The present church building, located on what was once the old coach road from Belfast to Downpatrick, was built in 1730. The land was generously donated by the Maxwell family, Scottish settlers who lived on the nearby Finnebrogue estate—a grand home built in the 1660s and still lived in today, making it the oldest continually inhabited house in Ulster.

Over the centuries, the Maxwells played a central role in the life of the parish. The first Maxwell in the area, Robert Maxwell, arrived in the early 1600s and became Dean of Armagh. Through marriage and inheritance, the family came to own Finnebrogue and remained active in the church’s development for generations.

The east window of the church is a beautiful piece made by the renowned Franz Mayer of Munich. Inside, you’ll also find a striking red fossil marble (or possibly red limestone) baptismal font and communion table, gifted by Mrs. Jane Maxwell not long after the church was built. A rare and ancient medieval stone plaque, once part of the original church doorway, now hangs at the back of the church and depicts the crucifixion.

The church was extended in 1828, with the tower and spire added later, giving it the character and charm seen today.

A Journey Back to 1609

The story doesn’t start in 1730, though. The original Inch Parish Church was built in 1609, just after the Plantation of Ulster, and stood about 1.5 miles south of the current church, near Inch Abbey. Though the building no longer stands, its foundations and graveyard remain, and are well worth a visit.

This historic graveyard holds many stories. Sir John Melville, a friend of King James I, was buried there in 1628. Two young sisters from the Maxwell family, Hellen and Margaret, were buried there in 1662, a sorrowful year for the family. Their gravestones lie in front of the Maxwell Mausoleum, built in 1860.

Another notable grave belongs to Sir Richard Pim, a descendant of Rev. John Pim (rector around 1870), and a key figure during World War II. He worked alongside Sir Winston Churchill and helped establish the famous War Rooms near Whitehall in London.