War Memorial, The Square, Stewartstown, Dungannon, Co Tyrone

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a typical stone obelisk World War I & II Memorial, erected c. 1924. It sits in Stewartstown town square and is surrounded by a low railing fence.

The monument comprises a tapered obelisk on a pedestal, on a wider square base, all in granite. The pedestal comprises a double plinth; tapered dado and projecting cornice. A weathered metal wreath on the southern face of the obelisk indicates the front. The bronze wreath is in low relief. To the southern face of the pedestal the date “1914-1918” is applied in bronze lettering to the upper level of the plinth. Above this on the southern face of the dado are a list of names, ranks and companies of the fallen of this period. These are also in applied bronze lettering and the list fills the face. The list continues on the eastern face of the dado, with the date “1939-1945” below this on the plinth. The eastern list only fills half of the face. The northern and western faces of the monument are blank. The monument is surrounded by a fence of painted steel railings. These are spear-topped railings, the spike to the top cast in a fleur-de-lis style motif with the vertical part being a diamond bisected by a cross. The railings exhibit impact damage to the western side, with several buckled rails. The base of the monument is ringed with memorial wreaths of poppies.

Setting:
The monument sits in a town square and is surrounded by a parking area. The ground around it is covered with square concrete paving slabs. It is protected from the surrounding cars by a kerb, bollards and the square enclosure of painted steel railings. The square is a long rectangular space on a north-south axis in the centre of Stewartstown. The surrounding buildings are predominantly two-storey, a mixture of domestic and commercial buildings. Many of these appear to have been modernised or rebuilt.

Historical information

This war memorial dates from 1924. Originally it had been planned to built a memorial hall with Stewartstown, similar to that built in Coagh, however, by 1924 not enough money had been raised, and it was decided to erect this obelisk instead.

References- Secondary sources
1 www.ulsterwarmemorials.net

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Monuments of this type and modest scale are characteristic of market towns across Ulster. They are important as a social record and for their setting and memorial value more as well as their stark architectural qualities. Although not particularly rare this survives in original condition. It is a well-tended example in good condition that remains the focus of its setting.