Hollymount Church Spire

The Protestant church in Hollymount, located in Hollymount Demesne, was originally built in 1716 but was rebuilt in 1816 by a grant from the Board of First Fruits and by voluntary subscriptions. Officially titled ‘The Church of St Charles the Martyr’ it was named in honour of King Charles I who was executed by Oliver Cromwell in 1649. The eye-catching octagonal spire is a familiar part of the parish landscape but its uniqueness and significance is perhaps less well known.

The spire is made from pre-fabricated cast-iron panels and is only of only three examples worldwide; the others being Riddarholm Church in Stockholm (burial church of the Swedish monarchs) and Rouen Cathedral in France. Even more remarkable is that Hollymount was the first example in 1816.

Funding to restore the spire was approved as part of the Heritage Council Grant Scheme in 2014. Restoration work has been ongoing in phases since then. The main focus of the restoration has been the top two levels of the spire, which were in a bad state of repair. The age, height, weight and state of the cast-iron panels means that that work is very intricate and requires specialist skills and attention.

While the scaffolding is still in place and work is ongoing, the Council have asked that people do not enter the site. We can, in the meantime, admire from afar and be comforted in the knowledge that this piece of our heritage and the parish is being preserved for generations to come.