Old Kilmore Church alive again
The old Kilmore Church in the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum was full to the brim on Sunday 21 June when Kilmore & Inch held their special Father’s Day service there.
Bishop Harold joined the rector, Revd Stephen Smyth, and parishioners in the Georgian church and afterwards for a beautiful lunch provided by ‘Root Soup’. Everyone with a ticket was also free to enjoy the Folk Museum for the rest of the day.
About 39 years ago the church, which was built in 1792, was carefully dismantled, stone by stone and reassembled at Cultra. It took its place there alongside a school from Ballycastle, a rectory from Duneane, Co Antrim and a row of houses from Sandy Row, Belfast.
‘After 184 years a church moves on’ was the headline in the local press on 6 May 1976. Accompanying the story a was a photo of Bishop George Quin with the parishioners, wardens and rector, Revd H G B Forde, gathered at the gates for the act of de–consecration.
After the building of the current church in 1870 which was erected to cope with a growing congregation, the church was used as a school and parochial hall. Rather than let it fall beyond repair, when the museum approached with the plan to preserve and re–locate the building, all parties, including the RCB, eventually agreed.
The rescued church is regarded as an excellent example of Georgian architecture and great care was taken to restore it as closely as possible to its original state.
More photos on the Kilmore and Inch Facebook page here.