THE BELLS AND BELL RINGERS

The eight bells mounted in St Thomas' bell tower were donated by Robert Atkinson, who was a wealthy merchant in Belfast more than 130 years ago.  They were cast by John Taylor and Co. of Loughborough and installed in the tower in 1871.  In 1965 the five larger bells were retuned and the three smaller bells recast.

The tenor bell, which weighs over 18.5 cwt., bears a Latin inscription which translates as:

"Robert Atkinson Esq. of Beaumont in this county gave me and my seven sisters to this Church in 1871 in honour of God and St Thomas"


 The bells are rung each Sunday at 10.00 am for the morning service which begins at 10.30 am.  We would like to ring the full peal on Sundays and to participate more in the life of the church by ringing on special occasions.

A practice is held each Thursday evening at 7.30 pm in the bell tower.  Recent practice nights have been both rewarding and enjoyable. This has been mainly due to the tower captain and the continued support provided by the bell ringers of St Malachy’s, Hillsborough and St Donard’s, Bloomfield.

Recently, we have attracted two learners who faithfully attend practices and are making commendable progress.

We are always on the lookout for new members of any skills level, so if you would like to call in on a Thursday evening and see how it is done, you will be made very welcome.  Alternatively, anyone wishing to learn could contact the 

Depending on which browser you are using, you may already have heard our bells, but if not, press the play button below to hear them.

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Click on any picture to see an enlargement

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You may like to visit the St Thomas' page of The Irish Association of Change Ringers for more on bells and bell ringing.

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