All Saints’ Parish Church in Antrim was built in 1596 and has been described by Dr Paul Larmour, one of Ireland’s leading architectural historians, as the finest example of an Elizabethan Gothic church in Ireland. Although the current building is dated as being constructed in 1596. we can find the names of several early vicars in Reeves’ Ecclesiastical Antiquities, the first being Wm. Proketour in 1380. Archaeologist have suggested that the church is sited on an ancient burial mound dating back to medieval times.
The church building has been endowed by the Massereene Family over the past centuries. They have a burial vault under their family pew which is now used as a side chapel. The Massereene and Clotworthy families have funded the building of a transept in 1869 and the west window. There are several significant funerial monuments in the church including one by R A Flaxman, which is considered to be one of his finest.
The Massereene Chapel has become the unofficial Royal British Legion Chapel and several of their former standards are laid up alongside the two war memorials.
The church has many stained glass windows of great quality including a rare panel featuring the martyrdom of St John the Baptist.
The church building continues to be the central focus for any major acts of civic worship, the most recent being a service of commemoration following the death of Queen Elizabeth II at which the Mayor and representatives of the Council attended.
South elevation of the bell tower viewed from the graveyard
Pillars at the front entrance
Views of the east elevation, date stone and one of the North Elevation windows
An original Elizabethan window with date stone
The north elevation dates to 1596. The tower, designed by John Bowden, was added in 1816 at a cost of £1,500 and financed by the Board of First Fruits.
All Saints’ graveyard
The entrance to the Massereene vault
The ashes of Dr Alexander Irvine, author of My Lady of the Chimney Corner are interred in this plot.
Archaeologists believe that the church is sited on a medieval burial ground. There are several gravestones dating back to the 1700s, many of which have suffered from the effects of weathering. This particular stone’s engravings, dating back to 1734, have remained remarkably intact.
A view of the nave of the church taken from the gallery looking towards the east end.
Views of the nave taken from the pulpit
The Massereene Chapel, formerly known as the Massereene Pew was solely used by the family when they worshipped in the church, In the 1950s it was transformed into the Massereene Chapel which is used by parishioners at the 8.30am celebration of Holy Communion
The 11th Viscount Massereene of Ferrard who died in 1905 was a passionate musician. The memorial situated in the family pew contains references to the Masonic order and an alabaster violin with a broken string to signify the silence of the instrument at the death of its owner.
The Angel Tablet is in memory of Oriel John Clotworthy Whyte Melville Skeffington 1871—1903 is situated below the Massereene Window in the family pew.
This window which depicts the Massereene family’s coat of Arms, was presented in 1897.
A memorial to those from All Saints’ Parish who served and fell in the Great War of 1914-1918
A memorial to those from All Saints’ Parish who served and fell in the Second World War of 1939– 1945
Liam Blackbourne was a faithful worshipper at our 8.30 services of Holy Communion in the Massereene Chapel. The window depicting Jesus’s saying, ’look at the birds of the air’ was designed by CWS, Lisburn and installed in 2021.
Alongside the Blackbourne window, the newest in All Saints, is a lancet window which has two panels of unknown provenance, but older than any of the other windows in the church. The upper panel depicts the Virgin and Child, St Hieronimus (left), St Carolus (right) and an angel preaching (below). The lower panel depicts the beheading of St John the Baptist.
In 1892 the church building was restored at a cost of £1,300. The church was re-seated, the Massereene transept was refurbished and choir stalls were placed alongside a newly constructed organ chamber which housed a new organ supplied by Messrs. Conacher of Huddersfield. The organ pipes were cleaned, gilded and restored in 2020.The East Window, which dates from 1870 was given in memory of The Viscount Massereene and Ferrard. It was designed by William Wailes of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The window depicts the events around Holy Week beginning with the entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, the betrayal by Judas, the crucifixion and burial. The resurrected Christ appears to Mary Magdalene and the scenes conclude with the Ascension.
This window, on the north elevation was given in memory of George, Ellen and Wil-liam Jackson; Thomas and Anne Clarke in 1899. It was designed by Shrigley & Hunt, Lancaster and depicts St Paul (right), Christ as Good Shepherd (centre) and St John the Evangelist (left).
