Irish Society Office

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Mid-Georgian five-bay three-storey over basement rendered house with corner quoin stones set on a plinth, built 1768, date inscribed on one of the south-west quoin stones. Rectangular on plan with main entrance accessed from St. Columb's Court. Principal elevation faces west onto Bishop Street Within. Built originally for The Honourable The Irish Society.

Natural slate pitched roof with plain high parapet and two returns at the east side, two large rendered chimney stacks with five octagon-shaped buff clay pots.

Principal elevation is of smooth-rendered painted finish (originally brick) with a raised painted band-course below first floor windows; square-headed window openings, 6/6 timber sliding sash windows on ground and first floor and 6/3 on second floor level all on masonry painted sills, slight projecting stepped cornice to parapet.

North elevation abuts The Deanery (HB01/19/004) and is of three-storeys, blank smooth-rendered painted finish, topped by a large rendered chimney stack with five octagon-shaped buff clay pots.

East elevation to the rear is three-storeys abutted by two rear extensions, rear return to the south end has unpainted finish with slated pitched roof, and rear return to the north end has rough-cast rendered painted finish with half-hipped slate roof and two 6/6 timber sliding sash windows on first and second floor half-landing levels, both rear returns are abutted by No.2 & No.3 St. Columb's Court (HB01.19.007B & HB01.19.007C).

South elevation is of smooth-rendered painted finish set on a painted plinth with band-course below first floor window topped by a large rendered painted chimney stack with five octagon-shaped buff clay pots, facing onto St. Columb's Court overlooking Bishop Street Courthouse. The principal entrance is approached by two-steps up within a moulded semicircular arched opening with flying keystone and projecting moulded and dentilled cornice and frieze with decorative plaster appliqués supported by a pair of columns of the Doric order with moulded plaster surround to either side of a painted timber panelled door and a semicircular fanlight above, separate square headed side lights with plain glass on masonry sills either side of doorway.

Natural slate pitched roof with black clay ridge tiles to main roof and rear returns, lead detailing to parapet and north side rear return. Two large rendered chimney stacks, centred on the ridge, one rising from the north gable and one from the south gable. Cast-iron rainwater goods throughout.

Materials:
Roof Slate
RWG Cast Iron
Walling Render and Brick
Windows Timber sliding sash

Setting:
Located on the East side of Bishop Street Within, principal entrance faces onto St. Columb's Court with St Columb's Cathedral to the rear on the east side, all set within the Cathedral Quarter inside the City Walls, 40m above the river. Built originally for The Honourable The Irish Society in 1768. The building abuts The Deanery on the north side (HB01/19/004) and No's 2-6 St. Columb's Court on the east side (HB01/19/7a-f)

Historical information

The former Irish Society Offices at No. 1 St. Columb’s Court, a three-storey five-bay Georgian townhouse, was constructed in 1768 according to an inscription located on one of the building's quoins. The building, along with the Masonic Hall opposite (HB01/19/006 – built 1753), is one of the earliest domestic structures within the historic city walls. Rowan described the building as ‘a plain rectangular Georgian block, three-storey like most of the street … handsome doorcase at the side.’ Rowan states that the original glazing bars were replaced in c. 1820 but there remained one original window ‘with thick bars’ at the rear of the structure (Rowan, p. 393).

The original occupant of No. 1 St. Columb’s Court is not known. The Townland Valuations record that the dwelling was valued at £77 2s. 5d. and was occupied by a Mr. Babington in 1832. The Ulster Town Directories listed the Babingtons amongst the city’s nobility and gentry (UTD). By the 1850s No. 1 St. Columb’s Court had passed to Dr Francis Rogan, a surgeon who worked at the County and City Infirmary in Edenballymore and at Londonderry’s Lunatic Asylum. In 1856 Griffith’s Valuation noted that Rogan’s relative, a Margaret Rogan, occupied the property which had been decreased in value to £55 since the 1830s. By 1864 the dwelling had passed to David Williams, a collector at the Custom House on Ship Quay (UTD).

No. 1 St. Columb’s Court was utilised as the local offices of The Honourable The Irish Society from the 1870s. The organisation was established by Royal Charter in 1613 to carry out the Plantation of the North West regions of Ulster. The Irish Society was responsible for the rebuilding of Derry (which was renamed Londonderry as the society was a sub-committee of the City of London Corporation) and became the city’s chief landowners. By the 19th century the society had evolved into a charitable and philanthropic institution that provided schools, churches, and dispensaries for the people of Londonderry. The Annual Revisions note that the former dwelling was converted into offices for the Irish Society as early as 1870. In that year the organisation occupied two offices within the property. The c. 1873 town plan of Londonderry depicted the building along its current layout and captioned the former dwelling as the ‘Irish Society Offices.’ In 1875 No. 1 St. Columb’s Court was utilised by the Hon. Arthur C. Plunkett, the Agent for the Irish Society (The Honourable The Irish Society).

