11 The Diamond

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 3 bay wide 3 storey building with basement and frontage onto Ann Street.

The frontage to the Diamond at ground floor from right has a double hung sliding sash 12 pane window, around it, is painted an arch. Next a shopfront consisting of square headed door, a large window divided into 3 vertical round headed panes, a fluted pilaster on either side and over a deep name fascia with cornice and painted lettering. At 1st floor 3 double hung sliding sash 12 pane (square proportion) windows and at 2nd floor 3 double hung sliding sash 6 pane windows. ½ round gutter single downpipe. Wall smooth rendered and painted, again, unfortunately like No. 10, in uncoordinated colour scheme. Quoins picked out in colour. Below the right hand window is a basement area with steps leading down to a Pizzeria entrance. Cast iron balustrading encloses the area and steps.

The frontage to Ann Street is 2 bays wide with a ground floor shopfront without door and a large window subdivided into 4 vertical roundheaded panes and over a name fascia similar to that on The Diamond frontage. At 1st floor 2 double hung sliding sash 12 pane windows and at 2nd floor 2 double hung sliding sash 6 pane windows. Walls smooth rendered and painted with quoins picked out on each side.

The building is well placed in relation to The Diamond with broad paved area in front though a bit dissected by an unnecessary railing. The frontage to Ann Street observes the building line and begins a good terrace with No. 1 Ann Street (McKay, butcher).

Historical information

Precise date of building not recorded but it appears for the first time on the OS map of 1857.
Burnt down in the 1990s and completely rebuilt to a different design.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1832, Co Antrim 8.
2. OS Map 1857, Co Antrim 8.
3. Photograph in Lawrence Collection, National Library of Ireland, Dublin: Ref no 10132 (shows the elevation to The Diamond as two bays wide).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This is a modern building of the 1990s, a rebuilding of an earlier property to a different design, and thus of no special architectural interest and no historical interest.