One of the most unique churches in Ireland, St Matthew’s was built in 1872 as a successor to an older church that stood in the Shankill graveyard. The Irish round tower identifies it as a Celtic Revival Church, and (seen most clearly in aerial photographs) the church is constructed in the shape of a shamrock.
One of the most unique churches in Ireland, St Matthew’s was built in 1872 as a successor to an older church that stood in the Shankill graveyard. The Irish round tower identifies it as a Celtic Revival Church, and (seen most clearly in aerial photographs) the church is constructed in the shape of a shamrock.
In 1922 the church’s pulpit, prayer desk and sanctuary panelling were erected as a war memorial to those who fell in the First World War.
A window depicting St Patrick on his way to Slemish Mountain (Co. Antrim) was recently installed in memory of Miss Helen Baird OBE.
For more information on the history and congregation of the church see St Matthew's Church.
In front of the church sits the Bullaun Stone, recovered from the Shankill graveyard in 1911.
It is of druid origin and was later used for Christian baptisms. A local urban myth suggests the water in the stone can cure warts!
