The Former Holy Rosary Church, located at 348–350 Ormeau Road, is a Grade B1 listed Gothic Revival building designed by architect J.J. O’Shea and constructed in 1898.
The church ceased religious function in 1980 following the relocation of the congregation to the nearby Good Shepherd Church. Over the past four decades, the property has experienced significant structural and material deterioration, with the sandstone facade exhibiting extensive signs of disintegration.
In December 2017, a full planning application (LA04/2018/0059/F) was submitted by Fratelli (Ormeau Road) Ltd, part of the Galgorm Collection (owners and operators of Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort), and was subsequently approved by Belfast City Council in November 2019.
The approved scheme allows for partial demolition, sympathetic extensions, and the conversion of the listed church to a licensed restaurant and the former parochial house to an 18-bedroom boutique hotel. A glazed link extension is proposed between the two buildings.
In November 2024, a certificate of lawful development was issued shortly before the five-year planning expiry deadline, confirming that the planning permission remains extant, according to The Irish News.
Address: 348-350 Ormeau Road
Exterior view from the Ormeau Road
Date: September 2024
Image: NI Planner
3D visualisation, viewed from Ormeau Road.
Image: KnoxClayton Architects
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