Christ Church
Derriaghy, County Antrim
Some 6 miles south west of Belfast and situated in picturesque surroundings overlooking the Lagan Valley Regional Park to the east, Colin Mountain to the northwest and Black Mountain to the north.
Revd Dr Henry Montgomery, preacher, teacher and reformer is commemorated by an Ulster Historical Society Blue Circle Plaque and by an impressive marble memorial located inside the church building. Renowned as a brilliant orator, Montgomery worked tirelessly for the rights of many different causes (including Catholic emancipation) and led the remonstrance of liberal Irish Presbyterians in Ireland.
The congregation can be traced to the 17th century, however, worship originally took place short distance from where our current church resides.
The present building is the second on the site and was constructed in 1779, incorporating part of the original building at the rear of the church. In the late 19th century, a second storey was added to the church and a balcony and organ loft was erected behind the pulpit. When visiting the church, it is worth taking a close look at the box pews which feature different styles of panelling unique to the original members of the congregation who brought their own wood to create their own seating.
A beautiful stained glass window depicting the McCance family’s journey to church was erected in the early 1900s in memory of John McCance JP (1816-63) and his brother Henry (1829-1900). The window has been attributed to Tiffany & Co, and is reminiscent of the Tiffany ‘Autumn Landscape’ window which is now part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Unfortunately, the window was damaged during The Troubles when the signal box at the nearby railway crossing was bombed and has since been partially restored to its former glory.
Marble memorials inside the church commemorate Revd Dr Henry Montgomery and his son, also named Henry who fought during the First and Second Sikh Wars and died when returning from India in 1857.
The church’s beautiful pulpit was restored in 1976 in memory of Elizabeth Andrews, the daughter of Thomas Andrews who perished with the RMS Titanic.
First Dunmurry Non Subscribing Presbyterian Church welcomes a congregation of worshipers who meet together every Sunday to uphold the proud traditions of liberal Presbyterianism, which have characterised this special place for centuries.
