven years after Nash, is still a busy focal point for the Cookstown community. It remains of important architectural significance and part of the legacy of a talented architect who Mr William Tait M.P. said in 1857 at a meeting of the RIBA in London, "Deserved the gratitude of his generation".
Ulster Architectural Heritage Society List of
Historic Buildings 1970 Rev Oram, P J Rankin
History of Derryloran Parish and its Churches, Rev H B Carter D.D 1891.
The Parish of Derryloran, Rev T P R Kenny.
Topographical Dictionary of Ireland - S Lewis.
John Nash. The Prince Regent's Architect. Terence Davis.
The Life and Work of John Nash, Architect. John Summerson.