Father Eamon Graham 028 796 42458 - Father Dermott Harkin 028
25821190
Saint Mary's Lavey up until 30th April 2018 ad.
Reopening 8th December 2019 ad.
Lavey Chapel Opening 1873
Sited with its east end almost on the roadside, St.
Mary's, Lavey closely resembles the siting and layout of St.
Patrick's, Castlederg, where the parishioners had to walk around the
transepts to find the entrance. The foundation stone was laid on
26th May 1872 and it was dedicated on the 26th May 1873 by the
bishop of the diocese, Dr. Kelly.
The Londonderry Journal of the 9th July
1873 described the church:
"A grand and beautiful edifice, few churches in Ireland have
been built in so short a period of time. Three months before the
building was commenced the only available fund was the small sum of
seventeen pounds. It has not only been built within a limited period
of fourteen months but what is better, it is perfectly free of any
debt. This is the more remarkable, when we state that it is a very
large and most expensively built church".
The parish priest was Reverend James
McLaughlin who left a note in the Baptismal Register - "Having spent
eight laborious years in Lavey, expended during this time more than
three thousand pounds in the erection of churches and schools".
Detailed lists of subscribers are among the parish records.
The Journal continued its description:
"It stands on a beautiful rising round, which comnands a
view of the surrounding district. The site and adjacent grounds
consists of one and a half acres which are kindly granted in
perpetuity by Earl of Stafford, Sir Thomas Bateson and Lady le Poer
Trench who are the joint proprietors of the Bellaghy Estate. The
building and details, even to the furniture in the sacristy and
altars is strictly Gothic of the most severe style. The plan
cruciform, consists of nave, transepts, sanctuary, chapel of the
Blessed Virgin and chapel of St. Joseph. The length of the nave is
one hundred and six feet, the width thirty feet and across the
transepts seventy feet and there also thirty feet wide; the
sanctuary has a width of thirty feet and twenty feet long and is
well adapted, on account of its site, for carrying out the grand and
imposing ceremonies of the church.
Stone is the best quality of black stone
from the quarries of Knockloughleim. The exterior faces of all the
stones are scabbled and the joints are punched four inches from the
face, and laid with Portland cement. The walls of the entire
superstructure are of uncoursed masonry and present an appearance of
solidity and strength not surpassed by any church in Ireland. The
stone used for the plinth and quoins is of the best description of
sandstone, from the quarries of Tullyhogue. The jambs and mullions
of the windows are all Dungiven freestone. The pillars are Dungannon
freestone and consist of plinth, bell, abacus and capital.
The roof is by far the grandest and most
expensive part of the building, the timber is memel and red pine.
The eight principals, which support the roof of the nave, rest on
cut stone corbels. The roof of the transepts, sanctuary, chapels of
the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph are sheeted with red pine and
panelled. No part of the building, however, displays more beauty and
artistic skill than the cornice which is both massive and beautiful.
The timber of the entire roof is stained and varnished.
The morning was unfavourable but the
assemblage was one of the largest ever witnessed in any church in
the County Derry. The gathering was between three and four thousand
and nearly an equal number was congregated outside the building.
Father Edward Loughrey preached the sermon and his distinct and
powerful voice could be easily heard in every part of the large
edifice. The collection was four hundred pounds. Messrs O'Neill and
Byrne of Belfast were the architects and Mr. G. Tipping of
Castledawson the contractor".
Saint Mary's Lavey 2001 AD
Saint Mary's Lavey 1950s
A brief history of Saint Mary's Chapel Lavey
Building donations list around 1860 1870s
Saint Mary's Lavey 68 Mayogall Road, Magherafelt, Co Derry, BT45 8PG