History

Clogherney has a long history going back for almost 300 years. Although there were Presbyterians in the area as early as 1640 they did not have a permanent meeting house until 1720. During the interim they probably worshipped in a meeting house at Crevenagh, Omagh, erected about 1676, or they met in barns or in the open air, when they would have had occasional visits from a local minister.

In those days our forebears were known as the Presbyterians of Termon McGurk, that being the name of the old historic parish in which they resided. They continued to be known as such for another 50 years.

In 1720 the Synod of Ulster eventually allowed the request of the local Presbyterians to become a separate congregation on condition they build their own meeting house. This they did and in July 1721 Rev Joseph Hemphill was installed as the first minister.

The first church building was erected in the townland of Laragh in a field now owned by the Cathers family. It was a very primitive building, long and narrow with a thatched roof and a floor of clay or stone. It served its purpose but over time it became both defective and inadequate.

In 1776 the local landlord Armar Lowry Corry granted two roods of land in the townland of Dervaghroy as a site for the church and graveyard. The land was mapped by James Fenton of Raw, a member of the congregation. By 1780 a new church was erected in what is now the graveyard. It was a large building, T shaped in design and originally had a thatched roof. In this building large crowds gathered during the 1859 Revival.

In 1897 Rev Thomas Martin was ordained and installed and it soon became apparent that the church building was in a poor state of repair. A decison was taken to erect a new church on the present site, donated by Andrew Clements of Dervaghroy. Mr Martin gave outstanding leadership, devoting himself with energy and enthusiasm, including three journeys to the USA to raise funds. Sadly Mr Martin, ‘a pastor greatly beloved by his people’, died in 1904 aged 29 years.

Ministerial Record

Rev Joseph Hemphill                                              1721-1747

Rev Joseph Scott                                                   1752-1780

Rev James Kerr                                                     1781-1823

Rev Archibald Armstrong                                        1823-1849

Rev Joseph McCaskie                                            1850-1864

Rev Samuel Cochrane                                            1865-1891

Rev Thomas Alexander Smyth                                1891-1897

Rev Thomas Martin                                                1897-1904

Rev James Morrow Patterson                                 1905-1926

Rev Adam Alexander Kirkpatrick                             1926-1932

Rev William Herbert Martin                                     1933-1940

Rev William George McKinney                                1941-1967

Rev Henry Gray                                                     1968-1973

Rev Henry  John Clarke                                          1974-1986

Rev Stephen Thomas Atkinson                               1988-1992

Rev Norman Scott Harrison                                    1994-2001

Rev Dr John William Lockington                              2003-2009