History of St. Cedma’scaptured on new video

The history of St. Cedma’s Parish Church and graveyard has been captured on a video launched by narrator Patricia Beattie last Thursday evening.
Patricia McKinley Hutchinson with Paul Connolly, producer, Smart Video at the launch of the video about the history  St. Cedma's Church. INLT 49-200-AMPatricia McKinley Hutchinson with Paul Connolly, producer, Smart Video at the launch of the video about the history  St. Cedma's Church. INLT 49-200-AM
Patricia McKinley Hutchinson with Paul Connolly, producer, Smart Video at the launch of the video about the history St. Cedma's Church. INLT 49-200-AM

The video was produced by director Paul Connolly.

It features shots around the grounds, inside the church and around Larne.

In addition, Paul Connolly filmed the church in 3D and this can be accessed on the church’s website (www.larne.connor.anglican.org).

Patricia said: “This will be the first church in Ireland to have such a facility and should promote interest from former parishioners, those wishing to visit Larne and Northern Ireland, as well as being a very useful tool for the church to use.”

Using the backdrop of the church interior Patricia narrates the church history pointing out the many richly coloured stained glass windows, the encaustic tiles of the chancel floor and east wall and the 32 panelled chancel ceiling where signs of saints, Celtic crosses and Christograms are painted in gold leaf on green linen

The church has had a long history with over 1,500 years of continuous worship on the site. It is recorded that there was a Augustinian monastic settlement on the site around 536 AD, followed by a Franciscans one in the 15th century, with a ministry to the sick of the area, and this was followed by the present Norman built church.

Although the thick walls of the church remain, the church interior, under the direction of the architect Samuel P Close, was greatly altered in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by gifts from parishioners and others including the jewel coloured stained glass windows, two of whom were created in the 1920s by the famous Belfast artist Wilhelmina Geddis.

Patricia added: “The history of Larne is encapsulated in this church and graveyard, as the latter was the only burying site for the Larne district until 1870 and so all denominations and none are buried here with even friends sharing the same grave.

“I hope that this video, which lasts for 20 minutes, will be available for young and old to learn about the history of Larne and in particular some of the history of this unique place of worship - 1500 years of worship for all.”

The video can be purchased at a cost of at least £10 from church administrator Anne Shaw, Inver Parish office, email: [email protected] or phone 028 28 274633. Proceeds will be donated to the church hall building fund.