About
Visitors will be invited into Ebrington Presbyterian Church, a historic building housing a living and on-going congregation.
Derry/Londonderry is an historic City. Its roots are in the 8th Century and from its Christian base the Gospel was taken by monks to Iona, Scotland and then to Lindisfarne in England. The famous siege of Derry in the 17th Century shaped the course of British Constitutional History until today. By the 1830's the City had grown to a population of 12,000 and over the next decades it grew to 24,000. Today Derry/Londonderry is a City with a population of about 100,000.
In the mid-19th Century the City expanded rapidly. Its large shirt industry was growing to be a worldwide supplier.
Exports of pork and other food products from its well positioned harbour brought prosperity to the City. The increase in the business life of the City attracted many people from the County and from Tyrone and Donegal. In addition the local shipyard brought many skilled workers from Scotland and from Belfast.
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland took the opportunity to build new Congregations in the expanding City. One of which was to become Ebrington Presbyterian Church. Under the direction of the Rev. Leslie Rankin the congregation began and the current building was completed in 1897.
The building was designed by architect William Barker and features an expansive interior with beautiful stained glass windows made by Belfast firm Clokey. Presently the building is listed Category B+. Each Sunday at 11:30am the building hosts the regular congregation and visitors for Christian worship. In recent times the service has been made available online, thanks to the installation of modern technology.
During the week a variety of activities take place in the halls behind the main church. These include Children & Youth Activities, Toddler Group, A Craft Class and other gatherings for Christian growth and encouragement.
In 2022 the church was awarded a grant of £3,884 through the Treasure Ireland project from the National Churches Trust. The grant was a great help and supported the on-going maintenance of the iconic structure.
There will be an opportunity to hear a rolling short talk tracing the history of the congregations to its present day. Tea and Coffee will be served to visitors. We looking forward to welcoming visitors to Ebrington Church.
