McCartan Brothers

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A pair of three and a half storey rendered stone buildings at corner of Sugar Island and Bank Parade, with contemporary rear returns and outhouses. Now combined in a single property with ground floor shop across both buildings on Sugar Island frontage. The block will be described as a single unit for the purposes of its external description.

Pitched natural slate roof with brick chimney (with oversailing copings) to each gable, and skylight to rear pitch of no.4. Metal rainwater goods. Front and gable walls are lined render. On rear block, all but rear walls are cement rendered (lined) with projecting eaves course. The rear wall is of coursed and snecked random rubble granite.

On main façade, each building has a ground floor door opening at left and shop window (7x 3 panes) adjacent at right. The opening at left has been infilled to form a shop window (3x3 panes), and sole access is now via the other (a pair of three panelled doors with six-paned transom above). All the openings have modern roller shutters. Delineating each is a fluted Ionic demi-column resting on a rendered plinth (six in total). These columns, which are hollow and probably fibreglass replacements, support a fascia above which is a dentilled cornice, all in timber. At first floor, immediately above the fascia, are four equally spaced 6/6 sliding sash windows (no horns) with granite cills. There are identical (but diminished) windows to second floor.

A two-storey building abuts the right gable; the wall above is blank.

The left gable has two modern 7x3 paned shop windows under a corrugated, cement sheet canopy which continues to left as far as gable of outbuilding at rear. Both windows have boxed roller shutters. Above and to right of canopy is a plastic box sign and at centre of first floor is a 6/6 sliding sash window.

The rear elevation has a shallow projection at centre which accommodate conjoining stair landings. This is abutted just above ground- first floor stair landing by a gabled and slated link block to building in yard. Ground floor openings to main back wall now covered with modern artificial-tiled lean-to extension which fills the yards of both buildings – it continues along side of link block and around yard building. The openings to upper floors of rear wall of main block have stepped brick jambs and flat heads, all in brick and all with granite cills. There is a single 6/6 sliding sash window to each upper floor of each building. There is a similar window to projection at half landing between first and second floors. Above each of the upper landing windows is a semicircular fanlight with five panes radiating from a semicircular core.

The link block has a gabled natural slate roof. Along each wall, a small window projects above the abutting roof of the lean-to additions. The cills to each of these openings were probably lower originally. The yard block is of rubble granite, two-storeys high, and has an asbestos tiled pyramidal roof and windows on both cheeks projecting above the surrounding, more recent, extensions. The side of the extension which fronts Bank Parade has a modern timber door at left, and two modern 5/3 paned shop windows to right, and raised skylights to roof.

Along the rear yard wall is a three-storey random rubble granite outbuilding with pitched natural slate roof. The main façade, which fronts the alley between it and the Arts Centre, is four openings wide. At ground floor is a sheet-metal door at left and modern window at right (an elongation of the original opening). Above the left-hand door is a loading door at first floor level (now infilled), and a similar door on second floor (with t+g door). Above these doors is a projecting dormer gable. The right-hand line of openings almost certainly once contained loading doors but these have been modified to take modern windows; their dormer gable has been removed. There are two windows between these at first floor (3x3 paned), and two above (both one paned). Right elevation (ie fronting Bank Parade) has, at ground floor, a 3/3 window with box roller shutter. Above is a continuation of the canopy noted above. At first floor is a 3x3 paned window (without cill) and modern fascia directly under. Elevation facing rear of main block has one 3x3 window at extreme left and right on first and second floors. A building belonging to the adjoining property abuts the remaining gable.

Historical information

The 1836 and 1838 Valuation Books note both these houses “in progress of building”. At that time they belonged to Hugh Dalzell, owner of the Newry Salt works in Bank Parade (then known as Salt Yard). The end gable and part of the façade of no.2 is shown in the Lawrence photograph.

According to the Valuation Revision book, the ground floor of both houses had been given over to commercial use by 1893 - no.2 as a shop, and no.4 as a public house. The modern works to these buildings, infilling of rear yards and extensions date from the 1970s. The 6/6 sashes on façade are a reinstatement.

Primary Sources:

1. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 1B/ 246C, p.113.
2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 1B/ 246A, p.62.
3. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 1D/3/8E.
4. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI -VAL 2B/2/39B, p.6.
5. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI -VAL 12B/15/1G, p.248.

Secondary Sources:

1. Photograph no1171 (pre 1890) in Lawrence Collection.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A pair of three and a half storey rendered stone buildings.This complex has been much altered to the extent that only the backs of the houses retain all their original features. The internal fittings survive in a reasonably complete state on all but the ground floors. These buildings also have some presence on this prominent corner location.