Trinity Presbyterian Church in Cork City, Ireland, traces its origins to the early 19th century, when an influx of Scottish Presbyterian immigrants arrived in Cork and sought a congregation that upheld orthodox Trinitarian doctrine. The congregation began meeting in 1831 in temporary locations before raising funds to build their first church in Queen Street (now Fr. Matthew Street) in 1840. As the congregation grew, a larger building was constructed and opened in 1861 on Summerhill North, designed by the English architect Colin Tarring, known for several notable non-conformist churches in the UK. The church is distinguished by its Gothic Revival style, lack of interior pillars for full visibility of the pulpit, and three stained glass windows representing the Holy Trinity, reflecting its theological foundations. Over the years, it has remained an active worshiping community within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and is affectionately known for its slightly crooked steeple, which has become a local landmark

Our Values

The values which underpin the life and worship of Trinity Presbyterian Church are drawn from Scripture itself, thereafter, the teachings of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). We emphasize the supremacy of Scripture as the ultimate authority in all matters of faith and practice; the sovereignty of God over all creation, salvation, and the Church, fostering a deep sense of reverence and dependence on Him. We also hold fast to the necessity of Salvation being achieved through grace alone, faith alone, in Christ alone. With Christ as our King and Head, our congregation is grounded in humility and gratitude. Additionally, we promote the values of covenant community, where believers live in mutual love, discipline, and accountability, and the faithful observance of the sacraments as means of grace. Together, these values cultivate a church committed to worshiping God rightly, living holy lives, and engaging the world with godly wisdom and love.

Our Vision

Here at Trinity Presbyterian Church, it is our vision to faithfully uphold the teachings of Scripture, the authority of the Bible, and the centrality of Christ’s redemptive work. We seek to glorify God through worship, the faithful preaching of the Word, the administration of the sacraments, and the nurturing of a covenant community marked by holiness, discipleship, and mutual care. We are commitment to living out a biblical theology that influences all areas of life, calling believers to serve Christ in both the Church and society with integrity and faithfulness.

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Our History

By the early 1830’s some of these new immigrants, together with some of people in the Presbyterian church in Cork who didn’t like what they were being thought, had the idea to start their own congregation. On the first of December 1831, three ministers came from Dublin and met to worship with these folk in what is now the Freemasons building on Tuckey St. Later they met in what is now the YMCA on Marlboro St, eventually the work grew and they raised enough money to build a church and one was erected in 1840 in Queen St. (Now Fr. Matthew St.) 

This congregation also grew in number and by the late 1850’s it was evident they would need a bigger building.  From these plans our current meeting house on Summerhill North was eventually opened in 1861.

For reasons we are not sure of, possibly due to continued growth possibly due to friction in the congregation the previous building in Queen St  was re-opened the following year and continued as a separate congregation in its own right until the 1920’s. 

In Cork we are known as the church with the crooked steeple.  Why is it so? One suggestion is that the builders considered they were not paid enough and so built it this way deliberately and it was not discovered until after all the scaffolding was removed, however the reports we have about the church suggest nothing but thanks for the workers and indeed pictures of the church some 40 years after it suggest there was no lean in the steeple at that stage.  Recently repairs were done to the stonework on the outside and architects who looked at the spire suggested it was a simple case of ware on one side. Another specialised contractor has suggested, whilst tendering for some work on the building, that in their experience the most likely option is that the steeple was struck by lightening. 

In 1863 the Carmichael School for boys was opened at the bottom of Summerhill North. It was later merged with a girls’ school and Lecture Hall (1874) as the Summerhill National School which closed in 1968.

In 1904 the organ was installed by the Cork organ builders Magahy.  This is an unusual design, being split on either side of the stained glass window at the rear of the church.

The following are all the ministers our congregation has had

1. Henry Wallace                  1834-37               
2. Edward M. Dill                  1838-46
3. William Magill                   1847-84               
4. Samuel Wilson                  1885-89               
5. John H Murphy                 1890-23
6. Gordon Erskine                 1924-30               
7. Andrew Gibson                 1930-50               
8. Alec Cromie                       1950-55
9. Thomas Blakely                 1956-73
10. Brian Graeme-Cook        1973-87
11. John Faris                           1988-17
12. Richie Cronin                  2018-

click here to see in detail What we believe…