BALLYJAMESDUFF, Market St, Wesleyan Methodist

Samuel Lewis wrote in 1837 that there were two 'Wesleyan Methodists' meeting houses in the town and the 1835 Ordnance Survey maps shows both. John Wesley (1703 - 1791), the founder of the modern Methodist Movement, is said to have visited Ballyjamesduff. According to the owner, this church was never in use due to a local disagreement and has always served as an outbuilding for the nearby McBride's public house. Although in poor condition the former Methodist meeting house retains some interesting architectural details such as the stone-dressed pointed arch openings and remains of timber sashes. The church is a reminder of the religious diversity of the town in the nineteenth-century and makes a valuable contribution to the historic character of the town.

[ National Inventory of Architectural Heritage ]