– the place where settlement first took root and which even gave the city its name. Over 700 years ago, a small chapel known as the
Chapel of the Ford stood here for pilgrims waiting to cross the River Farset’s sandy ford (in Irish Béal Feirste, “mouth of the sand-bank ford”).
By 1613, when Belfast received its royal charter, this humble chapel had become the town’s first parish church, known as the Corporation Church. In 1690, King William of Orange
paused here en route to the Battle of the Boyne, and a famous sermon – “Arise Great King” – was preached in his presence within these walls.
Through centuries of change, war, and growth, a church on this spot has continually ministered to Belfast’s people.
The architecture is a fine example of Neoclassical Georgian style with a simple nave-and-chancel layout built from honey-colored Scrabo sandstone. Its most striking exterior feature is the grand Corinthian portico at the front entrance – a four-pillared classical porch that has its own remarkable story.
This portico was originally crafted in 1788 for a nobleman’s mansion (the Earl of Bristol’s Ballyscullion House) and later purchased and transported to Belfast by barge via the Lagan Canal, making it the first barge cargo to arrive in the city.
Today, the portico’s elegant columns (adorned with the coats of arms of Belfast and the Diocese) form a distinctive landmark on High Street.
Inside, the church features a three-sided gallery and an ornate wooden chancel screen, creating an atmosphere of both grandeur and intimacy. With seating for over 500 worshippers, St George’s has been a spacious and graceful house of God for generations.
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