In
the mid 1700s, prior to the opening
of St Mary's, the Catholics of Belfast
had gathered at Friars Bush Graveyard,
on Stranmillis Road, to celebrate
Mass. Another place of worship was
the house of John Kennedy, the curler,
on Castle Street. His mahogany cabinet
was used as an altar at these early
services and it remains in the sacristy
of St Mary's today.
By
1866 the Catholic population of Belfast
had risen to 45,000 and St Mary's
could no longer cope with the increasing
numbers attending Sunday Masses. The
Belfast architect, John O'Neill, was
commissioned to draw up plans for
a new church on the site, with the
proviso that he include as much of
the original building as possible.
The dedication of the new St Mary's
Chapel took place on 22 November 1868.
O'Neills
plans incorporated the walls of the
original church and included the red
brick facade in Romanesque style that
extends out to the pavement of Chapel
Lane. His improvements also included
a tower to the south side of the main
front that was carried up as a tall
three-stage belfry.
Further
work to the Chapel was undertaken
by Padraig Gregory in 1940-41. The
gabel wall behind the altar was removed
and a new one installed further back.
This allowed a new sacristy and apse
to be built. O'Neill's belfry tower
was removed at this time for being
unsafe. |
