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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Jane Corscadden

Whiteabbey residents concerned about future of historic church

Residents in a Co Antrim village are concerned about the future of a historic church in the area.

Whiteabbey Congregational Church has been on the Glenville Road in Whiteabbey since 1886 but has been derelict since its final sermon was held on August 25, 2019.

In the three years since, the building has become overrun with weeds and a build up of litter.

Read more: Village residents 'frustrated' after lockdown park to be dismantled

Residents are concerned about the site's future and are worried about the potential for demolition after other historic buildings in the village have been lost in recent years.

Emmanuel Mullen from the Whiteabbey Historical Society is hoping there can be a future for the former church.

"It's historic in the area, loads of old sites here have been demolished over the years," he told Belfast Live.

Whiteabbey Congregational Church (Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)

"There have been factories knocked down, where thousands of people have had work taken away. Abbey Meat Plant was knocked down, it employed hundreds of local people.

"In other areas when places go out of business, another investor steps in. We've had factories here that have just been erased and it's still continuing. Now we're worried this building will be erased too.

"Basically the whole village has been demolished and this is the last building standing alongside a row of houses - that's all left of the old Whiteabbey village. We want to save it, we don't want another historic building demolished, we would love to see it being used by the community.

"I'm trying to preserve the local history by sharing old pictures on the historical page, and this is going to be another one that may be erased in the future. There will be nothing left - just pictures and memories."

Emmanuel, alongside other residents in the area, believe the church should have been listed for historical purposes as it was built in 1886.

The attached hall was used by the Whiteabbey community for years, housing youth groups and the Girl's Brigade.

He said: "It's been out of action for some time due to dwindling numbers of people attending the church, but the building should have been listed.

"Our concern is there will be nothing left - historic buildings need to be preserved.

Whiteabbey Congregational Church (Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)

"If there are plans in place for the building's demolition, we'd love to know if there's any way we can work around this. There's a community hall at the back end, if we could even use that for the local area. But the church itself should be preserved, it's over 100 years old."

In recent years, residents in the area have been trying to keep the history of Whiteabbey alive, and have been campaigning to have their village clock returned to its original site.

The clock was removed after being damaged in a storm back in 2016, and replaced with a different clock nearby - but many want the old one back. It was originally located on a block of terraced houses on the Shore Road.

A December 2016 meeting of Antrim & Newtownabbey Council recognised that although the original clock had been a key feature of the village for decades, its replacement and maintenance would be more expensive than other options.

Instead, the council opted to establish a pillar clock on the shore side of the Shore Road. It was argued this would “create an attractive and visual feature which will be viewed right along the Shore Road.”

Read more: Whiteabbey residents on a mission to keep area's history alive

Read more: Lack of North Belfast train services a "missed opportunity" for the area

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