One of the charming features that make Belfast such an attractive and interesting place to visit is its accessibility. The city can be easily traversed on foot, so the curious visitor can discover and explore a rich diversity of attractions all within easy reach of each other.

Nowhere does this apply more than with Belfast’s fascinating legacy of churches and chapels. The city abounds with historic places of worship, some of which date back three hundred years or more. Others are more contemporary, but all of them convey their own distinct architectural and historic heritage. They include prominent statements of civic pride and religious dedication, such as St Anne’s Cathedral and St Peter’s Cathedral, as well as intimate and idiosyncratic churches, typified by Sinclair Seaman’s church.

Most of Belfast’s churches remain in active use and they are valued by their congregations and by the wider community. Their distribution across Belfast reflects the changing social and economic faces of the city over many generations and they are a source of much civic pride. We invite you to discover our historical places of worship.

**Donegall Square East Methodist Church
This former church was designed by the Methodist architect, Isaac Farrell of Dublin. It was completed in 1847 but was gutted by fire two years later and subsequently re-built. In its day, it was regarded as one of the last authentically classical buildings in Belfast, with its imposing six-columned Corinthian portico and steps leading up through the rusticated arcade and vaulted lobby. Today only the front façade remains and forms part of the Ulster Bank Headquarters.

May Street Presbyterian Church
William Smith designed this fine classical church which was built 1829. Externally, the portico features Roman Ionic style columns and the brick and stucco pedimented façade has a recessed central entrance bay. Inside there are twin, curving staircases leading to a fine horseshoe gallery of polished mahogany carried on cast iron columns. It is said that the church was built to provide a pulpit for Dr Henry Cooke, widely regarded as the founding father of fundamental Presbyterianism in Ulster.

St Malachy’s Catholic Church, Alfred Street
When Thomas Jackson won a competition to build St Malachy’s Church in 1840, the inspiration for his design came from the galleried chapels of rural Ireland, noted for their ability to accommodate the most people in the least space. As a result, the church is T-shaped, with three altars laid out in front of the longest wall. Its spectacular fan vaulted ceiling is modelled on Henry VII’s chapel in Westminster Abbey, with a high altar recessed behind a later lacy triumphal arch and an altarpiece is by the portraitist, Felice Piccioni. The bell turret was added to the church in 1868.

Presbyterian Church House, Fisherwick Place
This impressive complex, reminiscent of a Scottish baronial hall, is the administrative centre for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. It stands on the site of the former Fisherwick Place Presbyterian Church and was built by Robert Young in 1905. Its gables, turrets and pinnacles are dominated by a corner tower, which was inspired by St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh. The building survived bomb damage in the 1970s and has been sensitively restored. Currently its ground floor has been given over to shops.

**Christ Church, College Square North
Completed in1833 to a design by William Farrell of Dublin, Christ Church is a fine example of late Georgian Classicism, with a stone Ionic front and a brick exterior. The church originally contained a three decker pitch pine pulpit, probably of a unique design. It became redundant in the early 1990s and was extensively damaged by fire in 1996. However, it was refurbished by the Belfast Buildings Preservation Trust and Royal Belfast Academic Institution and was re-opened by the Prince of Wales in 2003 as a library and centre of excellence in Information Technology.

St Mary’s Catholic Church, Chapel Lane
The current building was built in 1868 to designs by John O’Neill and it incorporates the walls of the original chapel of St Mary’s, dating from around 1783. This modest chapel cost around £170 to build, of which £84 was collected and donated by the Protestants of BelfaSt St Mary’s was reconsecrated in 1869 and a new apse was added in 1941. The Lourdes grotto and campanile in the garden were added in 1954.

Rosemary Street First (Non-Subscribing) Presbyterian Church
Evidence of Presbyterian worship at this site dates back to 1695 and the present building, which dates from 1783, is Belfast’s oldest surviving place of worship within the old town boundary. John Wesley preached here in 1789. The church is oval in shape and the interior has intricate wooden carving, notable stained glass windows and traditional box pews. An elegant serpentine gallery stands on Corinthian columns and windows in the centre of the church commemorate members of prominent families. It survived four bombings in the 1970s and still has an active congregation.

St George’s Church of Ireland, High Street
There are records of a ‘Chapel at the Ford’ on this site going back as far as the 13th century but the present building was designed by the Dublin architect John Bowden and completed in 1816. From 1613 – 1776 the church, attended by the Sovereign and Burgess families was known as the Corporation Church until it was moved to the new city church of St Anne’s in 1778. It is a fine example of Georgian stonework and is enhanced by the portico, which was the first cargo brought by the Lagan Canal from the Earl Bishop of Derry’s house at Ballyscullion. The architect William J Barre added the pulpit and richly trussed roof in 1867 and in 1882 Edward Braddell added the chancel.

