Milepost in wall of 30 Hill Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A painted cast-iron milepost embedded in the basal course of Dunne’s Store, at the junction of Hill Street and O’Hagan Street.

The exposed face, which has a pointed head, measures 31cm wide by 41cm high. It reads “Dublin 50 Dundalk 10 Banbridge 10” (Irish mile distances)

Historical information

A milepost is shown hereabouts on the 1861 town map. At this time an open mill race ran down what was to become O’Hagan Street and the post was then a stand-alone artefact on the north side of the race where it emerged from underneath the east side of Hill Street. This race was covered over in the mid 1870s, and it is likely that the post was repositioned to the shop, a few yards to the south, around this time. This shop, appropriately known as the ‘Milestone Building’, was erected by Arthur and James McCann (Newry bakers), and opened in 1879. John Quinn (founder of the Quinnsworth chain) took over the shop about 1911 and traded under the name “Quinns of the Milestone”. The shop is now owned by Dunnes Stores.

Primary Sources:
1. OS map 1861 edition, PRONI – OS 9/15/2/16.
2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 12B/22/17B, p.11.

Secondary Sources:
1. P. Makem and G. Murphy (1987), Five generations of baking in Newry, 1837-1987 (Newry: Arthur McCann Ltd).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A painted cast-iron milepost. Hill Street was formerly on the turnpike road between Belfast and Dublin and this post marks mileage along this route. It is similar to another near Millbrook Villas on Belfast Road (HB16/26/067) and one at 169 Belfast Road (HB16/14/056). It is an interesting survival and a well-known local landmark.