About
Ballintoy means 'town of the north' and the Church of Ireland parish church, located a short distance from the town, appropriately enough, is one of the most northerly in the Connor Diocese.
The church as it now stands is a replacement for an older structure and was completed in the year 1813 under the auspices of Revd Robert Trail to a plan drawn by Henry Wynne. In design, it is two bays in length, with a single north transept, the tower being retained from an earlier building. With passing years improvements and embellishments were added to the parish church.
In June of 1857, a new organ was installed by Dublin based firm Telford & Telford, at a cost of £37 met by voluntary subscription.
A very extensive renovation was undertaken in 1883 under the direction of Revd John McNeice. At this time, a new pulpit, pews, flooring, tiling, and heating were added, as well as repairs to the roof and spire. Further repairs needed to be made to the roof following considerable damage caused by a hurricane of December 1894. It is probable that the steeple, which was also damaged in this storm, was not replaced on the church tower at this time. Aside from the regular appendices one might expect to find adorning the walls of a church building, Ballintoy has a sundial affixed to the exterior wall on the west corner. Apparently, it has also been used to record tidal movements and is dated 1817. Given its date, it most probably was an instrument placed there by Revd Robert Trail, whose memory is immortalised in a beautiful stained glass window in the chancel, designed by Watson of Youghal and installed in 1902.
Memorials & Tombstones
There is much of historical and genealogical note contained in headstone and commemorative plaques found within the stone walls which encircle Ballintoy parish church. As to the graveyard itself, it would appear that by the late eighteenth century the existing area around the old church had became inadequate and additional burial ground was donated by Alexander Fullerton of Jamaica, in 1805.
It would appear that the oldest stone in the cemetery belongs to James McKinlay who died in February 1696. Notable landed families whose names appear on gravestones here include Stewarts of Ballintoy, Downing Fullerton and the Stewart-Moore family. Rectors who served in the parish are also found interred here such as Revd Henry Carter, D.D., who died February 1867; and Revd Robert Trail who died June 1842 having given 66 years of his life as incumbent to Ballintoy.
A small number of additional memorials are located within the church building and on its walls. Two of these are situated beneath the Holy Communion table and are amongst the most ancient in the parish: a freestone slab dedicated to Barnarda Stewart who died in 1663, and one to a child Nicholas Stewart who died in 1667, probably her son.
A further interesting stone is attached to the outside of the church tower with full coat of arms in memory of three members of the Stewart family who deaths occurred during the eighteenth century.
Sacred Objects
Amongst the most celebrated treasures held by the parish are the solid silver communion plate and paten, both of which were presented in 1684 by Sara Stewart of Ballintoy Castle. The communion plate or chalice is thought to have been manufactured some time previous to 1638 by Dublin silversmith James Vanderbeg or Vanderbeck, while the provenance of the paten is less clear since it is stamped only with date of presentation to the church.
Of further curiosity is the old church bell which bears the following inscription:
'Archibald Stewart gave me: Charles, his son, re-cast me, anno 1686 and Archibald the son of Charles re-cast and augmented me anno 1718'
The bell no longer calls parishioners to worship but may be still viewed in the church tower.
The church is currently undergoing some restoration work with the tower work already done. ( Information taken from Church website)
