St. John's Church of Ireland

This parish was formed in 1722 out of Magheralin parish

The church was built 1725 by Arthur Hill & Sir John Rawdon when Rev. Hugh Hill was rector. Adam Stothard & Nathaniel Trueman were the churchwardens.A copy of the Indenture of 1725 is available. It was described in 1836 as a plain, whinstone, rectangular building corniced with cutstone and a doorway ornamented with cutstone. It has a tower with a low, shingled spire and held 400 people with an average attendance in 1836 of 250. The inside was plain with rectangular windows, occupies an acre of land and stands on a hill.

The rector in 1910 was Rev. W.E. Hurst.

records available are some from 1725 then baptism 1784- 1860, marriages 1784- 1845, burials 1784- 1856, graveyard nearby, PRONI has some records after 1830; gravestone inscriptions UHF Vol 18, oldest stone 1742; email me for a gravestone look-up

Moira Presbyterian Church
east side of town, in Carnalbanagh East townland

A church was built in 1680 but with falling numbers they joined with the Seceders & built another meeting house in 1730 & rebuilt again in 1738. In 1748 they joined with the Seceeders again but later split into Subscribers & Non Subscribers groups. Rev. James Hume was minister until his death in 1782. A new church was built beside the first church in 1829 with both groups (see below) worshipping side by side. It was rebuilt 1829 at a cost of £550. In 1836 it was described as a stone building corniced with granite & capable of holding 400 people, with an average attendance then of 200. The salary of the minister in 1836, Rev William Moffat, was £50 (Irish) & £40 (British) per year. The minister in 1910 was Rev. R.G. McFarland & the sexton was John Weir. .

Baptismal records from 1866,marriage records from 1845; no old burial register; graveyard nearby, gravestone inscriptions UHF Vol 18; oldest stone 1856, burials before this were in the parish graveyard; email me for a gravestone look-up

Moira Non Subscribing Presbyterian Church
in Carnalbanagh East townland, just SE of Moira
sometimes called Unitarian

The congregation was formed in 1693 with the Presbyterians (above). This church was built in 1738 on the site of old Presbyterian church .It is capable of holding 300 people. Rev. John Mulligan was the minister 1803- 1836 then his son, Rev. James Mulligan 1836- 1869. The minister in 1910 was Rev. William Wetherall.

graveyard nearby, gravestone inscriptions UHF Vol 18, oldest stone 1819; email me for a gravestone look-up

The photo was kindly sent to me by Sandra Gilpin.

Moira Methodist Church

in the town

In 1836 this church was described as a neat, stone building which held 300 people and had an average attendance of 150. The minister in 1910 was Rev. John Cullen.

records from 1827; no graveyard

St. Colmans' Catholic Church, Kilwarlin
on the main road between Hillsborough and Moira

The old church was burnt by Royalists in 1742. Mass was then held under a tree. A church was built at StoneyBatter in 1812 by Rev. Jennings, at a cost of £1,000 which was raised by subscription.The Marquis of Downshire gave a grant of the land & laid the first stone for a new building. It was a neat, stone, roughcast, whitewashed building with a painting of a crucifix over the altar; the floor was partly boarded and partly mud.
Rev. Daniel Murphy built the new church in 1839. It was described as a plain, whinstone building, whitewashed & in the shape of a T. It was capable of holding 300 people with an average attendance of 250. The inside was very plain, not ceiled, thatched roof, no seats but forms to sit on.The outside was decorated with 4 small minarets.

List of parish priests; Rev. Jennings 1809-1817; Rev. Peter Devlin 1817- 1838; Rev. Daniel Murphy 1838-1843; Rev. Bernard Maginn 1842-43; Rev. Bernard Moony 1843-47; Rev. Patrick MacKay 1847-1864; Rev. Bernard Troy 1864- 1870; Rev. James Lowry 1871- 1874; Rev. John McGrath 1874- 1887; Rev. John Quail 1887-1912; Rev. Hugh McAvoy 1912- 1923; Rev. Eugene McPolin 1923- 1941; Rev. Daniel Pollin 1941- 1972; Rev. Thomas Mooney 1972- 1987; Rev. John Treanor 1963- 1998;Rev. Albert McGovern 1978 (curate)-1998; Rev. Arthur McNeill 1998-2002; Rev. Michael Maginn 2002-

baptisms from 1812; graveyard attached , gravestones UHF Vol 18, oldest stone 1824; email me for a gravestone look-up; the graveyard surrounding the chapel is enclosed with a quickset fence and the entrance is from the road by an iron gate