William Henry Dunlevy McCormick (24 October 1916,

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. Th ...

– 28 August 1996) was one of the founders of the modern Irish architectural movement and one of the most important church architects in

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label=Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...

. He was responsible for designing twenty-seven ecclesiastical buildings and numerous commercial and state buildings, including the iconic

Met Éireann Met Éireann (; meaning " Met of Ireland") is the state meteorological service of Ireland, part of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. History The history of modern meteorology in Ireland dates back to 8 October 1860, w ...

building in

Glasnevin Glasnevin (, also known as ''Glas Naedhe'', meaning "stream of O'Naeidhe" after a local stream and an ancient chieftain) is a neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the River Tolka. While primarily residential, Glasnevin is also home t ...

, Dublin. McCormick was an accomplished sailor and member of the Irish Cruising Club, for which he served as flag officer.

Life

McCormick was educated at

St Columb's College St Columb's College ( ga, Coláiste Naomh Colum Cille) is a Roman Catholic boys' grammar school in Derry, Northern Ireland and, since 2008, a specialist school in mathematics. It is named after Saint Columba, the missionary monk from County Do ...

, Derry, but later studied architecture in Liverpool (where he graduated in 1943). On his return to Northern Ireland he began working for the Derry Corporation and later for Ballymena Urban District Council. Whilst living in Derry, McCormick contracted

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in w ...

and was sent to convalesce in Greencastle in

Inishowen Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland. The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ringf ...

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...

. In 1947, whilst convalescing, together with Frank Corr, McCormick successfully won a competition to design a new church for

Ennistymon Ennistymon or Ennistimon () is a country market town in County Clare, near the west coast of Ireland. The River Inagh, with its small rapids known as the Cascades, runs through the town, behind the main street. A bridge across the river leads ...

County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,817 ...

Career

In 1948, McCormick and Frank Corr formed an architectural studio called Corr and McCormick. The studio continued to exist until 1968, when McCormick then formed McCormick Tracey Mullarkey. McCormick continued to design churches until his retirement in 1982, after which he completed a number of private commissions, including the house near Greencastle of his close friend and Derry politician

John Hume John Hume (18 January 19373 August 2020) was an Irish nationalist politician from Northern Ireland, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the recent political history of Ireland, as one of the architects of the Northern Irela ...

. During the 1970s, McCormick's architectural studio offices were firebombed, leading to the total destruction of his professional records.

Awards

In 1999 McCormick's St Aengus' Church,

Burt, County Donegal Burt () is a parish in County Donegal, Ireland, on the main road between Letterkenny and Derry. Location At the base of the Inishowen Peninsula, Burt is part the parish of Fahan. The ancient Grianán of Aileach stone fort dates to 1700BC. On ...

was voted Ireland's "Building of the 20th century" in a readers' poll organised by the

Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland ( ga, Institiúid Ríoga Ailtirí na hÉireann) founded in 1839, is the "competent authority for architects and professional body for Architecture in the Republic of Ireland." The RIAI's purpose ...

and the Sunday Tribune, which featured windows from a stained glass artist he commissioned for 11 of his buildings,

Helen Moloney Helen Moloney (2 January 1926 – 6 March 2011) was an Irish stained glass artist, known for her work with architect Liam McCormick in the churches he designed throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Early life and family Helen Moloney was born in Hen ...

. Additionally McCormick was awarded the

RIAI Triennial Gold Medal The RIAI Triennial Gold Medal has been awarded since 1934 to the best building completed in the preceding three years by a member of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland. Recipients {, class="wikitable" ! Years ! Building ! Architec ...

Legacy

McCormick was one of the founding members of the

North West Architectural Association North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''no ...

. He was also a member of the

Ulster Architectural Heritage Society Ulster Architectural Heritage Society was founded "to promote appreciation and enjoyment of good architecture of all periods and encourage the conservation, restoration and re-use of Ulster's built heritage to regenerate and sustain our communiti ...

(UAHS), the

Royal Society of Ulster Architects The Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) is the professional body for registered architects in Northern Ireland.Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland ( ga, Institiúid Ríoga Ailtirí na hÉireann) founded in 1839, is the "competent authority for architects and professional body for Architecture in the Republic of Ireland." The RIAI's purpose ...

. He was also a trustee of the

Ulster Museum The Ulster Museum, located in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, has around 8,000 square metres (90,000 sq. ft.) of public display space, featuring material from the collections of fine art and applied art, archaeology, ethnography, treas ...

. In 1977, McCormick was awarded an honorary doctorate from Coleraine University. In 1984 he was made a

Knight of St Gregory The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great ( la, Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni; it, Ordine di San Gregorio Magno) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope. The order is one of ...

Notable buildings by region

County Donegal

* Milford church (1961) * Murlog church (1964) * Desertegney church (1964) * Burt church (1967) * Creeslough church (1971) * Glenties church (1974) * Donoughmore Presbyterian church (1977)

Dublin

* Met Éireann Building, Glasnevin (1979)

Gallery

File:St Aengus (Burt Chapel).jpg, St Aengus' Church, Burt, County Donegal File:St Patrick's Church, Murlog, County Donegal - geograph.org.uk - 108237.jpg, St. Patrick's Church, Murlog, County Donegal File:Archangel Saint Michael Church (Roman Catholic), Creeslough, County Donegal, Ireland 02.jpg, Archangel Saint Michael Church, Cresslough Church, County Donegal File:Donoughmore Presbyterian Church - geograph.org.uk - 500352.jpg, Donoughmore Presbyterian Church File:Met ireann (Irish Meteorological Service) (1387399963).jpg, Met Éireann Building, Glasnevin, Dublin

References

External links

Liam McCormick Architecture Ireland

Liam McCormick

North by Northwest – Irish Architectural Archive

Profile

Met Eireann , Dublin City Council

Burt Church , , Irish Architecture Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCormick, Liam 1916 births 1996 deaths 20th-century Irish architects People educated at St Columb's College People from Derry (city) Architects from County Londonderry