Kilmorey Arms Hotel

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey (+ attic) building at the corner of Greencastle Street and Knockchree Avenue, with additions up to the present day, including the incorporation of an adjoining house in Greencastle Street (HB16/03/013).

The entrance frontage is to Knockchree Avenue and comprises three parts. At the north (right) end is the original building, here three bays wide. It has a natural slate hipped roof with clay ridge tiles, projecting eaves and half-round metal gutters. The roof is shared with the second part of this facade, to left. On it are three chimneys, all smooth rendered with a corbel course and granite capping. The wall is lined smooth render over a dressed granite base and with stepped quoins at right. The entrance fills the central bay of this section. It has a projecting single-storey flat roof carried on two square piers, with plain frieze, projecting cornice, and block parapet over. It is open to front, by which it is approached by two tiled steps, and to its right cheek, up a modern railed ramp. Its left cheek has a fixed 2x5 pane timber window. The entrance doors comprise a pair of modern multi-glazed leaves. On either side of porch is a blind arch, the fill of which is recessed and containing a rectangular window. That to right is 6/6, and that to left 1/1. Both have granite cills and are painted timber sliding sashes, as are all other windows except where stated otherwise. At first floor are three evenly spaced 6/3 sashes in line with ground floor openings, but diminished in height.

The next section of frontage has, at ground floor, three 6/6 sashes with exposed boxes and painted concrete cills. At left is a modern double door (2x4 panels) in an older frame with rectangular transom. Beyond this is a segmental headed carriage arch, with granite dressings and painted sheeted doors (including a wicket gate). At first floor are four equally spaced 1/1 sashes. From the eaves rise two dormers, each with a pitched natural slate roof and raised and coped verges. Each face contains two modern top-hung casements. The cheeks are slated.

The third section, at left, comprises a two-storey gable fronting the street. It has a pitched asbestos slate roof and tiled verges. At its apex is a chimney detailed as the others. At first floor is a large plastic casement window.

From the south (left) elevation of this gable a wing projects. Its roof and side wall are parallel with the street. At first floor left is a curved oriel with plastic windows. To the right of this is a small casement. Immediately left of this wing is a pair of metal sheeted gates hung from square rendered pillars which gives access to the yard. Left of the gates is a squared and snecked rubble granite wall c.2m high.

On the south gable of this wing is a modern casement window. At first floor is a projecting rectangular bay with plastic windows. Its left (yard facing) cheek has various additions and modern windows.

The south elevation of the section with gable to street is abutted by various one and two storey additions, many of which are of relatively recent date. At left is a large modern function suite, with overhanging artificial slate roof, plastic gutters, smooth render walls and plastic windows.

The Greencastle Street facade has roof and wall finish as Knockchree Avenue facade. There are two chimneys detailed as before. It is six openings wide. There are stepped quoins at both ends. The second opening from left contains an entrance door, set within a semicircular arch with stepped plaster dressing and glazed transom. The door is four-panel bolection moulded painted timber. The remaining openings contain 6/6 windows. At first floor are six 6/3 sashes in line with ground floor openings. This facade now incorporates the adjoining two-storey/ three-bay house (described under HB16/03/013).

All internal facing roof pitches to the main corner block have artificial slates, and the inward looking walls have modern plastic or timber casement windows. A flat roofed kitchen fills the central well, with various flues therefrom.

Historical information

Nothing is shown on this site on the 1834 town map. The ‘Kilmorey Arms Hotel’ is explicitly cited in the 1860 town map. The corner block, and end block on the Knockchree Avenue elevation (i.e. that with gable to street) are both shown. The section with two dormer gables is a later 19th century addition. In 1862, the complex belonged to John Shannon. This is possibly the same John Shannon who owned an inn in Bridge Street (HB16/03/029).

Sources:
1. PRONI – VAL 1D/3/11; OS 8/15/1/3; VAL 2B/3/81H.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is an important building in the history and development of the town, and whilst little historical fabric has survived internally, it still retains much of its original external character and is located on a prominent corner site. All of these factors warrant its continued statutory protection.