Chapel

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A small simple barn church to which has been added a south transept, vestry and porch; within the grounds of Mourne Grange House (HB16/05/004A)

Natural slate roof with blue clay ridges and raised gables coped in limestone. Overhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails supporting cast iron rainwater goods. Walls are wet dashed and painted; dressings are limestone.

On the north wall the projecting gabled porch is the most decorative feature of the whole building. Limestone copings to gable with moulded ridge and kneelers. It is natural slated with crested ridge. There are 45-degree buttresses to each corner with limestone copings. Above the door two stones are engraved 1910. The door case is early English Gothic in style. The outer door is modern, the threshold is granite, the paving inside is encaustic tiles and the ceiling is sheeted.

The nave windows have limestone dressings and trefoil heads; the reveals are chamfered with flush cills. The Vestry windows are Gothic shaped and have plaster dressings. In the west gable is a granite trefoil and below three lancet lights with plaster dressings. On the south wall nave windows are as the north wall and the transept has gothic shaped windows with plaster dressings; the roof of the transept is finished with a modern bargeboard. The east gable is similar to the west.

Historical information

In 1900, Allen Carey, tutor to the Kilmorey children, took over the lease of the house. He opened Mourne Grange Preparatory School in the same year, apparently the first such school in Ireland. As the school’s enrolment grew, additions were made to the original house: a two-storey dining room/ dormitory extension aligned at right angles to the south gable of the main block (1904); Classroom block to south-east of main block (one storey high in 1902 and heightened to 2.5 storeys in 1907); and chapel (1911).

The chapel was donated by Mrs Montgomery (the mother of a pupil) of Rokeby Hall near Dunleer, Co. Louth. She was selling the house and offered the Gothic doorway, stonework and windows of her private chapel. The building was dismantled in 1910 and rebuilding was complete by November that year. It was dedicated on 5th April 1911 by the Archbishop of Armagh.

The school eventually closed in 1971 and in September of that year became Mourne Grange Village Community.

Sources:
1. A.M. Wilson, ‘Mourne Grange School, 1901-39’, in 12 Miles of Mourne, vol.5, (1992) pp. 21-33.
2. A.M. Wilson, ‘Mourne Grange School, 1937-59’, in 12 Miles of Mourne, vol.6, (1993) pp. 44-57.
3. A.M. Wilson, ‘Mourne Grange School, 1959-71’, in 12 Miles of Mourne, vol.?, (1996) pp.60-69.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Although of some historic interest, this building has no features of special significance and does not warrant statutory protection.