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Groomsport Presbyterian Church

The Presbyterians of Groomsport originally met in a small house on Main Street. The first minister, the Rev Isaac Mack, was ordained and installed on 10th April 1841.

The local landowners, John Waring Maxwell and Lord Dufferin were not willing to help by providing a site for a church. However, a church was built on Main Street, on the site of a house which had been owned by the widow of a Presbyterian minister. It was completed by 1843.

The clock tower was added in 1863 and there were further extensions and refurbishments in the 1970s and 1990s.

Find out more about the Presbyterian Church at:
https://discovergroomsport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Groomsport-Presbyterian-Church-v1b.pdf

Groomsport Presbyterian Church

Groomsport Presbyterian Church 1967

Groomsport Presbyterian Church – interior, 1971

Groomsport Presbyterian Church – reopening and rededication, 1971

Groomsport Presbyterian Church reopening, 1971 – after lunch

Rev Dr David and Mrs Maureen Irwin, 1977

Groomsport Presbyterian Church League of Church Loyalty, 1982

Groomsport Presbyterian Church, Caravan Ministry. 1 of 2

Groomsport Presbyterian Church, Caravan Ministry. 2 of 2

Flower Festival, 1991. 1 of 2

Flower Festival, 1991. 2 of 2

Groomsport Presbyterian Church, 150th anniversary, 1991

Groomsport Presbyterian Church – farewell to the Irwins

Groomsport Presbyterian Church Manse, 1991

The Walter Nelson Hall

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Groomsport Presbyterian Church

The Presbyterian Church was built in the centre of the village in 1843. The Clock tower was added about 20 years later and the church was extended to the rear in the 1970s.

0026 Copyright: Dan Parsons. https://www.parsonsart.co.uk 

Groomsport Presbyterian Church 1967

The Rev Dr David Irwin (minister) is on the right and his predecessor, Rev Walter Nelson (Minister Emeritus) is on the right. The photograph shows the church before it was extended in 1971.

0131 Photograph supplied by Rev Dr David Irwin and Mrs Maureen Irwin

Find out more about Groomsport Presbyterian Church at:
https://discovergroomsport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Groomsport-Presbyterian-Church-v1b.pdf

Groomsport Presbyterian Church – interior, 1971

This photograph is of the extended pulpit and choir area after the church was extended in 1971. On the wall is one of the first crosses displayed in a Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

0136 Photograph supplied by Rev Dr David Irwin and Mrs Maureen Irwin

Groomsport Presbyterian Church – reopening and rededication, 1971

The reopening of the church was undertaken by The Honourable Brain Faulkner, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. In his youth, he and other members of his family were members of the congregation. The Dedication was conducted by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, Principal and Professor, the Right Reverend Dr James Haire.

Pictured left to right are; Mrs Maureen Irwin, Rev Dr David Irwin (Minister of Groomsport), Mrs Margaret Haire, the Moderator, The prime Minister, Mr John Pringle (Clerk of Session), Mrs Mary Faulkner, Mr Topping (Mayor of Bangor) and Mrs Topping. On the extreme right is Mr Jack Tomlinson (Architect).

0137 Photograph supplied by Rev Dr David Irwin and Mrs Maureen Irwin

Groomsport Presbyterian Church reopening, 1971 – after lunch

Pictured after lunch at the Manse on Bangor Road are, from left to right, Mr Faulkner, senior, the Moderator, Right Rev Dr James Haire and Mr Brian Faulkner, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.

0138 Photograph supplied by Rev Dr David Irwin and Mrs Maureen Irwin

Rev Dr David and Mrs Maureen Irwin, 1977

Maureen Irwin opened the Grand Fete that was held on the Holme Field.

0140 Photograph supplied by Rev Dr David Irwin and Mrs Maureen Irwin

Groomsport Presbyterian Church League of Church Loyalty, 1982

0255 Newspaper extract supplied by Perry Moore.

If you have more information about this photo please contact discovergroomsport@gmail.com mentioning the four digit number above.

Groomsport Presbyterian Church, Caravan Ministry. 1 of 2

For several years, each summer, the Rev Dr David Irwin, with a team of visitors, exercised a caravan Visiting Ministry every two weeks to 700 caravaners. They distributed leaflets of welcome and details of special summer activities and service times. This was so successful that the General Assembly inaugurated the Summer Student Assistantship (for those still at college) to serve with seaside parish ministers.

From left to right in this photograph, taken in 1987, are Sammy McCully, Rev Dr David Irwin, Edith Cowan, Maureen Irwin, Chris Looker (intern from Princeton University), Joe Crawford, Anne Buchanan, Pat Crawford, Shirley McIlwaine, Edith McIlwaine and Pat Jamieson.

0152 Photograph supplied by Rev Dr David Irwin and Mrs Maureen Irwin

Groomsport Presbyterian Church, Caravan Ministry. 2 of 2

In 1983 the Moderator of the General Assembly, Rt Rev Dr Tom Simpson and his wife, Shirley visited the Caravan Ministry. Also in the photograph are Rev Dr David Irwin, Dr Betty Foreman (Clerk of Session) and, on the right, student assistant, Ms Helen Watson, later minister in Millisle.

0153 Photograph supplied by Rev Dr David Irwin and Mrs Maureen Irwin

Flower Festival, 1991. 1 of 2

Flower festivals were held at the Presbyterian Church on several years. The theme of the festival in 1991 was “Majesty”.

0148 Photograph supplied by Rev Dr David Irwin and Mrs Maureen Irwin

Flower Festival, 1991. 2 of 2

Enjoying the floral arrangements in 1991 were Mrs Maureen Irwin, Rev Dr David Irwin, Mr Peter Brooke, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Mrs Lindsay Brooke.

0149 Photograph supplied by Rev Dr David Irwin and Mrs Maureen Irwin

Groomsport Presbyterian Church, 150th anniversary, 1991

Mrs Maureen Irwin presented a silver salver to mark the anniversary to Mr Peter Brooke, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Also included are, from left to right, Dr Betty Foreman (Clerk of Session), Mrs Lindsay Brooke and Rev dr David Irwin.

0150 Photograph supplied by Rev Dr David Irwin and Mrs Maureen Irwin

Groomsport Presbyterian Church – farewell to the Irwins

Rev Dr David and Mrs Maureen Irwin are pictured on their last day in Groomsport. David Irwin was minister in Groomsport from 31st May 1966 to 29th September 1991. During that time, the congregation increased fron 200 to 700 and the church was extended three times. The Irwins left the village in response to a “call” from McCracken Memorial in Belfast.

0161 Photograph supplied by Rev Dr David Irwin and Mrs Maureen Irwin

Groomsport Presbyterian Church Manse, 1991

Groomsport Manse was built in 1881 on the Bangor Road, on the outskirts of the village. It cost £747 to build. It was the home of the ministers of the church from then until until the early 21st century.

0160 Photograph supplied by Rev Dr David Irwin and Mrs Maureen Irwin

The Walter Nelson Hall

When the second National School (1895 to 1962) was replaced by the Primary School on Springwell Drive the building became the Presbyterian Church’s hall and was named after the Rev Walter Nelson. Although it has been extended several times, the original rectangular school building is at the heart of the hall.

Find out more about the Walter Nelson Hall and the National Schools at: https://discovergroomsport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/National-Schools-v1a.pdf

0021 Copyright: Dan Parsons. https://www.parsonsart.co.uk