The Hibernian Club

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Three storey L-shaped corner building on the corner of The Mall and O’Hagan Street. The building is divided into two separate properties. One fronts The Mall to the left (now seemingly numbered 41a), the second wraps around the corner.

Roof is L-shaped, pitched with hipped ends. There is a modern red brick chimney to front pitch of elevation to The Mall; and conical louvred extraction vent to front pitch of O’ Hagan Street elevation.

Walls are red brick with raised chamfered basecourse. Courses three yellow bricks deep run at ground and first and first and second floor levels. There is a ciurse comprising a single yellow brick with curved red brick below forming a projecting eaves course. Corner curves with street, and is inset at second floor level with a rectangular brick panel at second floor level yellow brick detailing forming ‘1876’.

The first property has a modern polished granite shopfront at ground floor left; with roller shuttered, modern three panelled door to right, leading to upper floors. At first floor are three segmental headed 1/1 sliding sash windows, with quadrant brick reveals and granite cills. To upper floor are two similar to sides, but the central window seems once to have been a loading door and is now a three pane fixed light. Above is a projecting timber beam for a former hoist.

Second property, to corner of The Mall and O’Hagan Street: To The Mall, centred at ground floor is a recessed doorway with pilasters and entablature over. It contains a pair of modern painted timber (four panelled) doors. The frieze has "Hibernian Club" in embossed, painted letters over doorway. Below this, in recess over doorcase are letters AOH (Ancient Order of Hibernians).

There is a single window to either side of door. Both are 1/1 top-hung modern stained timber with security grills over. There are three similar windows to each upper floor. The central window to both floors seem once to have been loading doors and have since been raised in line with the other cills. All windows are set within segmentally headed, curved brick reveals. Flagpole now fixed below upper floor centre window, accessed by side opening casements in lower half of windows.

O’Hagan Street elevation: At ground floor are five ground floor openings all detailed as those on facade. Fifth opening from left is a doorway, with louvres over (a modern insertion into window). Central window is wider but shorter (higher cill), and is two paned. All have fixed metal security grilles. To first floor are five modern top hung (two with ventilation fans) windows, as ground floor. Central window is broader and seems to have been a loading door with its cill level now raised, (modern brick infill breaking yellow brick course below). The other four openings seem also to have had their cill levels raised, and have four rows of modern bricks below new cill level. Windows to second floor are all equal 1/1 top-hung casements but cill levels have not been altered. In middle three windows top pane is blocked up with ventilation fan to centre. Left elevation is abutted by building to left on The Mall. Second floor gable is rendered and blank. Right elevation is abutted by building to right on O’Hagan Street.

Rear elevation was not inspected.

Historical information

1876 datestone on wall attests to construction date. At this time O’ Hagan Bridge (HB16/28/081) was also built to extend the Mall over an open millrace. Catholic Working Men’s club has occupied the building since early 1900s. Interior recently stripped out and refurbished.

Primary Sources:

1. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 12B/22/17A, p.25 (1906 valuation book).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Three storey L-shaped corner building. Interesting high Victorian building formed in brick on curved corner. Interior now lost.

General comments

In first survey as HB16/30/023