Convent of Mercy Chapel

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single cell chapel with basement refectory below. It is linked to the north elevation of the Convent of Mercy (HB16/25/001A) on Catherine Street. East elevation (façade) faces Catherine Street with sanctuary and sacristy abutting right end. The east elevation of the sanctuary is canted and the south elevation is abutted by link block to Convent, the rear wall faces onto the convent gardens.

Hipped natural slate roof is canted and hipped to (liturgical) east end, (with wrought iron cross finial to ridge end). Ogee metal rainwater goods with square cast iron down pipes. Walls are squared granite rubble brought to courses with dressed chamfered ashlar granite string course between basement and ground floor, corbelled rendered eaves and stepped render quoins. Walls to sanctuary at east end are lined render.

Front wall has six semicircular headed windows to ground floor. Each is tall with granite cill and is inset with figurative stained glass, with polycarbonate security glazing to exterior. Below, in line with the four left ground floor openings are four 2/2 sliding sashes with bars over. All have granite cills and stepped render jambs. Below the fifth ground floor window is a semicircular headed opening, a passageway to rear, which is abutted by a timber cloister. Right wall (canted east end) has a single window to each cheek of each floor, these are detailed as those to façade.

Rear wall has six ground floor windows as those to façade. To basement are four windows as those to façade basement, in line with four right ground floor windows. To left, below remaining ground floor windows is a semicircular headed passageway, which is abutted by a gabled timber cloister (see later).

Left wall is abutted to centre by a single storey link block to Convent. Remaining wall is as façade with single doorway (door described with interior) to right, leading to a external decorative painted cast iron staircase falling to front cloister. Link block has a lean-to roof (running from Convent) with rendered walls. Each cheek has a semicircular headed 4/4 sliding sash window.

Front elevation has a narrow paved basement passage with a rendered retaining wall supporting a grass verge. A high wet dashed wall with ashlar granite basecourse and ashlar copping encloses front area. It has a pair of t+g sheeted painted timber shouldered doors cusped at top corners set within a stone opening of the same shape and with a stopped chamfer to the head as part of an ashlar granite porch. Over door is a Gothic headed arch with the door dressings recessed panel tympanum inset. Porch walls are ashlar granite, gabled over with stepped ashlar copping and a trifoliate finial. To front of chapel between this wall and grass verge is a cloister. Cloister runs along back of wall and has a pitched natural slate roof, and is open to other side supported by chamfered timber posts with t+g eaves (each cut to a point for decorative effect). Between street porch and passage way under chapel the cloister continues with a semicircular corrugated metal roof.

Cloister to rear of passage is similarly designed, and falls to left with granite steps, leading to St. Joseph’s Convent Primary School. Sacristy forms the left hand bay of a three bay unit the other two bays being occupied by a dwelling (no 7). There is a smooth rendered chimney on the party wall of five flues, two having pots. The cap is corbelled and the stack centres on the ridge: the roof is artificial slate with traditional corbelled eaves and slated verge: the rainwater goods are cast iron and the down pipe is on the adjacent property. There are two windows to the street one at ground and one at first floor. They are exposed box painted timber sliding sashes. The glazing of each sash is divided vertically into two panes and are both protected by wrought iron bars, set off the cill with two moulded cast iron blocks, three plain horizontals and six vertical rods brought to a point. The cills are painted stone. There is a door into the covered walkway against the gable; it is six panelled with bolection mouldings grained and varnished and no other openings or features. The front wall and the gable are smooth rendered with a canted projecting plinth. The rear abuts the chapel.

Historical information

Convent first appears on 1863 OS map, indicating a mid 19th century construction date (HMBB card says c.1862). Valuation Book of 1863 describes it as ‘Convent of Mercy’, and also cites a one-storey chapel. This must have been contained within the main block as nothing is shown on either the 1861 or 1873 town maps where the present chapel now stands.

The present chapel is shown on the 1903 town map, being cited as “Emmanuel R.C. Church”. It was therefore built sometime between 1873 and 1903, although not explicitly cited in the valuation revision books. Its internal style suggests erected c.1900.

Delist/relist 06/07/2001 relisted because extent of listing changed

Sources:
1. PRONI – VAL 1D/3/8 (1835 valuation map);
2. VAL 2B/2/39B, p.48 (1863 valuation);
3. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1835) Co Down sheet 46 (PRONI OS 6/3/46/1)
4. VAL 12E/125/4/1 (1903 map).
5. HMBB survey card dated 6 Nov 1969.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A plain exterior conceals an interior of considerable importance and quality. Alterations to layout and detail have been minimal.