The site was provided by a wealthy Belfast flour merchant and philanthropist, [4] Bernard Hughes[5] while the church was designed by Fr Jeremiah Ryan McAuley, who had trained as an architect before he became a priest.

It is the burial place - in the Chapel of the Resurrection on the North side - of three former bishops - William Philbin, Patrick Walsh and Noel Treanor.

[9] There were several extensive refurbishments in 1950 when Padraic Gregory enlarged the original porches of the north and south elevations, creating new side chapels and adding a new high altar and a marble baldacchino.

[10] [11] In the 1960s the altar was relocated while in 1986, under the direction of the Irish artist Ray Carroll, there was more refurbishment and a new wooden episcopal chair as part of a screen which obstructed the original canon's choir stalls.

[12] This more recent refurbishment saw a new limestone altar and ambo, carved by Ken Thompson from Cork installed, and a baptismal font by the same artist placed near the narthex to underscore that sacrament as one of initiation.