21 Ann Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 2 bay, 2½ storey building with shop front. The ground floor consists of shop front, practically the full width of building with a glazed panel entrance door with painted pilaster on each side. Large plate glass window in one pane with low cill and another painted pilaster. Over door and windows a painted name fascia with good lettering and cornice over. At 1st floor level 2 no. D/H S/S 2 pane windows. Wall smooth rendered and painted. ½ round metal gutter above 1st floor window head level, single downpipe shared with No. 23. Looks like asbestos slated roof. Chimney stack incorporated in No.19. There is a circular plaque between 1st floor windows and a projecting metal sign to one side of the 1st floor.

Rear elevation: three-storey; roof of Bangor blue sales in regular courses with one original rooflight; wall rendered, with wet dash; cast iron gutter and downpipe. Ground floor currently boarded over where rear has been removed; two window openings to first floor, one to left blocked with concrete blockwork, one to right closed with timber boarding; one window to second or attic floor, blocked with concrete blockwork. Building work currently underway on walls of a long rear return.

SETTING AT FRONT: The building stands on the main street of the town facing directly onto the pavement. It shares a common ridge line with No. 23, a ridge line which is set lower than adjoining buildings to each side of them.

SETTING AT REAR: The rear boundary is formed by a pair of corrugated iron gates set between rendered piers. Yard currently being built over with a long rear return.

Historical information

There does not appear to be a building in this location on the 1832 O.S. map but the revision of 1856 shows one and No. 23 is the last in a terrace. The building probably dates from c 1850. See HB05/14/009B. Plaque on wall commemorates John Henry McAuley, John the Carver, (wood) the author of “Old Lammas Fair”.

John ‘the Carver’ McAuley was born in Glenshesk and had an accident which resulted in his disablement (he walked with difficulty and had to use a walking stick) he lived in and ran a business as a carver from the shop in Ann Street. He made carvings in bog oak and other woods including a three tiered rotating shelf which was in the window of the shop. On one of these tiers was the carving of a funeral, which included a horse-drawn hearse and group of mourners.The shelves were built around/on an old gramophone turntable which John would have wound up every now and then to keep it turning in the window. All of this has now been removed.

Across the street there was another carver, Stephen Clarke of Irish Home Industries and it is possible that John the Carver may have been trained by the Carver Anton Lang who came from Bavaria to work in Clarkes and train the workers there.

As John ‘the carver’ did indeed pen the song the Ould Lammas Fair, the plaque was erected in the 60’s by the then Ballycastle Entertainments Committee. The Chairman at that time was a Mr. William Anketell headmaster of Ramoan Primary School and it was unveiled by the singer Eileen Donaghy at a very well attended ceremony.

References:

Primary Sources
1. O.S. Map 1832 Antrim sh. 8.
2. O.S. Map 1832 Rev. 1856 Antrim sh.8.

Secondary Sources
Moyle District Council Officers
Dr Cahill Dallat

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A 2 bay, 2½ storey building with shop front. This is a building of mid-19th century date which has lost much of its original character and detail and now stands as a building of no special architectural or historic interest beyond its historical association. The fabric associated with the period of this association has been substantially removed.