Ballycairn Presbyterian Church celebrates 100th anniversary

The commemoration event at the Ballylesson Road church will take place from 10am until 4pm and will include displays, photographs, stories and memorabilia.

There will also be refreshments available and everyone will be made very welcome to mark this momentous occasion in the church’s long history.

During the ministry of the Rev Samuel James Clarke, the present Ballycairn Church was built and opened for worship in 1926.

Mr Clarke was succeeded by the Rev W J Latimer. In 1949 the Rev Marshall McCreery, a former missionary in Manchuria was installed and during his ministry the new church hall was opened in 1969.

The Rev Victor Sinclair was installed in April 1975 and during his ministry the new extension comprising the choir and minister’s rooms was added. Mr Sinclair preached the final sermon of his ministry in Ballycairn on April 1, 2007 and the convenor of the vacancy is the Rev Robert Love, minister of Taughmonagh Presbyterian Church.

Ballycairn is notable for electing the first woman elder in Ireland: Mrs Mary Montgomery, a daughter-in-law of the founding minister of Ballycairn, was ordained on December 5, 1929 and served the church faithfully for many years.

Later additions to the church included the construction of a church hall (named the ‘Montgomery Hall’) in 1969 and the addition of the western extension c. 1975 which added a choir and minister’s rooms.

Find out more about the history of the church at the anniversary event on Saturday April 25.