The Library was pleased to host a book launch of St Mark’s Church, Portadown 1826 – 2026, to celebrate the two hundredth anniversary of St Mark’s Parish Church, Portadown. The Library’s Keeper, the Very Revd Shane Forster, welcomed everyone to the event, which included parish members.
Viscount Mandeville gifted land to have a church built and £1,000 for that purpose in Portadown. The Parish Minutes of 1826 records the first Easter Vestry taking place on 29 March 1826, and later that year the Church was consecrated on 14 November 1826. The new book, St Mark’s Church, Portadown 1826 – 2026 details the history of the church to coincide with the special anniversary.
The Rector, Revd William Orr, reflects in the book’s foreword,
As we celebrate 200 years of the life and witness of St Mark’s Church, we do so as a community of faith, stretching all the way back to 1826, when the Rector and Select Vestry of Drumcree Church of Ireland had the vision to plant a new congregation right in the middle of Portadown. Since then, St Mark’s has been writing its own history with literally thousands of individual stories, and as they say, if these walls could talk, what a story and what history they could share!
Copies of the book were presented at the launch to representatives of three libraries, Portadown Library, the Cultural Heritage Service Library and the host library, Armagh Robinson Library.
The book will be available for sale at £15.00 by contacting the Parish Office, telephone 028 38362294 or by e-mail info@stmarksportadown.org
Members of St Mark’s Parish, Portadown who attended the book launch in Armagh Robinson Library.
Image credit: Ian Maginess
The committee members who compiled the history to celebrate the bi-centenary of St Mark’s Parish, Portadown. They are seated from left, Mrs Celine Coughlin, Mrs Patricia McGuinness and Mrs Alison Edwards and standing from left, Mr Gordon Speers, the Revd William Orr and Mr Tom Madill.
Image credit: Ian Maginess
Library representatives were presented with copies at the book launch. From left: Catherine Gartland (Portadown Library and the Cultural Heritage Service Library), the Very Revd Shane Forster (Keeper of Armagh Robinson Library), the Revd Canon Bill Adair (Governor and Guardian of Armagh Robinson Library and Rector of St Columba’s Parish, Portadown), the Revd William Orr (Rector of St Mark’s Parish, Portadown) and Carol Conlin (Assistant Keeper of Armagh Robinson Library).
Image credit: Ian Maginess