About
Drumtullagh church was built with dressed black basalt in 1840/1841 to a design by famous architect Charles Lanyon and features original Art Deco-style stained glass windows. Originally a "chapel-of-ease", it was a basic rectangular building constructed to provide a more convenient place of worship for locals who otherwise had to travel by foot to more distant Church of Ireland churches such as those in Armoy or Ballintoy. in later years a chancel, vestry room and baptistry were added, all with the same black basalt construction. The church is situated on a prominent hillside (the name Drumtullagh means "a ridge rising above others") and on a fine day views can be observed of five of the nine counties of Ulster.
The old name for the church is Croshan, which means "little cross", so at one stage there was an ancient Celtic stone cross located in the area, probably just at the cross roads a few yards east of the church. A few hundred yards away to the east, is the site of the old church of Kilmoyle, meaning "the bald church" or church without a spire or tower, probably a basic thatched-roof building. The graveyard surrounding this ancient church can still be discerned, although there are no headstones or other markers.
Before it became a parish in its own right in 1875, Drumtullagh Parish Church was known as the Grange of Drumtullagh, a grange being the lands associated with a local monastery. This ancient monastic establishment, of which no trace now remains, was located on what is now known as Manister ("monastery") Lane, a few hundred yards from the present church, and close to the village of Mosside. So Drumtullagh church is the successor to many of the ancient religious establishments in the area. In the past, when life in rural Ireland was difficult and poverty was a common affliction, many of the residents of this simple country parish emigrated to Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand, and the extensive parish records of births, marriages and deaths are frequently used by their descendants today, researching their family trees. Currently, Drumtullagh Sunday services take place at 9.45am with most of the congregation of some 65 families having deep roots in the area. The present church is part of the combined parishes of Armoy, Drumtullagh and Loughguile and the Rector, Canon Christopher Easton, is based in the joint Rectory in Armoy.
In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in consulting old parish records by both locals and visitors in exploring their family trees, so this exhibition on European Heritage Open Days 2024 is intended to attract a wider range of visitors who are interested in the social history of, and their family links with, the area. Some information in parish registers can be supported by details on the various headstones in the adjoining graveyard. Of particular interest is the family burial plot of the Leslie family of Leslie Hill in Ballymoney; back in 1839 the then Colonel Leslie granted the land on which the present church and graveyard are located. While most of the headstones in Drumtullagh graveyard face east, towards the rising sun and its symbol of resurrection, the Leslie gravestones all face west, looking towards the family seat just outside Ballymoney. A wide range of historical records will be on display, including photographs, entries in birth, marriages and deaths registers, old maps, village lists. church vestry lists, ordnance survey reports from the 1830s, along with books and other literature pertaining to the parish. Also of interest to some will be the memorial plaques to those who served in and lost their lives in World War 1 and World War 2.
A member of the parish will be available to assist visitors with any queries they have or research they may be undertaking.
