Site of former no.54 Townsend Street, Strabane, Co Tyrone

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Site, on the east side of Townsend Street, formerly occupied by a two-storey public house of c.1864, demolished some time after 1983, with its position now partially occupied by a modern housing development.

The First Survey description of 11 February 1970 reads:

‘Later 19th century. A two-storey building with rendered walls and slated roof. On the upper floor plain sashed windows are enclosed in square moulded architraves with keystones. There are quoins at extremities. Two ground floor windows, one three-light and one two-light are set in square-headed openings, one with moulded architrave, lights are segmental-headed. Channelled pilasters rise to bracketed gablets with fleur-de-lys ornament, flanking fascia and cornice. There are paterae on upper part of cornice.’

Historical information

This site is shown undeveloped on the OS map of 1833-34. On the plan Strabane, drawn up to accompany the second valuation of 1857, a wedge-shaped structure is shown occupying the northwestern half of the site, which valuers tell us was a forge, leased by Patrick McCahill from a Samuel Martin, with a rateable value of £2-5-0. In 1864 the property is described as a ‘house, office [i.e. outbuilding], forge and yard, with a rateable value of £8- clearly suggesting that major building works had taken place. By 1873 the value had risen to £10, which may imply further works, however the valuers make no comment on the matter. In the same year the property passed to Andrew McCahill, who was followed in 1880 by a John McCaffrey. In 1892 the building is described as a ‘public house’, a function it was to retain for the rest of its existence.

John McCaffrey was succeeded in 1896 by a Jane McGrath (1896-1903), Mary McGrath (1903-12), Jonathan Devine (1912-13), Charles Devine (1913-46, and freeholder from 1914), Rose Devine (1946-56), Rose Bradley (1956-65, also noted as the freeholder), Margaret Doherty (1965-67), and Peter Woods, who was still in residence in 1972. The building appears to have been extended on at least one occasion during this time, (mid 20th century maps show a significantly larger structure), however the valuations say nothing specific on the matter.*

The property, latterly known as ‘The Fountain Public Bar’, appears to have been demolished some time after 1983, with its site now partly landscaped and partly taken up by a modern dwelling.

[*The first survey slide(s) of this property is/are missing, therefore it is difficult for the writer to offer any comment about the appearance of the building and what this may have informed us about its age / development over the years.]

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/5/5/1 OS map, County Tyrone sheet 5 (1833-34)
2 Lewis, Samuel, ‘Topographical history of Ireland’ (London, 1837)
3 ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland (Manchester, 1846)
4 ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland (Manchester, 1856)
5 PRONI VAL/2B/6/41 Second valuation, Camus parish (1857)
6 PRONI VAL/2D/6/18A Valuation town plan of Strabane (1857 [-59])
7 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.]
8 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31A Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED(1860-64)
9 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31B Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1864-73)
10 ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester, 1870)
11 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31C Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1874-81)
12 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31D Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1882-91)
13 PRONI OS/8/25/1/1-17 OS town plan of Strabane (1883)
14 PRONI OS/9/22/2/1-17 OS town plan of Strabane (1883)
15 PRONI VAL/12E/187/1/1-12 Valuation town plan of Strabane (1884 [-1908])
16 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31E Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1892-96)
17 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31F Annual valuation revision, Strabane ED (1892-96)
18 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31G Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1897-1910)
19 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31H Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1897-1910)
20 PRONI OS/8/25/2/1-3 OS town plan of Strabane (1905)
21 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ (Belfast, 1905)
22 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31J Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1911-22)
23 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31K Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1911-22)
24 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31L Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1922-31)
25 PRONI VAL/12B/42/31M Annual valuation revision, Strabane UD (1922-31)
26 PRONI VAL/3B/7/14 First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Strabane UD (1935
27 PRONI VAL/3C/7/23 First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, annual revisions, Strabane UD (1936-57)
28 PRONI VAL/3G/159/1/1-3 Valuation town plan of Strabane (1936-55)
29 PRONI VAL/3G/159/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Strabane (1951-55) [Sheets 1 and 3 are currently missing.]
30 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 HB10/14/021 First Survey report (11 Feb 1970)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Site, on the east side of Townsend Street, formerly occupied by a two-storey public house of c.1864, demolished some time after 1983, with its position now partially occupied by a modern housing development.