17 Bowling Green, Strabane, Co Tyrone BT82 8BW

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Relatively plain three-storey terrace-house of probable pre 1832 construction, one of a group of four similar buildings, only two of which are original. The property is set on the southeast side of (the) Bowling Green.

The asymmetrical front elevation faces NW. To the left on the ground floor is the entrance. The entrance has what appears to be the original panelled door, however the front face of this door has been boarded over, giving it the appearance of a recent flat-panel door. Above the door there is plain rectangular fanlight. The whole opening is encased with plain pilasters, the pilaster to the right surmounted by a decorative console bracket which supports a projecting cornice. The entrance forms a neatly symmetrical feature with the door of the house to the left / NE (no.19).

To the right of the doorway are two identical windows, each with plate-glass glazed timber sash frames and moulded surrounds. There are two more similar windows to the first floor, with two more shorter versions to the second floor. The façade is finished in painted lined render with bevelled quoins to the right hand edge.

The rear elevation of the property could not be observed in its entirety, however observation from the interior of the building revealed the presence of a large two-storey gabled return, (the gables facing SW and NE). This return is linked to the main building by means of a two-storey ‘lean-to’ section. The return appears to be largely (if not wholly) finished in unpainted roughcast with asbestos tiles to the roof. To the SW gable there is a window and doorway to the ground floor, with two windows to the first floor. All the windows appear to have modern timber frames, whilst the doorway has a flat-panel door. The rear façade of the main section of the building also appears to be at least partly finished in unpainted roughcast also. There is a single window to left hand side of each floor, all with replacement timber frames.

The gabled roof is covered asbestos tiles and there is a rebuilt brick chimneystack to the SW end. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

A ‘Blue Plaque’ on the front façade commemorates the building as the birthplace of author Brian O’Nolan, better known as Flann O’Brien.

Historical information

This site is shown developed on the OS map of 1833-34. Unfortunately the plan of Strabane drawn up to accompany the valuation of 1832-34 has been lost, making it extremely difficult to trace any details of the buildings within the town at this date with any degree of certainty. Reading through the valuation book itself, however, one finds four dwellings of identical size whose dimensions, (23ft x 26 x 27, with returns of 23 x 12½ x 12), appear to match the two remaining original dwellings of this short terrace (nos.17 and 19). These four houses, regarded by the valuers as ‘not new’ at that point, were occupied by a Francis O’Brien, Colonel McAlpin, Daniel Wauchob [probably Wauchop] and William Elliott.

The second valuation of 1857 retains its map, which shows the terrace much as it was until the part demolition of recent years. Unusually, (and, once again, unfortunately), the valuers supply no details of the dimensions, nor any ‘quality letter’, so we cannot make any comparisons in terms of measurements or age, and therefore cannot ascertain whether the buildings of 1857 were indeed the group of four mentioned in 1832. There are two ‘links’ between the former and latter valuations, however, which would tend to suggest that it was the same terrace. Firstly, the immediate lessors of the houses recorded in 1857 are listed as ‘the representatives of Colonel James McAlpin’, the same man, (it would appear), who was is noted as occupying one of the properties in 1832. Secondly, in both valuations two houses are valued slightly lower than the other two, (on account, according to the 1832 details, of one pair not having cellars).

Neither of these ‘links’ prove that the buildings of 1857 -two of which are still standing today- were the properties noted in 1832. Externally, their general appearance, (notwithstanding the later plate glass sashes and flat-panel doors), can safely be classed as ‘ late Georgian’, as can the remaining original internal detailing to no.17, in particular the staircase and the noticeably squat doorways and five-panel doors. The decorative consul brackets over the doorways have a somewhat Victorian feel, but they could well have been later additions.

No.17
In 1857 the house later known as no.17 Bowling Green was occupied by a James Baird. In 1867 Baird was succeeded by a William Ramsay, who remained there until 1878. The next occupant was an Andrew Boyle who stayed on until 1882, when he was succeeded by a Patrick Gallagher.

In 1908 an A.K.S McA. Robertson became the immediate lessor (as he / she did for all the properties in the terrace at this date), subletting the property to a Mrs Gallagher, who rented it out to a Peter O’Connor and and A.M. Cullen from 1909, with Michael O’Nolan replacing O’Connor in 1911. Brian O’Nolan, Michael O’Nolan’s son, was born in this house in the same year; he later achieved fame as a writer under the nom de plume, Flann O’Brien.

John Kelly took over as the sole resident in 1913, acquiring the lease in 1920. In c.1935 an Andrew Doherty is recorded as the resident, with the ‘representatives of Andrew Doherty’ listed between 1944 and 1959 when a Mrs Peter Gallagher became the householder. A Sean Doherty was in residence between 1968 and 1970, with a John Doherty the next occupant, remaining there until at least 1972.

The property is currently vacant (December 2004).

References- Primary sources
1 ‘Pigot & Co’s City of Dublin and Hibernian Commercial Directory (Manchester 1824)
2 PRONI VAL/1B/638A First valuation, Camus parish (1832-c.38)
3 PRONI VAL/1B/638B First valuation, Camus parish (1832-c.38)
4 PRONI VAL/1B/638C First valuation, Camus parish (1832-c.38)
5 PRONI OS/6/5/5/1 OS map, County Tyrone sheet 5 (1833-34)
6 Lewis, Samuel, ‘Topographical history of Ireland’ (London, 1837)
7 ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland (Manchester, 1846)
8 ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland (Manchester, 1856)
9 PRONI VAL/2B/6/41 Second valuation, Camus parish (1857)
10 PRONI VAL/2D/6/18A Valuation town plan of Strabane (1857 [-59])
11 PRONI VAL/2D/6/18B Valuation town plan of Strabane (1857 [-59]) [PRONI also holds a microfiche copy of this plan, catalogued under the ref. T/2933/4/252.]
12 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31A Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED(1860-64)
13 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31B Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1864-73)
14 ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester, 1870)
15 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31C Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1874-81)
16 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31D Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1882-91)
17 PRONI OS/8/25/1/1-17 OS town plan of Strabane (1883)
18 PRONI OS/9/22/2/1-17 OS town plan of Strabane (1883)
19 PRONI VAL/12E/187/1/1-12 Valuation town plan of Strabane (1884 [-1908])
20 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31E Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1892-96)
21 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31F Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1892-96)
22 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31G Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1897-1910)
23 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31H Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1897-1910)
24 PRONI OS/8/25/2/1-3 OS town plan of Strabane (1905)
25 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ (Belfast, 1905)
26 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31J Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1911-22)
27 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31K Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1911-22)
28 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31L Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1922-31)
29 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31M Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1922-31)
30 PRONI VAL/3B/7/14 First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Strabane UD (1935
31 PRONI VAL/3C/7/23 First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, annual revisions, Strabane UD (1936-57)
32 PRONI VAL/3G/159/1/1-3 Valuation town plan of Strabane (1936-55)
33 PRONI VAL/3G/159/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Strabane (1951-55) [Sheets 1 and 3 are currently missing.]
34 EHS OS map (1:10,000 scale), sheet 72 (1983)

Secondary sources
1 Bradley, Jim, et al, ‘The Fair River Valley: Strabane Through the Ages’ (Belfast, Ulster Historical Foundation, 2000)

Other
references
1 EHS HB10/14/018 First Survey report (10 Feb 1970)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Relatively plain three-storey terrace-house of probable pre 1832 construction, one of a group of four similar buildings, only two of which are original. Generally speaking, this building is mainly intact, both internally and externally.