The Master's House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two classical Georgian town houses to left end of a group on north side of Abbey Yard. The left one is three storey (+ basement), and two bay. The right one is two storey and single bay. Both form a single property.

LEFT BUILDING

Left building has a double pitched natural slate roof with central valley and raised skews. Cement rendered chimney to each front gable (right one shared with adjacent property), and a third to the rear left gable. There are semicircular metal rainwater goods to facade (but no downpipe), downpipe to right side of left gable elevation and one to left of rear elevation.

Façade walls are lined cement render with projecting granite eaves course. Main entrance is at (raised) ground floor right and is accessed by a flight of thirteen granite steps (with landing halfway) rising from right. Bottom step is bull-nosed, with circular (in section), ball finialed granite newel. Steps are enclosed by plain metal railings supporting a handrail. A granite panel is set into the front cheek of the steps. It commemorates the Abbey on this site and the restoration of the property in 1991.

Reproduction front door is six panelled (raised and fielded) painted timber, with beaded muntin. Above is a rectangular transom with geometric timber glazing bars. To left and right of door are modern plaques, and to left of transom is a reproduction coach lamp.

Left of door are three equally spaced 6/6 sliding sash windows, each with no horns and with granite cills. The basement has a passage which is accessed by concrete steps from left; and enclosed by plain spiked railings with urn topped cast iron posts, resting on a chamfered base wall. At basement, below the central ground floor window, is a reproduction six paned and timber panelled door with transom (as front door). This door is set within a chamfered, granite post and lintel surround. To right of door is a 6/6 sliding sash as ground floor. The left cheek of the front steps contains a quarter window with radiating timber glazing bars.

At first and second floor are four equally spaced windows. Those to first floor are 6/6 sliding sash with granite cills and those to second floor are 2/2 sliding sash and are diminished in height. All with no horns.

Left gable is lined cement render. A cement rendered chimney rises up left side. To its right are two windows -one to first floor and one above. Both are 6/6 sliding sash with granite cills.

Wall to rear elevation is lined cement render, set back slightly from first floor with a projecting granite eaves course. The basement is at ground level due to the sloping topography. The left bay is one window wide and contains a stair well. The right bay is two windows wide.

All windows have no horns and granite cills. At basement right is a pair of 6/6 sliding sashes and to left is a lower 6/3 window all with security bars over. At ground floor left is a small 3/3, and at right is two tall 6/9 sliding sashes. At left between ground and first floors is a 6/6 sliding sash landing window. At first floor are two 6/6 sliding sash windows. To left between first and second floors is a 6/6 half-landing window. At second floor are two 3/3 sliding sash windows.

Right elevation is abutted to left by the gable of the adjacent building. The remaining wall is painted, lined; cement render with set backs demarcating first and second floors. At ground floor left is a modern nine paned and panelled door reached from the veranda of the right hand building. Modern stone steps fall from the veranda to ground level. At basement, under these steps in line with ground floor door is a similar door.

RIGHT BUILDING

Building to right is two storey (+ basement and attic). Basement is at ground level due to the sloping topography. Roof is pitched and natural slated with a cement render chimney to each gable (that to left is shared with first building). Right gable has granite skews. Walls are lined render with raised unpainted concrete eaves course.

At basement right is a semi-elliptical coach arch with stepped, painted granite quoins to jambs and head. This has been infilled with a lined cement render wall. Inserted into this is a small 6/6 sliding sash window with granite cill and security bars over. To left is a small casement with bars over and a granite cill. To ground floor is two 6/6 sliding sashes; the right one rests on the flattened quoins of the coach arch. To second floor are two similar windows.

Left gable abuts the gable of the first building.

Rear elevation is painted, lined cement render. Basement is at ground level due to the sloping topography of the site. Each floor has two openings. At left of basement is a modern timber flush door, and to right is a 6/3 sliding sash window with security bars. At first floor are two French windows with a pair of square transoms over each. Three moulded granite steps lead from each window to a cantilevered granite slab veranda, which is enclosed by plain iron balusters supporting a metal handrail. Two decorative iron trellises support the veranda. At first floor are two 6/6 sliding sash windows, each with external horizontal bars guarding bottom sash.

Right gable is abutted to left by the gable of the link block with no.9. The remaining wall is cement rendered with single 1/1 sliding sashes (with granite cills) over each pitch of the link block roof at second floor level. At ground floor right is a modern cement render lean to boiler house with artificial slate roof, metal flues and metal-sheeted door to rear and a louvred panel to right cheek.

To rear of both buildings the former garden has been given over to car parking, with a small sundial in a planted area below the rear veranda. Access to rear is gained through the coach arch in the link block from no 9.

Historical information

This area of ground was first developed by Isaac Corry (grandfather of Isaac, Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer) in the mid 1700s. A house, probably this one, is shown here on John Rocque’s 1760 map, and it sits on the site of an earlier Cistercian monastery. It continued to be occupied by the Corry family until well into the 19th century. From the early 1900s until 1972, it formed part of the Christian Brothers School.

Its name derives from fact that this building was the first used as residential accommodation for the school masters. When the school relocated, the premises fell into dereliction until restoration by Clanrye Community Workshop 1986-91.

Primary sources:
1. J. Rocque (1760), ‘Plan of the town of Newry’.
2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 1B/389, p.97
3. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 2B/3/69H, p.144.
4. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 12B/22/17A, p.156.

Secondary Sources
1. T. Canavan (1989), ‘Frontier town: an illustrated history of Newry’, p.90 (Belfast: Blackstaff Press).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship

Evaluation

Two classical Georgian town houses to left end of a group on north side of Abbey Yard. This is an elegant early nineteenth century house and part of an important group in a prominent position in the town. The building underwent a substantial restoration, the exterior is largely intact and a significant number of internal features survive.