Tyrone County Club

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An attached three-bay three-storey brick county club with attic and classical detailing, built c.1900 to designs by Mr. G. W. Ferguson of Belfast, located at the north side of High Street. L-plan, facing south; diminished three- and four-storey flat-roofed return to rear, two-storey flat-roofed projection to rear of return, two-storey flat-roofed extension to rear of projection.

Pitched natural slate roof, angled blue/black ridge tiles, red brick chimneystacks with moulded stone cornices, three flat-headed lead-lined dormers with painted timber 4-light casements (that to centre is bipartite), replacement ogee-profile metal gutters with rectangular downpipes (foundry mark embossed: “APEX 4x5”). Walling is Flemish-bonded red brick with sandstone quoins, sandstone sill-courses, moulded-and-dentilled cornice; ground floor is horizontally banded sandstone over splayed plinth. Slightly segmental arch-headed painted timber 1/1 sash windows with dropped sandstone keyblocks.

Principal (south) elevation is symmetrical, second floor has four windows (two to centre bay); first floor has 2/2 casement windows with additional sandstone voussoirs rising to platband at lintel-level, pedimented oriel with painted timber mullion-and-transom casement window corbelled out at sill-course with sandstone brackets (pediment has central cartouche with “T. C. C.” monogram). Ground floor central entrance is flanked by segmental arch-headed openings with keyblocks, that to right is an open carriage arch with replacement sheeted timber double doors and metal grille over, that to left is the club entrance painted timber moulded three-panel double-leaf door with mullioned sidelight to left and three-light fanlight over. Central entrance (accessing retail shop in former lobby) is round-headed replacement painted timber-and-glazed double-leaf door with plate-glass fanlight stilted over overlight with moulded architrave and keyblock, entrance flanked by two-light sidelights in moulded architraves surmounted by pulvinated entablatures, fanlight flanked by two square plate-glass casements.

West elevation is entirely abutted by adjoining building.

Rear (north) elevation is abutted by return. Exposed section walls are Flemish-bonded red brick, windows are 2/2 sashes without keyblocks; third floor has single window, second floor has two windows (that to left is blocked with cement render), first floor has single segmental arch-headed stained glass casement; ground floor has carriage arch with steel-beam lintel.

Return third floor is two windows wide, second floor is three windows wide (that to centre is full-height 4/4 sash), right cheek is blank, left cheek has glazed bricks rising from over basement floor to over first floor sill-level, left end has single window to third floor, two windows to second and first floors and basement floor has there (that to left is louvred).

Return projection is abutted to left end by extension; exposed section first floor has three diminished windows, ground floor has segmental arch-headed painted timber mullion-and-transom casement and modern porch (of no interest); cheeks are blank.

Extension has two segmental arch-headed painted timber 4-light casements, ground floor left end has square-headed ground floor and two diminished casement windows to right end. Cheeks are blank; rear elevation has single casement window over square-headed carriage arch.

Setting:-
Set back from road to south with paved patio to rear accessed via carriage arch.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Red brick
Window: Timber
RWG: Metal

Historical information

The building is not shown on the third edition OS map of 1905-6, a previous building being shown on the site.

In 1907 previous properties are deleted with the words ‘club house in progress...’ entered in 1908. That same year the property is entered as occupied by the Tyrone County Club, secretary Col. Irvine Peck. The property is detailed as a ‘house, caretaker’s apartments, yard and garden’, and valued at £89.

A committee report by H. Irvine outlines the developments in the property. Several plans for the club were examined before it was decided to hire the architect Mr. G. W. Ferguson of Belfast. Prominent members of the club included J.B Gunning Moore, Reginald T. Harris, Major Burleigh Stuart, Captain J. C Herdman and Harry Alexander (many of the above were High Sheriffs in Omagh).

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
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Z. Rarity
V. Authorship
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

An attached three-bay three-storey brick county club with attic built c.1900 to designs by Mr. G. W. Ferguson of Belfast. The classically detailed club is well proportioned and ornamented and a good example of the style. It retains a high degree of original layout and detailing that preserves the turn-of-the-last-century character, where classical detailing is found in more formal parts and Art Noveau detailing is placed in smaller, more private rooms. The club has had many notable and distinguished members and visitors, many associated with the nearby Assize Court House (HB11/13/001), several High Sheriffs and some Members of Parliament.