Drumragh RC Parish Hall, ACCORD and Parish Office, (Former Christian Brothers Primary School), 48 Brook Street, Omagh, Co Tyrone, BT78 5HD

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached multi-bay two-storey stone former schoolhouse, dated 1859, located at the south end of Brook Street. Rectangular on plan, facing north; three-bay three-storey addition to west.

Pitched artificial slate roof; red brick chimneystacks to east gable, yellow brick chimneystacks to gable ends of west block; ogee-profile cast-iron gutters on dressed sandstone corbels. Walling is square-and-snecked dressed basalt and ground floor on coursed squared rubble at first floor with dressed sandstone quoins; straight-channelled sandstone quoins, V-jointed at basement level. Windows are square-headed timber 6/6 sashes, flush red brick surrounds, smooth-rendered cement reveals, stone lintels. Doors are replacement raised-and-fielded two-panel, unless otherwise stated.

Principal (north) elevation is eight openings wide; first floor window above entrance door has Latin Cross-surmounted gablet, entrance has square-headed double-leaf door, painted stone surround (lintel has modern metal lettering: “PASTORAL CENTRE”) surmounted by cornice with lugged panel over inscribed “CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS / MOUNT ST. COLUMBA / 1859;” ground floor right end has round-headed double-leaf door, cement-rendered reveals, flush red brick surround.

West addition is detailed as ground floor and has central arched door opening with plate glass tympanum (with modern lettering: “PARISH OFFICE”), moulded sandstone surround with keystone surmounted by marble Latin cross. West block east gable is abutted by former schoolhouse, exposed section is blank. West block rear elevation centre bay ground floor has door and second floor has round-headed 10/6 sash window. West addition west gable has single window to second floor.

East gable is two windows wide; windows are round-headed timber 10/6 sashes.

Rear (south) elevation is eight openings wide; first floor third opening from right is door accessed by external modern metal balcony and stairs that wrap southeast corner; ground floor right end has door, four openings from right end is round-headed window (formerly a door with sandstone lintel and Gibbs-blocking).

West gable is entirely abutted by west addition.

Setting:-
The former Christian Brothers School is situated on an elevated site with the parochial house (HB11/11/001C) to west and the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church (HB11/11/001A) to east, and a modern parochial house to southwest.

Roof: Artificial slate
Walling: Basalt
Windows: Timber
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The building is first shown on the third edition OS map of 1905-6 and the datestone is inscribed ‘Christian Schools/Mount St Columba/1859’.

The Christian Brothers School first appears in Valuation Revisions 1860-1864, valued at £16. The occupier is Rev. Manus O Kane and it is leased from James Greer.

Around the same time the nearby Loreto Convent is added, with a building valuation of £45. The Loreto Convent National School and the RC Chapel are also included.

In 1933 the Christian Brothers Secondary School is added to the Revisions, and valued at £19. The occupier is listed as the Rev. Brother Burke and it is leased from the Very Rev. John Mac Shane.

Therefore from the primary source evidence the Christian Brothers Primary School can be dated to around 1860.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/35/1-First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/35/2-Second Edition OS Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/35/3-Third Edition OS Map (1905-6)
4. PRONI VAL/1/D/6/6 -Town Plan of Omagh (1824-1844)
5. PRONI VAL/2/D/6/17 -Town Plan of Omagh (1849-1869)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/6/36 -Valuation Revisions (1860-1929)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/41/37-Valuation Revisions (1903-1929)
8. PRONI VAL/12/E/186/1/5 -Town Plan of Omagh (1882-1909)
9. PRONI VAL/12/F/7/7/1- Valuation Revisions (1930-35

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

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

Evaluation

A detached multi-bay two-storey stone former schoolhouse, dated 1859 within the complex of parish-related buildings around the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church (HB11/11/001A). These form part of a larger campus including the Loreto Convent (HB11/11/002). It was originally part of the group of schools constructed around the time of the nearby Convent and bears some relation to its style. Although changes have been made, its essential, robust character and simple plan survive. It is the earliest structure in the group now related to the church, predating the neighbouring mid-nineteenth-century parochial house and the late-nineteenth-century church, as well as the Convent.

General comments

This has been renumbered from HB11/11/008