Wonderful News For Belfast.

One of Belfast's most iconic buildings, a building that I have admired, a building  that I have moaned about for years, (due to it's condition), has been given a £400,000 lifeline, three long decades after it's congregation left.

Carlisle Memorial Methodist Church stands on the edge of inner city Belfast, it stands at what is called an interface area, the building is cathedral like in proportions, and it's design is pure Gothic Revival. It is a wonderful addition to the ecclesiastical skyline of the city, with it's domineering spire, it's Gothic arches, and glorious scared architecture.

The Church, built from 1868 to 1875, was designed by the architect William Henry Lynn, (Lynn is responsible for the design of many of the prominent buildings of Belfast, one of his last designs was for the baptistry of St Anne's Cathedral, circa 1915), and was once home to a thriving Methodist congregation. Due to the change in demographics of the area, throughout that time in Belfast's history known as "The Troubles", the congregation fell into decline and since 1982 the building has not been used as a place of worship.

Alex Attwood MLA has quite rightly called the building, "A jewel in our historical crown", and it's preservation fills me with much joy, I hope that the building will be used for something good in that area, for it is a troubled area, and has a bloody history, despite it's religious associations, the building is now perceived as neutral territory in a deeply polarised area and holds symbolic potential for North Belfast.