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music · Thursday 2 July 2026 · 12:30pm 
Summer Lunchtime Recitals - St Patrick's Church, Coleraine
At St Patrick's Church · Brook Street, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, BT52 1PY
At St Patrick's Church · Brook Street, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, BT52 1PY
Every Thursday lunchtime throughout July and August, St Patrick’s Church of Ireland opens its doors for a free classical music recital that fits neatly into a lunch break. It is the kind of event that rewards a bit of spontaneity - turn up, sit down, let the music wash over you for forty minutes, and step back out into the afternoon feeling considerably better than you did. It suits curious visitors passing through Coleraine, office workers nearby, and anyone who simply wants to hear live music without paying for it.
The series runs weekly from early July through to late August, with recitals starting at 12:30pm and lasting approximately forty minutes each. Local and visiting musicians perform classical, sacred and light music in a format that is deliberately informal and welcoming - this is not a sit-in-silence-and-don’t-cough concert hall experience, but it is still a proper recital with real craft behind it.
The venue itself is part of the draw. St Patrick’s is a Grade B+ listed Victorian Gothic Revival building, remodelled between 1883 and 1885 by architect Sir Thomas Drew, who wove Celtic Revival details - shamrock motifs among them - into the stonework. It sits on a site with an even longer history: tradition holds that St Patrick himself chose this spot on the north bank of the River Bann in the fifth century. Whether or not that story bears scrutiny, the acoustic and the atmosphere of the building suit chamber music well. Admission is free, though donations are welcomed.
Coleraine is on the main rail line between Belfast and Londonderry (Derry), making it one of the more straightforward town-centre destinations in the north. The train station is roughly a ten-minute walk from the church on Brook Street. By road, the town sits at the junction of the A26 from Belfast and the A2 coastal route from Portrush and Portstewart - both well signed. Town-centre car parks are within easy walking distance of the church, and Brook Street itself is close to the main shopping area.
The River Bann runs through the town and the surrounding countryside opens out quickly towards the Causeway Coast - Portrush and the Giant’s Causeway are under twenty minutes away. There is more to see in Coleraine and across Co. Derry.
Heading to St Patrick's Church in Coleraine? Derry has plenty more to see. Read the Coleraine area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.