Sessia House, formerly known as Church of Ireland House, located at 61-67 Donegall Street, is a four-storey building that was used as office space for the Church of Ireland, with a small concession retail space on the ground floor for the Church of Ireland Youth Department Bookshop.

The Legacy of Church of Ireland House on Donegall Street

In September 1996, Church of Ireland House opened its doors at Donegall Street, adjacent to the St Anne's Cathedral. The building's dedication ceremony was led by two prominent church leaders:

• Bishop Gordon McMullan, Bishop of Down and Dromore

• Bishop James Moore, Bishop of Connor

Funding and Renovation

The purchase and extensive renovation of the building were made possible through:

1. Financial contributions from the two dioceses

2. Support from the CoI Representative Church Body

3. Assistance from the Department of the Environment

Key Organizations Housed for 27 Years

For over a quarter-century, Church of Ireland House served as a hub for various church organizations, including:

• Diocese of Connor administrative staff

• Diocese of Down and Dromore administrative staff

• Church of Ireland Board of Education for Northern Ireland

• Church Safeguarding Office for Northern Ireland

• Church of Ireland Youth Department

• Church of Ireland Press Office

The four-storey building also provided essential meeting spaces and library facilities, fostering collaboration and learning within the church community.

The Move to Channel Wharf

As of August 1, 2023, the Church of Ireland has embarked on a new chapter. The Connor and Down and Dromore dioceses have relocated to:

Channel Wharf, Unit 1

21 Old Channel Road

Belfast, BT3 9DE

Press Office Relocation

In a separate move, the Church of Ireland Press Office has found a new home in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter. The new address is:

18 Hill Street

Belfast

Recent Planning Applications

In September 2023, Fullan's of Portglenone submitted two planning applications (LA04/2023/3928/DCA & LA04/2023/3927/F) proposing associated demolition for alterations to the building façade, including increased window openings at the third-floor level and rendering of existing brickwork and entrance pillars. These applications were approved in February 2024.

In March 2024, scaffolding was erected around Sessia House/Church of Ireland House, and refurbishment of the office building commenced with the brickwork rendered and shutters removed. The refurbishment was completed by June 2024.

In April 2024, Crown Creative submitted a planning application on behalf of Neighbour Cafe (LA04/2024/0735/F) proposing a change of use for the ground floor offices to cafe use, along with the addition of an external bin storage area in the rear car park, and the installation of three air conditioning units and an extraction flue terminating 1.0m above the eaves.

By June 2024, refurbishment of Sessia House/ Church of Ireland House was completed and Neighbourhood Cafe signage had appeared on the ground floor of the site.