Drumcree Church

Drumcree Parish Church
The Church of the Ascension
Drumcree Parish Church
Coordinates: 54°26′25″N 6°27′32″W / 54.4402°N 6.45893°W / 54.4402; -6.45893
Location	Drumcree Road, Portadown
Country	Northern Ireland
Denomination	Church of Ireland
Website	www.drumcree.org
History
Consecrated	28 October 1856
Architecture
Groundbreaking	17 May 1855
Administration
Parish	Drumcree
Clergy
Rector	Rev Gary Galway

Drumcree Parish Church, officially The Church of the Ascension, is the Church of Ireland parish church within the townland of Drumcree, roughly 1.5 miles (2.3 km) to the northeast of Portadown, County Armagh.

In recent times it has become noted for the Orange Order service held annually on the Sunday before 12 July. The service, or more precisely the Orangemen's parade both to and from the service and the reaction of the community on Garvaghy Road, has been the catalyst for sectarian unrest between the Protestant paraders and the Catholic residents of the area for more than 200 years.

The present church was consecrated by the Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore, Robert Bent Knox, on 28 October 1856. Its foundation stone was laid on 17 May 1855, which in that year was Ascension Day. The current rector is the Reverend Gary Galway, previous curate of St. Marks Parish in Portadown. The Church of Ireland parish of Drumcree has borders identical to the Roman Catholic parish of Drumcree.

Drumcree (Irish language: Droim Crí) is the name of the townland in which the church and the surrounding area are located. Its name means "ridge of the boundary", most likely referring to the River Bann. The site has been used for Christian worship since the time of the Celts. The parish of Drumcree was formed in 1110 comprising sixty-six townlands lying to the west of the Bann. Historical records list the first vicar as David Macralagen. He died in 1414. The parish remained a Catholic entity until the Reformation in the mid 16th century.

It is unclear what happened to the church during the time of the Reformation, but a map of 1609 shows the church in ruins within the churchyard. Following the Ulster Plantation in 1610 a new church was built. This was described as "a plain stone building rough cast and whitewashed".