History

Past

	The townland and the parish of Baile-Whillin and the town of Port Rosse were names familiar to the 13th century Normans and it was around this time that the original church was built, about 1 mile south of the town, on the edge of the townland. This situation was convenient for the attendance at worship of the inhabitants of the other surrounding townlands in the parish. By 1800, Portrush was still a small fishing port of no more than 30 houses. The next few decades, however, saw rapid expansion of the town, with the growth of harbour business and the middle classes seeking holiday accommodation and residential homes in the area. With the church at Ballywillan having long shown the signs of wear and tear, it was decided to join the example of other denominations and build a church in the town. Building began in 1839 and the new church was consecrated in 1843. The cost of the original building was £1800, with £1733 of that (96%) being raised from voluntary donations. Meanwhile, the old church fell into disruin, although the ground around and within continued to be used for burials. It can be seen today at the junction of the Magherabuoy and Ballywillan Roads, opposite the new town graveyard.
Although the church had moved into the town, the minister had not. He still resided in a rectory in the Glebe - at the back of the old church you can still see the rusted  turnstile and treelined path leading from the church grounds to the house, now in private hands. But in 1896, the Rev J Pim asked that the Glebe lands be sold and a rectory purchased in town. In 1898 land was purchased in Landsdowne Crescent for this purpose. This rectory in turn was sold in 1954 and the present rectory on the Coleraine Road was purchased. Meanwhile, in Ballywillan Church Hall, adjacent to the old church (and still there - the small green hall on the corner), services were still being held for those who lived out of town. This continued until the 1970s, when the congregation then joined the main church in town. During the restoration carried out on Holy Trinity in 2001, the reredos from Ballywillan Church Hall was located, restored and placed behind the altar rail in the side chapel.
	The generous donations which provided for the building of the church continued after its completion. Around the church are various plaques, some dedicated to the memory of a parishioner, others pointing to features installed by a parishioner or by their family in their memory. The christening font was donated by Rebecca Rice in 1870 and the stained glass window beside the side chapel was dedicated by her family in her memory in 1875. At the eastern end of the south aisle is a stained glass window known as The Light of the World, carrying the inscription "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of Edith Oulton Who Entered Into the Fuller Life, March 15th 1897". At the western end of the south aisle are the three windows seen here on the left, installed in 1903 in memory of Harriet Leck of Rockryan, a house in the Arcadia area, now developed over. Many of the windows,and other features in the church were acquired, or restored, in this way and the practice continues to the present day, with both individuals, their families and various church groups contributing to or helping to maintain the fabric of the church.
The body of the church itself has undergone changes since the 1840s. The chancel was a later addition, added in the 1880s in memory of the Rev. Canon Ffolliot, who died in the vestry after a Sunday service in 1884. The stained glass window above the altar was then dedicated by Col. Eldred Pottinger in 1905. In the 1880s an organ was purchased, although it was not until 1935, when it underwent modernisation, that it was moved to its present site on the south side of the chancel, between the choir and the vestry. The pews themselves used to have doors, which were removed in 1884 to encourage strangers to attend, and,  for similar reasons, in 1936 the named cards of seat holders were abolished. In 1883, the clock was added to the church tower. The latest addition was that of a small lecture room (the present church office) and a choir robing room to the outside of the north transept in 1971 - the choir were robed for the first time in 1967.
	At the time the church was built, the Parochial Rooms were also constructed, although they, like the church, have since been extended. Originally they were built as a residence for the church sexton but they are now used by the Sunday School and by various church groups for meetings and fundraising efforts - book sales, clothes sales, and the addition of a kitchen allows the Mothers' Union to hold coffee mornings to raise much needed funds. The Kelly Memorial Hall has similarly undergone a change of purpose. In 1893 the Earl of Antrim, owner of Dunluce Castle and much of the surrounding countryside, was asked for land to build a new school and in 1895 it was decided to associate Dr Kelly's name with it. It continued to be used as a school until the 1950s but now acts as a church hall for larger group meetings and functions.
In the chancel, underneath the organ pipes and next to the altar rail, lies further evidence of the Earl of Antrim's link to the church. The small brown chair, pictured right, was given to the church on St Patrick's Day, 1902. The small plaque testifies to its being in use in Dunluce Castle in the seventeenth century and that it has now been donated to Holy Trinity, "of which it is always to remain the property". The church itself has also made as well as received donations. In 1941 the church railings and gates were given to aid the war effort - they were replaced at the front of the church in 1955 and at the rear in 1956, thanks to the Mothers' Union.
	Like all old buildings, the church is constantly in need of repair, but in 2001 an extensive and major renovation was carried. The roof was found to need replacing, the central heating system required an overhaul, the walls need to be drylined, the tower had to be repointed and several of the windows required repair. At the time, new lighting was installed and a false ceiling which had been installed in the nave in the 1960s was removed. The church now resembles more closely the original in the 1800s. The work was necessary to prevent the structure from being seriously compromised and required grant aid from the Lottery and the DOE's Heritage Fund. These however provided less than half the money required and the church was obliged to take out a loan, hold fundraisers and set up a building fund with money from people committed to reducing that debt. Once again the church community came together to help protect the focal point of its worship.

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