St Malachy's Church, Belfast

The Bishop of Down and Connor Dr Cornelius Denvir had for a long period during the 1830s sought an appropriate location for a third church to provide increased sacramental support for the burgeoning Catholic population. Mr Adam McClean, a Protestant merchant and owner of the large expanse of property behind Donegall Square South known as 'McClean's Fields', offered the Bishop a site on attractive terms. A lease was signed on 1 May 1839, whereby Adam McClean leased to Mr Hugh Magill (a prominent linen merchant) in trust for the Catholics of Belfast the parcel of building ground fronting Alfred St. The site actually consisted of three plots, Dr Denvir having previously negotiated purchase of…

The church was designed by Thomas Jackson of Waterford, and it is in the ecclesiastical style of the Tudor period. the builder responsible for the interior was Peter Lundy whose offices were nearby in 11 Joy St. It is cruciform in shape, 113 feet long, 52 feet wide and 40 feet high. The original high altar, pulpit and altar rails were of Irish oak; however, they were replaced with marble when the church was renovated in 1926 under the designs of Padraic Gregory. All that remains of the original ornaments is the canopy over the pulpit which has been painted white to match the marble of the present altar furnishings. The sanctuary floor is mosaic, dating from the 1926 refurbishment, the…

The church houses the largest bell in Belfast. Close to the church stood a whiskey distillery, and its owners claimed that the peal of the bell was upsetting the distillation process. Contrary to popular belief, the bell was not removed. Instead, it was wrapped in felt to soften its peal and vibration; however, by the time of the restoration work in 2008–2009, the felt had long since rotted away and the full peal of the bell can be heard at least three times daily.