The Honourable The Irish Society continued to occupy No. 1 St. Columb’s Court for over 120 years. In 1899, when the adjoining nos 2-6 St. Columb’s Court (HB01/19/007) were constructed, a single red brick bay was constructed between the Irish Society Offices and No. 2 St. Columb’s Court. This single bay was not utilised as a dwelling but was shared between the neighbouring buildings with the ground floor of the bay utilised by the Irish Society Offices (G05 and G06) whilst the upper two floors were used as rooms for No. 2 St. Columb’s Court.

The 1911 Census described the Irish Society Offices as a 1st class structure that consisted of 18 rooms and possessed rooms for the caretaker who resided there. Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1935) the value of the building was increased to £80. This was further raised to £141 by the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72). No. 1 St. Columb’s Court was included in the Historic City Conservation Area in 1977 and was subsequently listed in 1979. The NIEA HB Records note that the additional second-storey window was added to the St. Columb’s Court elevation in 1983. Due to its proximity to the Court House (HB01/19/002), the Irish Society Offices was frequently damaged by bomb explosions intended for the adjoining building. The Honourable The Irish Society vacated the site in the 1990s when the organisation moved its headquarters to Coleraine. Since that time the building has been utilised as office space by St. Columb’s Cathedral and by the National Trust. The Foyle Civic Trust described the former Irish Society Offices as a ‘three-storey smooth rendered façade, originally facing brickwork, with quoins and plinth. Vertical sliding sash painted timber windows, six-over-six at ground and first floor, six-over-three at second floor. Natural slate roof concealed behind plain parapet’ (Foyle Civic Trust).

A condition Survey plan of St. Columb’s Court, undertaken by Mullarkey Pedersen Architects in 2010, records that the Irish Society Offices continues to occupy the ground floor of the single red brick bay located between it and No. 2 St. Columb’s Court. The plan also shows that the Irish Society Offices possess a single storey and three-storey office extension that runs along the back of nos 2-4 St. Columb’s Court.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/5/20/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1830)
2. PRONI OS/6/5/20/2 – Second Edition Ordnanec Survey Map (1853)
3. PRONI VAL/12/E/157/1/14 – Annual Revisions Map (c. 1873)
4. PRONI VAL/1/B/547A-F – Townland Valuations (1831)
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/5/16C – Griffith’s Valuation (1856)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/32/11A-11ZD – Annual Revisions (1860-1897)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/33/1A-1B – Annual Revisions (1897-1929)
8. PRONI VAL/3/B/6/11 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1935)
9. PRONI VAL/4/B/5/13 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
10. Ulster Town Directories (1843-1943)
11. Census of Ireland (1911)
12. First Survey Record – HB01/19/005 (1970)
13. First Survey Image – HB01/19/005 (No Date)
14. NIEA Pink Files – HB01/19/005
15. The Foyle Civic Trust: Living City Project (Bishop Street)
16. Mullarkey Pedersen Architects Condition Survey (2010)

Secondary Sources
1. Calley, D., ‘City of Derry: An historical gazetteer to the buildings of Londonderry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2013.
2. Ferguson, W. S; Rowan, A. J; Tracey, J. J., ‘List of historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in and near the city of Derry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1970.
3. Rowan, A. J., ‘The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster’ London: Yale University Press, 2003.
4. ‘A design guide for the Historic City Conservation Area Londonderry’ Belfast: Department of the Environment, 2012.

Online Resources
1. The Honourable The Irish Society website - http://www.honourableirishsociety.org.uk

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

U. Historic Associations
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
Z. Rarity
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

A mid-Georgian five-bay three-storey red brick house, built in 1768, now of painted rendered finish, located on the East side of Bishop Street Within. St Columb's Cathedral (HB01/19/001) is situated directly to the east. It was originally built as a house and offices for The Honourable The Irish Society, the organisation that was responsible for carrying out the Plantation of Ulster in the North West regions. It is one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture inside the City Walls. Much historic fabric and detailing remains internally and while the external fabric and detailing is largely intact, it is compromised by the addition of rear accretions. The main entrance is accessed from St. Columb's Court where it abuts No's 2-6 St. Columb's Court (HB01/19/7 A-F). Together with The Deanery adjacent (HB01/19/004) it plays an important visual and historical role within the Cathedral Quarter.

General comments

The front elevation faces north-west, for ease of description this is referred to as west and the naming of all other façades follows this convention.

This building was also listed as HB01/19/007, it is now listed in it's entirety.