St Anne’s Cathedral, Donegall Street (pictured)
In 1896 the architect Thomas Drew was commissioned to build St Anne’s Cathedral. It was built in the Hiberno-Romanesque style and stands on the site of St Anne’s Parish Church founded in 1776. The Gothic pulpit, a present from Westminster Abbey, was felt to be too ornate for the Cathedral and it was replaced by a modern pulpit in 1959. The original was unfortunately lost in a fire. The Cathedral contains only one tomb, that of Sir Edward Carson, leader of the Irish Unionist Party, who was buried here in 1935. The interior is particularly remarkable for its stone carvings and mosaics.

Donegall Street Congregational Church
The original church on this site was completed in 1860, with additions in 1871. It was rebuilt following extensive bomb damage during the Belfast Blitz of World War II. The style of the reconstruction makes a sympathetic composition with the older wing gables that frame it.

St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Donegall Street
St Patrick’s Church was designed by Timothy Hevey and built in 1874-77 with the assistance of Mortimer Thompson. The statue of St Patrick above the door and the imposing high altar were carved by Neill & Pearse (father of Patrick Pearse). The side chapel triptych of St Patrick, the Madonna and St Bridget is by the renowned society painter, Sir John Lavery who was baptised here. The face of the Madonna is that of Lavery’s wife Hazel, the famous society hostess and friend of Michael Collins. Adjacent to the church is St Patrick’s School, a fine example of Gothic Revival architecture dating from 1828.

Moravian Church, corner of University Road & Lisburn Road
This small Moravian church stands at the junction of University Road and the Lisburn Road, facing a park where, King William is said to have hitched his horse in 1690 on his way to the Battle of the Boyne. The church designed by Young and MacKenzie was built of Scrabo stone in 1887 and blends comfortably with the nearby Crescent Arts Centre and Crescent Church. Its pinnacled tower, together with those of the neighbouring Methodist and Crescent Churches, form a cluster of spires which add drama to the skyline.

The Crescent Church, University Road
The Crescent Church was built in the gothic revival style by the Glasgow architect, John Bennie Wilson and was completed in 1887. The exterior is of red and buff sandstone and the interior is dominated by several rose windows. The church is noted for its remarkable off-centre steeple with a pyramidal roof and although originally built for a Presbyterian congregation, it is now the centre of worship for the Christian Brethren. University Road Methodist Church This Wesleyan church, designed by William Barre, was built in 1864-65. It stands on the site of the original 1800s toll-bar into Belfast town and its design is influenced by Barre’s love of Venetian architecture. Although bomb damage destroyed the façade’s original rose window, the interior was spared and it has been sensitively restored. The church’s tall, slender campanile is a graceful feature of the university area.

**Elmwood Hall, University Road
Formerly, Elmwood Presbyterian Church and built in 1862, it is the only church that the architect John Corry designed in the North Italian Romanesque style. Its exterior is of pink Scrabo sandstone and the tower, with its three tier Presbyterian spire and gilt weathercock, was completed in 1872. The building has been deconsecrated and, as the Elmwood Hall, it is home to the Ulster Orchestra.

All Souls Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church, Elmwood Avenue
This church was constructed in 1895-96 and the architect was Walter Planck of London. It is a unique and beautiful building, with a plan form that is decidedly Episcopalian. The church is said to have been inspired by the 14th Century Croyland Abbey in Lincolnshire and strong resemblances can be seen in the tower and gable windows. Scrabo stone with Doulting dressings has been used throughout. Internally, All Souls comprises a rectangular nave with flanking aisles, with a clerestory above and it is entered through an open timberwork porch. Intriguingly, the chair next to the communion table is reputed to have been sat in by John Wesley.

Friar’s Bush Graveyard, Stranmillis Road
Friar’s Bush Graveyard is thought to be one of Belfast’s oldest Christian sites and may even date back to the time of St Patrick. This theory appears to be supported by the presence of two ancient stones on the site, one of which, the Friar’s Stone, bears the date 485A.D. A Friar’s bush, or hawthorn tree, stands in the centre of the graveyard and it marks the spot where, in the past, priests would have celebrated mass. A small arched gate lodge with naïve-Gothic style pointed windows stands at the entrance to the graveyard.

