Waterloo and St. Lucia's Barracks

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached multi-bay two-storey-over-basement stone barracks, dated 1881, built by contractors Messrs. Fulton of Belfast to designs by Mr. James H. Butler, C.E., located on the north side of the St Lucia’s Barracks parade ground, east of Barracks Lane. Rectangular on plan, with south facing symmetrical front elevation; two gabled breakfront bays to north and south elevation (those to north elevation are flanked to either side by a full-height stair turret).

Pitched natural slate roofs, paired stone ashlar chimneystacks, ogee-profile cast-iron gutters and round-profile downpipes. Walling is coursed squared rubble local limestone with ashlar sandstone dressings including; splayed tooled plinth, flush platband at sill and lintel levels, projecting eaves course and tooled quoins. The gables have tripartite ventilation loops to centre. Windows are uPVC casements, square-headed to first floor, otherwise camber-headed all having dressed sandstone surrounds and sills; bipartite windows have basalt-relieving arches.

Principal (south) elevation is twenty-four windows wide broken by a pair of three-bay gabled breakfronts. The sandstone eaves course forms a plain raking cornice to both gables with stepped kneeler stones. Each breakfront has three paired windows to each floor, with stone relieving arches and a central square-headed door opening to the ground floor with a vertically-sheeted timber double-leaf door and four-pane overlight. Each entrance opens onto two concrete steps and concrete platform, bridging the basement area with stone coping and steel railing. A pair of sandstone ashlar piers open to a double-quadrant railing on stone coping and further set of piers to front bitmac area. Further camber-headed door openings to basement area with sandstone surrounds, vertically-sheeted timber doors and four-pane overlights.

West gable is blank, with projecting chimneybreast having sandstone offsets and sandstone sill and lintel courses continued from other elevations.

Rear (north) elevation is twenty-four windows wide broken by a pair of single-bay, four-storey gabled breakfronts flanked by a pair of full-height stair turrets with semi-conical roofs. The basement is at ground level to this elevation with narrow window openings to the central twelve bays at basement level having flush sandstone surrounds, camber-headed to remainder. Window openings to breakfronts are square-headed bipartite with flush sandstone surrounds over a segmental-arch-headed door opening at basement level, with vertically-sheeted timber door flanked by sidelights, and opening onto three stone steps. Both turrets have loop openings to each floor with flush sandstone surrounds and sandstone lintel and sill course, as remainder of elevation. To the basement level is a series of square rebated apertures formed in tooled sandstone.

East gable is detailed as west.

Setting:-
The barracks block is situated within the enclosed St. Lucia’s Barracks complex at the north side of the parade ground with clockwise from block, St. Lucia’s Club (HB11/09/005C), Sergeant’s Mess Hall (HB11/09/005D), Battalion Headquarters, South Africa and two stores (HB11/09/005E), Guardroom (HB11/09/005F), Army Recruiting Centre (HB11/09/005G) and the Officer’s Mess Hall (HB11/09/005A).

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Local limestone
Windows: UPVC
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The Waterloo and St. Lucia Barracks Block carries a date plaque of 1881. However, construction was begun in 1878 by contractors Messrs. Fulton of Belfast. The boundary walls and parade were also built at that time. The memorial affixed to the boundary wall was erected c.1910.

The barracks, presently known as St. Lucia’s, were built for the Royal Inniskilling Fusilier Regiment under the direction of Mr. James H. Butler, C.E., the superintending officer of the Royal Engineer Department by the contractors Messrs. Fulton of Belfast and Messrs. Colhoun Brothers of Derry. The original buildings were “built of the local limestone, with Dungannon grit-stone dressings [and] all the external walls are brick lined as preventative to damp….” (Tyrone Constitution 16th December 1881).

The buildings first appear on an 1882 ordnance survey town plan of Omagh captioned “Infantry Barracks.” The “Old Barracks” are captioned behind the gaol (HB11/09/005A, B, D, E and F).

In 1879, a new entry is made in Annual Revision Records, “Northern range of new Military Barracks, consisting of regimental shops and stores, Paymasters Office, soldiers quarters, Militia Office and Bread Store, Regimental Shop and meat store. Central Military Station. Northern Division. £265. Also commanding officers and orderly room, guard room &c. £35.” A marginal note records: “45x45x24 – 1 storey, 270x25½ - 3 storeys. Cost estimated 14,000, extras 1,500, total about 15,500. Chisel dressed limestone with freestone coins built by Fulton of Belfast and a further contract of £25,000 has been taken by Cahoon of Derry.” In 1881, a further addition is made: “Eastern & Western Division £500.”

The Tyrone Constitution of 16 December 1881 reports that “some years ago the government purchased a piece of ground at the rear of the old Militia Barracks, Omagh, and on this have been erected buildings to meet all the requirements of a Brigade Depot Barracks…. The works which cost from £30,000-£40,000 have been carried out in a most satisfactory manner.”

