THE original church bell from the former Broadway Presbyterian Church – now Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich – will undergo expert restoration thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Once used to call local parishioners to worship, the bell is currently on display at An Chultúrlann, where Forbairt Feirste is hosting events to mark the 30th anniversary of An Chultúrlann (September 2021) and 130th anniversary of Broadway Presbyterian church (September 2022).
The closure of Broadway Presbyterian Church in 1982 saw the bell donated to the old Belvoir Presbyterian Church, which was destroyed when the IRA bombed the nearby Belvoir Park Forensics Laboratory in 1992.
The 130-year-old church bell will be expertly restored
Belvoir Presbyterian Church has now permanently gifted the bell to Forbairt Feirste, which will restore it to its former glory as part of the 'Ceiliúradh Chaomhnóireachta/Celebrating Custodianship' project.
The celebrations explore the joint heritage of the Irish language and Presbyterian communities on the Falls Road.
With £9,500 in heritage lottery funding, the Forbairt Feirste will also recruit project volunteers, produce exhibition and interpretive banners, and create a new web page dedicated to the project.
There will also be a series of talks held to explore the history and heritage of what is now the Gaeltacht Quarter.
Forbairt Feirste Director, Jake Mac Siacais, expressed his delight that the 130-year-old bell is set to be restored.
"It needs to have a new clapper fitted and a new housing will need to be built so that it can be rung," he said.
"Without the Heritage Lottery fund it wouldn't be possible to do this. We would have had to have raised the money ourselves and that's not likely in the current climate.
"We're delighted that they have recognised the value of bringing this historic artefact back into the Falls, and we're also delighted that the Belvoir Presbyterian community have donated the bell."