First Church of Christ the Scientist, University Avenue
This building was designed by Clough Williams-Ellis, the architect responsible for the village of Portmeirion in north Wales. Completed in 1937, it is a pleasing mix of Art Deco and Edwardian free style and embraces a complex that combines the cloisters, Sunday school, caretaker’s house and minor hall. The church displays a non-conformist plan incorporating a gallery and a simple raised platform with twin reading desks.

Fitzroy Presbyterian Church, University Street
Fitzroy Presbyterian Church follows the Gothic Revival style that became popular throughout Ulster in the late 19th century. It was designed by Robert Young of Young & McKenzie and was built it 1872-74. The church with detached corner belfry, hall and school are built in craggy Scrabo sandstone and reflect an eclectic mix of Gothic forms. The belfry is connected to the gallery by a flying stair and its interior is laid out in traditional meeting house lines. An elaborate organ case forms a backdrop to the pulpit.

Clifton Street Graveyard, Henry Place
This is a non-denominational graveyard established in 1795 and extended in 1819. It lies in the grounds of Clifton House, the poor house, and so it contains the remains of numerous paupers, as well as some of Belfast’s most distinguished citizens. There is also a large unmarked plot that served as the mass grave for victims of the 1832 cholera epidemic. The cemetery is in many ways an open air museum of Belfast’s past, with monuments to every section of society.

**Carlisle Memorial Methodist Church, Carlisle Circus
Completed in 1875, the church is named after both Lord Carlisle, Viceroy of Ireland and Belfast builder James Carlisle, who lost his son and built this edifice in his memory. It was designed in the Gothic Revival style by W. H. Lynn and for many years it had a very loyal Methodist congregation. Indeed, its exterior was renovated in 1966. Although the church is now closed for worship the adjacent church halls have provided for some years a meeting place for the Indian Community in Belfast.

St Peter’s Catholic Cathedral, Albert Street
This impressive building was designed in 1860 by Father Jeremiah McAuley, a trained Belfast architect, prior to his entering Orders. The task was completed by John O’Neill in 1866. It is a Gothic Revival cathedral, of the Catholic Diocese of Down and Connor. Its magnificent twin spires designed by Mortimer Thompson were added in 1886 and they dominate the skyline of this part of the city. The tower holds a carillion of 11 bells. Following major restoration it now strikes a fine example of high Victorian Gothic decoration.

Clonard Redemptorist Church & Monastery, Clonard Gardens
This church, also known as the Church of the Holy Redeemer, occupies a dramatic site on one wing of a three-sided courtyard. It is linked by a tower to the red brick and sandstone monastery extension. There is a large rose window in the west façade. Clonard was designed in early French Gothic style by Ludwig Oppenheimer and built in 1897 by the Naughton brothers of Randalstown. It is home to the Redemptorists, who were founded in Italy in 1732 and contains mosaics from Gabriel Loire of Chartres. The Monastery was the scene of the first contacts that started the Northern Ireland peace process in the early 1990s.

St Mary’s Dominican Convent Chapel, Falls Road
The convent was designed by John O’Neill and built between 1868–70. The chapel was added to the complex in 1930 and was designed by Padraic Gregory. Its Gothic hall, with a single north transept, served both the Dominican Sisters and the school pupils. The high altar is the main focus of the church and there is a detailed musicians’ gallery at the west end. The rose window was the work of Harry Clarke of Dublin.

Belfast City Cemetery, Falls Road
Belfast City Cemetery was laid out to the plans of William Gay of Bradford and it opened in 1869. It provides an invaluable insight to Victorian Belfast, with monuments to the city’s most famous residents, as well as its pooreSt Especially notable are the Herdman Memorial, a rare piece of Egyptian revivalism dating from the 1870s, and the Carson Memorial, an Art Nouveau slab dating from 1905. Also worthy of note are the Pirrie Memorial, the Inglis Memorial Slab by Rosamund Praeger and the Phillips Memorial Cross of 1882.

Holy Cross Church and Monastery, Crumlin Road
The monastic buildings on the site were built in 1877-81 and they predate the church by twenty years. They follow an austere Romanesque Revival style. The church was completed in 1902 for the Passionist Order to the designs of Doolin, Butler and Donnelly of Dublin and it is regarded as one of the best ecclesiastical buildings in BelfaSt It occupies a dramatic location on the crest of the hill and its exterior has a Romanesque façade. Its interior is lavishly finished with rich frescoes painted by a member of the Order, Brother Mark.