On the parade and boundary wall, the article comments, “the town water supply has been laid on throughout the barracks with hydrants at convenient intervals in case of fire, and the entire barracks has been surrounded by a very substantial boundary wall with flanking chambers etc. built of local stone, and coped with heavy concrete coping, standing eleven feet over surface of parade insisted and varying from 12 to 20 feet outside. The wall is about 1800 feet long…. Returning again to the Parade – which may here be observed is almost square as surrounded by the buildings – it had to be formed to suitable levels and gradients excavating and removing some 30,000 tons of earth, and with the road which passes over it, has been coated with some 4,000 tons of stone and gravel.” The parade ground had a marked slope that was not levelled until after the World War I. The memorial affixed to the boundary wall overlooking the parade ground, was erected by 2nd Battalion of Royal Fusiliers for their comrades who lost their lives during foreign service between 1888 and 1908 (Mitchell, Vol. 6, p.10,11).

On the Waterloo and St. Lucia Barracks Block, the article comments, “Directly across the parade stands a large three-storey building upwards of 300 feet long, the basement storey of which is utilized as stores and workshops, the two upper storeys being the men’s barracks and accommodating 164 non-commissioned officers and men.

“There are eight large barrack rooms in the building, and to each attached a spacious lavatory, etc., also a separate room for the non-commissioned officers in charge, with a small inspection window looking into the room. This block and the guard-house were built about three years ago, Messrs. Fulton Co. of Belfast being the contractors. They however remained unoccupied until recently….

“At the rear of the soldiers block…stands the cook-house, a neat building, fitted up with Captain Warren’s Army cooking apparatus.”

References:
Primary Sources
1. OS/8/40/1/1-5 – Ordnance Survey Town Plan of Omagh (1882)
2. VAL/12/B/41/36A-H – Annual Revision Records (1860-1903)
3. VAL/12/E/186/1/2-3 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (1882-1909)

Secondary Sources
1. Coey, Alastair. “St. Lucia’s Barracks, Omagh, Condition Report.” (February 2007). Prepared for the Ministry of Defense. Belfast: Alastair Coey Architects, 2007.
2.“Col. George B. Stokes” “Tyrone Constitution.” 28 October 1881. Quoted in Mitchell, Haldane, ed. “Images of Omagh and District.” Vol. 6 (Omagh: Rotary Club of Omagh, 1998), p.22.
3. Core, John. “Historical Record of the 2nd (Now 80th), Or Royal Tyrone Fusilier Regiment of Militia, From the Embodiment in 1793 to the Present Time.” Omagh: Alexander Scarlet, 1872.
4. Elliott, Wesley J. “The History of the 5th (Territorial Army) Battalion The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers” in Haldane Mitchell, ed. “Images of Omagh and District.” Vol. 7. (Omagh: Rotary Club of Omagh, 1999), p.152-155.
5. Mitchell, Haldane, ed. “Images of Omagh and District.” Vol. 2. Omagh: Rotary Club of Omagh, 1991.
6. Mitchell, Haldane, ed. “Images of Omagh and District.” Vol. 6. Omagh: Rotary Club of Omagh, 1998.
7. “New Military Barracks at Omagh.” “Tyrone Constitution.” 16 December 1881. Quoted in Mitchell, Haldane, ed. “Images of Omagh and District.” Vol. 6 (Omagh: Rotary Club of Omagh, 1998), p.22.
8. “Omagh Cricket Club – vs. – Royal Iniskilling Fusiliers.” “Tyrone Constitution.” 30 September 1881. Quoted in Mitchell, Haldane, ed. “Images of Omagh and District.” Vol. 6 (Omagh: Rotary Club of Omagh, 1998), p.22.
9. Rowan, Alistair. “North West Ulster: Londonderry, Donegal, Fermanagh, and Tyrone.” Buildings of Ireland Series. Dublin: Penguin Books, 1979.
10. “Soldiers for a New Barracks.” “Tyrone Constitution.” 2 September 1881.Quoted in Mitchell, Haldane, ed. “Images of Omagh and District.” Vol. 6 (Omagh: Rotary Club of Omagh, 1998), p.22.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

A detached multi-bay two-storey-over-sunken-basement stone barracks, dated 1881, built by contractors Messrs. Fulton of Belfast. this substantial barracks has fine proportions and is a major component of the distinctive architectural group comprising the late-nineteenth-century Barracks complex. Although some alteration has taken place, along with the loss of original fenestration, the fine Victorian craftsmanship survives, demonstrating a robust style. The barracks complex occupies an elevated and imposing site in the town, reflecting an important aspect of the architectural and social heritage of Omagh, as well as strong historic links to The Royal Irish Regiment and The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. The complex is unusual in its completeness and degree of preservation.

General comments

Previoulsy recorded as HB11/09/005 - renumbered with suffix B