St. Malachy's Church, Belfast

Saint Malachy's Church is a Catholic Church in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is located in Alfred Street, a short distance from Belfast City Hall. The Church is the focal point of the local parish community and Saint Malachy's Parish is one of the 88 parishes in the Diocese of Down and Connor. After Saint Mary's Church in Chapel Lane and Saint Patrick's Church in Donegall Street, Saint Malachy's is the 3rd oldest Catholic Church in the city of Belfast.

On the November 3, 1841, the feast of Saint Malachy, the foundation stone for Saint Malachy's Church was laid. On December 15, 1844, Dr William Crolly, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland dedicated the building. Dr Crolly was a native and former Bishop of the Diocese of Down and Connor. Originally Saint Malachy's was intended to be the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Down and Connor and was to seat 7,000 worshippers but in the time when the Great Famine took hold in Ireland it was decided that the funds would be better spent elsewhere to alleviate the suffering of many. What was intended to be the vast sanctuary of the new Cathedral was remodelled to serve as the local Church. The Church is regarded as one of the finest examples of Tudor Revival churches in Ireland.

The Church, cruciform in shape, was designed by Thomas Jackson of Waterford and it is in the ecclesiastical style of the Tudor period. The original High Altar, Pulpit and Altar Rails were of Irish Oak however they were replaced with marble when the Church was renovated in 1926. All that remains of the original ornaments is the canopy over the pulpit which has been painted white to match the marble of the present altar furnishings. The Sanctuary floor is mosaic, the principal colour being blue. At the foot of the Altar is a pelican, a common Christian symbol of sacrifice. Saint Malachy's is, perhaps, best known for its fan vaulted ceiling which is an imitation of the Henry VII Chapel in Westminster Abbey. There are two Side Altars in the Church, on either side of the Sanctuary. One is dedicated to Saint Joseph, the other to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Church also has statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Saint Francis of Assisi,Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, Saint Philomena, Saint Malachy himself, and Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, known as "The Ragged Saint" by the people of Belfast and throughout Ireland.

The area of the city around Saint Malachy's has been dramatically developed in the last number of years. That, and its age, have led to the deterioration in the condition of the brickwork which has meant that a full scale Restoration Programme began in January 2008 and was completed in 2009. The interior of the Church has also been restored. The ornate stencilling around the Sanctuary, painted over in the 1950s, was restored as were the Altar Rails and the intricate mosaic floor.