Sinclair Seamen’s Presbyterian Church, Corporation Square
This church was built for all seamen arriving in the port of BelfaSt It dates from 1857 and is built in a North Italian Romanesque style that is well adapted to its corner site. Its highly individualistic interior has a strong maritime theme, as evidenced by the pulpit, shaped like the prow of a ship. The bell from HMS Hood is used to call the faithful to worship and even the collection boxes are in the form of lifeboats. The church’s resident minister still visits every ship that docks at the port.

St Mark’s Church, Holywood Road
St Mark’s was designed by the noted English architect, William Butterfield and was completed in 1878. His design can be clearly seen in the internal decoration of the chancel. St Mark’s tower is a major feature of the Belfast skyline. The church is associated with the novelist C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), who was baptised here by his grandfather, the Rev. Thomas Hamilton, the then Rector. In 1935, C.S. and his brother Warren presented the magnificent stained glass Lewis window to St Mark’s Church in memory of their parents.

Ballynafeigh Methodist Church, Ormeau Road
This church was built in 1897-99 by the architects Forman & Aston. Its Queen Anne Revival styling is unconventional and is thought to be influenced by the work of contemporary North American architects. The church is octagonal, a shape that brings a large number of people into close contact with the minister. This layout was much favoured by Wesley and as such, Ballynafeigh is a good example of a preaching church.

Milltown Cemetery, Falls Road
The Roman Catholic cemetery at Milltown was opened by Belfast Corporation in 1872. The architect, Timothy Hevey, designed the entrance, a high Victorian Romanesque arched gateway, as well as the large celtic cross, inscribed with biblical scenes, that is dedicated to the Reverends Clarke and Cavanan. Milltown cemetery is a fascinating repository of the history and folklore of the Falls Road and its environs.

St Matthias Church, Glen Road
Known locally as “the wee tin church”, St Matthias’s first opened in 1892 for the local garrison and originally belonged to the Church of Ireland. Its corrugated iron construction makes it extremely rare and it is one of only 8 surviving churches of this type in Ireland. They were manufactured by Harland & Wolff and most were exported. St Matthias’s was reconsecrated as a Catholic church in 1970.

Good Shepherd Church and Convent, Ormeau Road
The convent is a prominent feature of the Ormeau Road. It was built in 1869 by the architects Messrs. W & R Byrne of Dublin. The Good Shepherd Sisters funded the building of the Good Shepherd Church in 1916. The original complex included a Convent, a home for single mothers, an orphanage, a home for battered wives and a hostel for women in need of care. The Sisters have withdrawn from this work to a great extent and Holy Rosary Parish took over the Church in 1980. There is nuns' graveyard adjacent to the church. The Church is in Gothic architecture.

Shankill Graveyard, Shankill Road
It is thought that this site has been used for burial purposes for over 1,000 years and the name ‘Shankill’ derives from the Irish for ‘old church’. Certainly, records show that from the 17th century on, it was in regular use as a cemetery. Many paupers and victims of disease were buried there, the last interment being in the 1930s.

St Matthew’s Church, Woodvale Road (Shankill)
This church was built in 1872 to designs by Welland & Gillespie of Dublin, architects to the Ecclesiastical commissioners. It is shaped like a trefoil, or shamrock and the unique design is said to be based on the Orthodox churches of Greece and Asia Minor. At the front door stands a ‘Bullawn Stone’, thought to be an ancient font, that is said to have curative powers for warts.

Martyrs Memorial Church, Ravenhill Road
Designed by the architect Gordon McKnight, the church was completed in 1969. Its pulpit is placed centrally on a long wall with galleries on three sides. Inside the church are numerous memorials of those martyred for their Christian faith. Martyrs Memorial is famous for being the church of the Reverend Ian Paisley, who has been minister on the Ravenhill Road for 58 years, founder of the Free Presbyterian Church and a significant figure in Northern Ireland’s recent political history.

Frederick Street Quaker Meeting House, Frederick Street
This site has seen numerous meeting houses over the years. Quakers first bought a plot for a meeting house here in 1809, next to the then “Brewery Lane” and the first meeting house appeared in 1811. This was replaced in 1840 and again in 1895. The majority of the present building is relatively modern, dating from 1972, although the entrance gates are from 1895. At the start of the First World War, Quakers offered the premises for use as a hospital and in 1969 the Meeting House gave shelter to people dispossessed by the Troubles.

NOTES:
** Churches marked with this symbol are former churches that are now closed or used for other purposes.

Please click on the link below to download the map:

Christian Heritage Map

The suggested trails marked on the map (in green and blue) would each take approximately 1.5 to 2 hours to walk.

The above listings information on all the churches are also available for download:

Christian Heritage Information

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