This window, on the north elevation was given by Viscount Massereene in 1890 in memory of Olivia, Viscountess Massereene and Ferrard who died in 1874. It was designed by Aldam Heaton & Co., London and depicts St John the Baptist (right), Christ (centre), St John the Evangelist (left).
This window was presented by the Napier Family in memory of the late Mr & Mrs Napier. The window incorporates a view of the Norman tower which is situated within the boundary of the parish, the crest of the Diocese of Connor, the eucharistic cup of salvation and the crown of Jesus, with the inscription Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus — Holy, Holy, Holy.
Both windows were dedicated in 1990.
This window is dedicated in memory of Constable Ronnie Baird who died in 1985 in the line duty as a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. It was donated by the Baird family and is a testimony to the gratitude which the parish extends to those who have kept the peace in violent times. It incorporates the great signs of Christian hope and belief in God’s vindication of the innocent– the Alpha and Omega and the cross and the dove of the Ascension.
This window in the north elevation is in memory of Hungerford, Sydney and Reginald Skeffington, sons of 10th Viscount Massereene & Ferrard. It was designed in 1895 by Shrigley & Hunt of Lancaster. The iconogra-phy is of St Luke (right), St Mark (centre) St Matthew
This window is situated in the south transept. It was given in memory of George Clarke and dates from 1909. It was designed by Shrigley & Hunt of Lancashire and depicts St James the Lesser, St James the Greater, Christ as Salvator Mundi and St Peter.
This moment was erected in memory of the 4th Earl and 8th Viscount Massereene who died aged 65 in 1816. Although it is somewhat overshadowed by the monument in memory of the 6th Earl, it is considered to be one of John Flaxman’s finest funerial works.
The monument is in memory of the 6th Earl and he is repos-ing in the robes of a knight of St Patrick under a high Victo-rian gothic triple canopy adorned with the female figures of faith hope and charity and was erected in 1864.
The beautifully carved Oak Holy Table was presented by the parishioners of the church in memory of Dean Maurice F H Collis, vicar of Antrim 1889-1945 representing their Eucharist (thanksgiving) for the priestly ministry of a faithful shepherd. It is entirely appropriate that this symbol of the Christian Church at the heart of our central act of worship should itself be the gift of the whole parish, each of who is fed there at the holy communion.
Abigal Parnell, a friend of the Masssereene Family, presented the massive silver Communion plate consisting of a paten and, chalice in 1701 and in 1713 in her will made a further bequest of £15 which purchased the flagon. The flagon was made by Edmond Johnston of Grafton Street in Dublin while the Chalice was made by Adair Sowt in 1699 and the Paten by David King in 1701. Sowt was the chief warden of the Corporation of Goldsmiths and was considered to be the best in his profession at that time.
Of equal importance for the life of the worshipping community is the finely worked stone pulpit erected by the friends and parishioners in memory of the Rev J C Holmes Vicar from 1874-89 and testimony to the church’s commitment to the ministry of the word and the proclamation of the gospel promises.
The cross on the Holy Table was presented by a former Vicar of the parish and his family at the quatercentenary celebrations in 1995. It is dedicated in remembrance of all the parishioners, who through the ages have hallowed the church building with their presence, worship and devoted service to their Lord. Although the physical building is over 425 years old and has been the focal point in the lives of so many people, we are grateful that it continues to be a place where the living stones, the disciples of Jesus, still come to worship and receive their spiritual guidance and direction.
Search website:
Manage Cookie Consent
We use cookies to optimise our website and our service.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
All Saints’ Parish Church in Antrim was built in 1596 and has been described by Dr Paul Larmour, one of Ireland’s leading architectural historians, as the finest example of an Elizabethan Gothic church in Ireland. Although the current building is dated as being constructed in 1596. we can find the names of several early vicars in Reeves’ Ecclesiastical Antiquities, the first being Wm. Proketour in 1380. Archaeologist have suggested that the church is sited on an ancient burial mound dating back to medieval times.
