Holy Trinity Church (Oughaval)

A church erected to a design (1869) by Sir Thomas Newenham Deane (1827-99) of Cork and Dublin (Irish Builder 1872, 1273) widely regarded as a particularly important component of the nineteenth-century ecclesiastical heritage of County Mayo with the architectural value of the composition, one succeeding an eighteenth-century parish church in the grounds of Westport House (see 31212006), confirmed by such attributes as the compact rectilinear plan form opening into a polygonal apse; the rock faced surface finish offset by 'Scotch stone' dressings not only demonstrating good quality workmanship on the part of a 'Mr. William Ridge' (Mayo Examiner 30th September 1872), but also producing a mild polychromatic palette; the "pointed" profile of the openings underpinning a "medieval" Gothic theme with the polygonal apse further defined by 'southern [sic] gables…a feature very often found in continental Churches' (Ballinrobe Chronicle 5th October 1872); and the slender "pencil spire" embellishing the roofline as a picturesque eye-catcher in the landscape. Having been well maintained, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the vaulted interior where a "Rose Window" 'provided by the ladies of [the] parish'; restrained wall monument commemorating generations of the Brownes of Westport House; inlaid murals supplied by Samuel Poole of M.T. Bayne and Company of Westminster including a copy of "The Last Supper" (1495-8) by Leonardo Da Vinci (1752-1519); vibrant stained glass by Alexander Gibbs and Company (established 1857) of London; and mosaic work framing stained glass supplied by Clayton and Bell (formed 1857) of London, all highlight the outstanding artistic potential of a church making an imposing visual statement in Newport Street.