St. Peter's Catholic Church

This striking large-scale modern Catholic church was built to designs by the eminent architect Liam McCormick (1916-96), of the practice Corr & McCormick, who is considered the father of modern Irish church architecture. St. Peter’s marries the combination of traditional church layout with a modern, contemporary style. The clean, elegant lines contrast against the large screen-like stained glass windows. This building was the earliest of the seven churches built to designs by McCormick in County Donegal. Its designs shares many similarities to McCormick’s St. Patrick’s Church at Murlog\Ballindrait, built 1960-4, with the separate bell tower, shallow pitched roofs, mildly canted corners, and large screen-like windows lighting the interior. This church at Milford also has much in common stylistically with McCormick’s earlier St. Mary’s Church, Derry (1954-1959), although this is not as ambitious as St. Peter’s, which is built on a traditional plan found at many earlier Irish Catholic churches but employing barely a single line\wall at ninety degrees, and having a more complex roof. It may lack the instant appeal and architectural maturity of McCormick’s better-known church of St. Aengus, at Burt (1964-7), Inishowen, and at his later churches at St. Michael’s, Creeslough (1970-1), and at St. Conal’s, Glenties (1974-5). However, St. Peter’s is nonetheless of considerable architectural merit, and is an important building of its type and date. It also marks an important point in McCormick’s theories of liturgical arrangements with an informality of interior arrangement of altar\sanctuary and seating that anticipates the changes brought about in church designs by the Second Vatican Council (1962-5). The soaring detached bell tower with three graded bells and cross finial over is an impressive feature and a local landmark that marks the south end of Main Street, Milford. This church demonstrates the contemporary architectural thinking on churches at the time (particularly in Europe, Swiss church architecture in particular) with simplicity of materials, use of new building technologies, minimal architectural decoration, use of natural light, and the use of modern art produced by individual artists as opposed to mass-produced copies of religious images. This helps create an impressive and striking modern edifice with a simple interior that is conducive to spiritual contemplation. Although built to the traditional plan of many Catholic churches, it features many modern designs features such as mildly canted corners, shallow pitched metal-clad roof, and tall full-height windows, and a plan that resembles a number of interconnecting hexagonal forms. The decoration to the exterior is limited to a striking bronze statue of St. Peter over the main doorway to the south-west corner and the distinctive crowing cock weathervane over the sacristy, both the work of Oisín Kelly. Like all of McCormick’s church architecture, St. Peter’s can be seen as a collaborative work with various Irish artists. The spacious contemplative interior is notable for the fine screen-like panels of stained glass windows to the south side of the nave that flood the interior with coloured light; these contain central panels with depictions of Irish saints, including St. Brendan, St. Patrick, St. Eunan, St. Brigid, St. Malachy, St. Garvan, St. Columbkille, and St. Comgall (the work of Patrick Pye, Patrick Pollen, Phyllis Burke and Imogen Stuart). The fine monolithic altar with a carved fish (the symbol of Christ) is the work of Ian Stuart, who also designed the tabernacle and altar candlesticks, and the font to the entrance porch. The font to the east end of the church is by Ian Stuart with the enamelled bird motif the work of Patrick McElroy. This was moved to its current location close to the altar from the west end of the church. The Stations of the Cross to the north wall are the work of Imogen Stuart. The reredos tapestry behind the altar is the work of Collin Middleton. The finely-carved timber panelled doors to the main entrance are the work of Imogen Stuart. This church replaced an earlier Catholic church in the area, which was located some distance from the town. The main contractor involved in the construction of St. Peter’s church was a J. McMemamin of Stranorlar. This church received a commendation from the RIAI in their Triennial Awards for 1961-3. The large modern extension to the north with prayer chapel and ancillary accommodation largely blends in seamlessly with the original composition, and is largely screened from view to the hidden north side of the composition. This was added in 1992 to designs by Tom Mullarkey of McCormick Tracey Mullarkey Architects (partnership formed in 1979). This modern addition to the north is carefully incorporated in the interior of the original church with timber doors carved with depictions of St. Brigid cross, St. Peter’s keys, animals and plant motifs, all the work of Imogen Stuart who worked on the original composition. The prominent elevated site to the south end of Milford was selected by McCormick after another site was initially proposed by the parish priest, Canon Boyle. McCormick felt that the church should form a focal point for the town, which it achieves in the landscape just to the south end of the town centre. This building forms part of an important collection of churches built to designs by Liam McCormick in Donegal, and is an important element of the built heritage of the county.