Former Kilmore school

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two part, part single-storey split-level rubble-built rural schoolhouse with master’s residence, c.1840, latterly in use as a hall. The building is set into sloping ground on the SW side of Old Kilmore Road, about 100m S of the M1 motorway, 4km NE of Lurgan town centre.

The building is basically rectangular in plan, and is set on a NE-SW axis with the short two-storey NE end (the former master’s quarters) facing the road and the rear single-storey end (the schoolhouse section) backing into the sloping ground to the SW. The walls are in rubble with rough sandstone quoins and brick dressings to the openings, a brick eaves course and rendered base course. The roof is hipped to the NE and appears to be gabled to the SW, and covered in natural Welsh slate with two back chimneystacks to each end of the ridge. Cast-iron RW goods.

SE elevation - Four large high-level (classroom) windows to the left / centre and a ground level doorway to the far right. The windows have timber mullion and transom frames (which may be early 20th century replacements), whilst the doorway has a panelled timber door and overlight.

NE elevation - Symmetrical. Two windows to the ground floor and two smaller ones aligned with these to the first floor. Ten-pane timber (?casement) frames to the ground floor windows and six-one versions to those to the first floor; these frames may also be early 20th century replacements. The ground floor windows have panelled shutters.

NW elevation - Four large windows as SE elevation to centre / right.

SW elevation - The SW end of the building is covered in thick shrubbery and not accessible. Map evidence suggests there is a small projection to this side.

Historical information

This plot is shown vacant on the OS map of 1833 and no school, (or indeed any public building), is recorded in the August 1837 OS Memoir account of this part of Shankill parish. The ‘Parliamentary gazetteer’ (published 1846) states that ‘in 1843’ there was a ‘National Board’ school at Kilmore, so therefore as this particular school was originally part of the 'National System', it can be assumed that the present building must have been constructed between late 1837 and 1843.

The school is shown on the revised OS map of 1858 marked ‘Kilmore School’ and is noted in the second valuation of c.1863 part of the ‘National’ system. It continued to be mentioned in newspaper reports until at least 1953, but would seem to have closed at some point between that year and decade following, as it is marked simply as a ‘hall’ on the OS map of 1964.

The building contained a master’s dwelling to the front (north end), with the majority of the space behind, (as demarcated by the larger higher-level windows), containing the classroom.

Newspaper evidence suggests the school also served as a meeting place for local Orangemen, prior to the building of the neighbouring Orange Hall in late 1886.

References – Primary sources
1 OS maps, 1833, 1858, 1903, 1916, 1964
2 'OS Memoirs', 1833-37
3 ‘Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland…’, (Dublin, 1846), p.216
4 Second valuation, 'Union of Lurgan (Part of)', printed version, (Dublin, 1864)
5 ‘Belfast Telegraph’, 24 February 1872
6 ‘Portadown and Lurgan News’, 20 November 1886
7 ‘Ballymena Weekly Telegraph’, 22 June 1951, 6 February 1953

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

B. Proportion
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

This school building is special in large part due to its plan form. It is rare to have a single point of access which leads into split level school room and into the Master’s accommodation over two levels and – so far as is known - this is the only rural schoolhouse of this size and period to exhibit such a feature (appearing as a two-storey elevation on the road’s edge and single storey to the rear.) This type of layout, particularly the singular access entrance to both functions, is distinct and despite negotiating level changes, the building maintains its symmetry and proportion. Constructed between 1837 - 1841, the schoolhouse also played an important role in the social and cultural development of the local area, acting as a meeting place, whilst its setting has largely maintained its rural aspect. In particular, the fenestration adapts to the needs and functions of the internal space - windows at one storey towards the school hall become windows over two storeys to the house, whilst the interior’s simple open rectangular form remains largely original.