Thanksgiving for renovations to St Andrew’s Church
A Thanksgiving Service was held last week at Saint Andrew’s Church, Boardmills to mark the completion of a major renovation project.
The service was conducted by the Reverend Willie Nixon, Rector of Saint Andrew’s, Killaney Parish. The preacher was the Right Reverend Harold Miller, Bishop of Down and Dromore. Frank Fox JP read the lesson and prayers were led by Brian McNeill, a member of the Select Vestry. The service was greatly enhanced by Terry McNeilly, Organist.
The Deputy Mayor of the City of Lisburn, Councillor Margaret Tolerton was a most welcome guest as was Jonathan Craig MLA, his wife Yvonne and their daughter Joanne.
The renovations, project managed by JCP Consulting, who were represented at the service by Richard Turkington, Director, entailed the full replacement of the church roof together with the repairs to defective timbers.
These repairs could not have been carried out without the generous assistance of the Heritage Lottery Fund who financed £75,000 of the cost. They were represented at the service by Angela Lavin, Senior Grants Officer. Parishioners and well wishers in the area raised the remaining £25,000 for which the Church is truly grateful.
The Parish of Killaney can be traced back to 1194 and a John de Courcy land grant. The original Church was destroyed in 1641, however services were conducted in temporary premises until the present Church was built in 1867 through the generosity of the Marquis of Downshire.
The Church bell presently installed at Saint Andrew’s was a gift from Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin and is inscribed in Latin “May this bell remain sound, calling the faithful to prayer till the sound of the last trumpet 1724” and attributed to Dean Swift. The bell was recast at that time and the original can be traced to 1555. In 2001, again through the generosity of the Heritage Lottery Fund, the tower and spire were repaired and stabilised and the walls of the church repointed.
Following the service the congregation were entertained to tea in the Church Hall, during which Mr. Gerry Gray, Managing Director of Felix O’Hare and Co. Ltd., Contractors, presented a most magnificent pair of crystal candlesticks to the Church to mark the occasion.
It was a truly memorable day in the history of this landmark Church which is open to the public each Thursday from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm except on Public Holidays. Worship is each Sunday from 12 noon – 1.00 pm.
(With thanks to Mr Terry Barbour and Mr Brian McNeill respectively for the above report and photo).