History

First and foremost we are followers of Jesus Christ. As a family who share that common faith, we try to follow and serve Christ individually and together within our local community.

We are a parish of the Church of Ireland, in the diocese of Connor, within the Anglican Communion. As such, to ensure the safety and well-being of all members of organisations within the parish, we adhere to Safeguarding Trust: the Church of Ireland Code of Good Practice.

The parish of Rathcoole is north of Belfast, situated off the Shore Road close to Belfast Lough, in the Rathcoole housing estate. The parish is unique in being the first parish in the Church of Ireland to be planned entirely within the confines of a modern housing estate.

Before St. Comgall’s Church was built, services were first held in the Assembly Hall of Abbot’s Cross Primary School, the first service being held on 4th September 1955. The building of St. Comgall’s Church commenced in January 1956 and the church was consecrated on 1st December 1956 by the then Bishop of Connor, the Rt. Rev. R.C.H. Elliott.

The church building is dedicated to St. Comgall, who was born in nearby Magheramourne. Due to its unusual architectural design it is a grade 2 listed building, the church hall being on the ground floor and the church on the 1st floor.

The stained glass windows in the church came from the ‘Chapel of the Resurrection’ which stood in the grounds of Belfast Castle. It originally was the private Chapel of the Shaftesbury Family who lived at Belfast Castle. The Chapel (which had three stained glass windows) was forced to close in the early 1970’s due to increasing vandalism and the Rector and Select Vestry of St. Peter’s very kindly agreed to let St. Comgall’s have the still intact glass.

The extension to the front of St. Comgall’s was completed in 1994, providing lift facilities for improved access. The dedication and re-hallowing of St. Comgall’s by the then Bishop of Connor, The Right Rev. Dr. Samuel Poyntz, took place on Wednesday 4th May 1994.