7 St. Colman’s Park

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

First of seven buildings in a terrace which slopes down St. Colman’s Park, this one sitting at the top end (there were originally another three similar houses adjoining, but these have been demolished). All these properties are of identical construction, with pitched natural slate roofs and squared rubble granite walls brought to courses. This particular building is three storeys high (+ basement) and three bays wide.

It has a cement rendered chimney on its left party wall. Half-round metal gutters with down pipe at left of street façade. The front door is at centre of this façade. The door, a modern replacement, has four-panels and is painted. It has a small rectangular transom light over. Its jambs and head are cement rendered over brick, and have a moulded architrave. At the top of the jambs are scrolled consoles which support a projecting entablature. Just right of door is a boot scraper.

To left of door is a 6/6 sliding sash window. A modern sign is suspended from a metal mounting at the top of the space between the door and window. Right of the door is a coach arch leading to lane down the back of the outbuildings at rear. The arch opening has vee jointed and stepped ashlar granite jambs, an imposted and keystoned semi-elliptical head, and granite wheel stones at bottom of each jamb. On the inside cheek of the arch, at left, is a blocked up doorway into house.

There is a one-bay basement at the left side of the building. It is lit by a single 2/2 sliding sash window, with modern metal security grille over. At first floor are three 6/6 sliding sash windows in line with ground floor openings. At second floor are three smaller 3/3 sash windows. All the windows have granite cills, and cement-rendered heads and stepped jambs (over brick). There are three-piece keystoned lintels over the ground and first floor window heads.

Wrought iron railings (over a chamfered granite plinth and with cast-iron urn-topped posts) run along the top of the basement passage at front of house, returning along the exposed side of entrance steps. Similar railings front the other houses in this terrace and also the corner block fronting John Mitchel Place (HB 16/30/005A&B). There was formerly a railing between the coach arch and front door, but only the granite plinth now survives.

The right gable is abutted by a new building, and the left one by the adjoining terrace house. The exposed sections of gable wall on both sides are cement rendered.

The rear wall is similar to that at front, with half-round metal gutters. There is no outside passage at basement level. At left is the coach arch opening, here brick headed. A modern one-storey extension abuts the right two bays, thus obscuring all the original ground floor openings. The middle bay has a 3/3 sliding sash window to the half landing between ground and first floor, and a 6/6 sash on the half landing between first and second floor. The rooms either side at first floor are lit by 6/6 sashes, and at second floor by 3/3 sashes. The faces of all window openings are trimmed with unrendered and stepped brick (the reveals are cement rendered). The first floor windows have metal security grilles over.

The modern extension has a monopitched slate roof and cement rendered walls. It links with a two-storey outbuilding at rear (the first of a continuous block running the length of the terrace).

Outbuilding

This outhouse has a natural slate hipped roof , plastic rainwater goods and rendered walls. The gable wall bounding the lane through from the coach arch has a modern window inserted at ground and at first floor level (both top hung, with metal security grilles). The back wall of the outbuilding (ie facing north) has a six-panel stained timber door, with metal security grille in front. The yard elevation is abutted by the link block and has no external openings.

Historical information

Shown on 1835 OS map as McAllister’s Terrace; this also included nos 1, 3 and 5 (above no.7), all now demolished. Noted in 1835 valuation as being occupied by Hugh Byrne – the others in the terrace were still in course of construction by James McAllister (who also owned HB 16/30/005A&B). Described in 1863 valuation as being a police barracks, along with no.9. Also cited in 1899 valuation as having this function.

Primary Sources:

1. OS 6" map, 3rd edition PRONI OS 9/15/1/3.
2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 1B.389, pp 40-1.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Three storey (+ basement)/three bay granite house in a terrace on St Colman’s Park. The street façade is of considerable architectural merit, being set within a cohesive terrace which forms one side of the square. The building is also of some historical interest as an example of mid-19th century town planning initiated by James McAllister. He also erected the block at the corner with John Mitchel Place (HB 16/30/005A&B).