St Patrick’s Parish Hall

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Double height (+ semi-basement) rectangular hall with imposing Gothic style façade facing west on to Downshire Road.

Pitched natural slate roof with smooth-rendered crenellated parapet to front. A low chimney rises at front left, just behind parapet. Front façade is painted line render; all other walls are harled over a smooth rendered base course. Projecting granite eaves course. Plastic and metal gutters.

Front façade has wide projecting central bay flanked by stepped pilasters topped by granite pinnacles. Flanked by narrow bays terminated by matching pinnacled corner pilasters. Electric light affixed to each corner. At centre is a three-order Gothic door up three steps. Door cill is at level of moulded granite plinth which runs across façade and continues around remaining three walls as a moulded string course. Double framed and sheeted painted doors with radial fanlight over. Above door is painted lettering reading‘Church of Ireland Hall’ and below, following arch head, is ‘Scriptural School’. Above door is a fine tracery window, four lancets wide, all with diamond quarries, cusped heads and with small cinquefoil rose at apex. Set in plain two-order chamfered opening with moulded granite cill. Surmounting the gable apex is a pinnacled ashlar granite bellcote open to all sides but now devoid of bell. Flanking bays each have a single Gothic lancet window with diamond quarries set in splayed opening, the moulded granite cill of which is at spring level of door arch.

Front façade is approached up a swept tarmaced area with concrete forecourt flanked by rubble granite retaining walls. To either side the ground falls to basement level at rear, leaving a void area under front entrance forecourt. This void has been vaulted with stone, and is entered on left cheek through timber door set in modern block work; right cheek is completely infilled. The façade wall within this passage way is of unrendered squared granite rubble brought to courses. Modern concrete floor. No openings into hall.

The left elevation (facing north) has a smooth rendered pilaster at each end; those at right shared with façade and those are left are pinnacled, but without finials. Wall contains three widely spaced windows across basement and across upper section, all in line. The basement windows are four paned, Gothic headed with crude Y tracery (opening casements to lower panes), and are set in splayed render reveals with moulded granite cills. The upper windows are three lancets wide (with hopper vent to central upper pane), with Gothic heads. Diamond quarries with single large diamond to central lower pane now with ventilator inserted to left and right windows. Set in similar reveals to windows below. Abutting at basement right is a small modern single storey porch. This has a monopitch corrugated asbestos-cement roof, top-hung casement window to end and framed and sheeted door to left cheek.

To rear is a projecting return which is narrower and slightly lower than main block. Has a pitched natural slate roof and metal rainwater goods. Exposed section of wall is blank.

Right cheek of return (as viewed from rear) has Gothic arched door at basement level, up 1 step. Rectangular framed and sheeted painted door with boarded over fanlight. Splayed render reveal with granite plinth block to each jamb.

Gable of return is abutted by a one storey boiler house with oil tank on top of flat concrete roof. Sheeted door to end, and top-hung casement window to right. At either side of this addition, on gable of return, is a small round headed window, divided into three panes (middle one with top hung opening casement). Above, at centre, is a Gothic window comprising two four-paned casements with broad central mullion and three-part fanlight over. Set into a splayed render reveal with moulded granite cill and wire mesh grill. Near apex is a rose window of eight radial panes and central quatrefoil light in circular boss. Plain glass and crude in detail.

Left cheek of return has, at basement level, a Gothic headed door opening up two concrete steps. Modern flush double-leaf doors with plain transom over. Splayed render reveal and granite plinth blocks to jambs.

Right elevation of hall is as left elevation except for insertion of fire escape door to right of right-hand upper floor window, just above string course. A metal fire escape descends wall towards front. Windows have plastic security covers.

Setting

Downshire Road frontage is bounded by rendered stone wall with square rendered piers (with projecting concrete caps). Original wrought-iron gates with cast finials. Boundaries to left and rear enclosed by modern corrugated metal security fence of adjoining former police compound. Boundary to south is overgrown laurel hedge.

Historical information

Originally intended to be a church, on which work started in 1840. This did not come to fruition, and it was not until 1854 that work recommenced on it as a day and Sunday school. It ceased to be a day school in 1892, but continued as a Sunday school.

Primary Sources:

1. PRONI OS 6/3/46/2 OS 6" map, 2nd edition (1858) Co Down sheet 46
2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 1D/3/8A
3. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 2B/3/69G, p.63.
4. S.J. Heasley, ‘St Patrick’s Parish Church, Newry, 1578-1978: a short historical guide, p.24. (Newry).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Double height (+ semi-basement) rectangular hall. Gothic façade to an otherwise very plain building. It is a significant architectural statement in virtually original condition and worthy of protection.