St. Mary’s Chapel (RC)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

T plan chapel dating from 1790 but much altered. Set within a large hillside cemetery with the base of the T facing east towards Chapel Street. Unusually, it has three galleries at first floor (one in each arm of the T), each of which can only be accessed independently.

The building has pitched natural slate roofs with red clay ridges, with gables to each arm of the T (the verges of which are coped and are surmounted by masonry crosses). Half round metal rainwater gutters and circular downpipes. Walls are painted wet dash render. Raised and painted smooth-rendered plinth, stepped quoins, hood mouldings, window dressings, and platband around the entire building at gallery window cill level.

All three gables are to the same design with a central hood moulded rose window at first floor, above which is a small trefoil ventilation opening. Above window on east gable (at base of T) is a granite datestone inscribed ‘AD 1790’.

The left cheek of the east gable contains, at first floor, a semicircular hood moulded window with tripartite tracery. Both cheeks of this gable are abutted by later additions which also contain the entrances to ground and first floors of the church.

The west facing elevation (top of T) is symmetrically arranged about a statue of the Virgin Mary which is surrounded by an elliptical band with raised star designs at the cardinal points. The statue is flanked at each side by a hood moulded semicircular headed stained glass window, each of which is flanked on the outside by a taller hood moulded semicircular headed window with tripartite tracery and diamond pane lattice glazing. These outer windows have modern mosaic work in three middle panels (corresponding with the gallery floor level). The middle one of these panels has a large gold cross on red and blue background; those at either side have small gold crosses on a green background with gold border.

On the right cheek of the east gable, and filling the angle made by the base and right arm of the T, is a two-storey north extension of L plan. Small pointed arch windows with coloured glass light toilets on first floor.

The extension on the left cheek is of one-storey and houses the vestry and robing rooms. It has a flat roof with two roof lights. It is accessed from a small modern porch on its south side. This contains a modern framed and sheeted external door. Steps rise over the roof of this extension to a modern porch in the middle of the east wall of the left arm of the T. This porch has a pitched natural slate roof and raised gable and contains a modern framed and sheeted door which gives access to the gallery in the south arm of the T.

The chapel is approached from Chapel St through an archway in the perimeter wall. This arch has gabled copings and is painted and rendered. To its left is a grotto with statues of St Mary and St Bernadette. A path continues from this arch to steps up to the right extension, and left down a sloping path to the ground floor entrance of the church, and onwards to the cemetery. There is also a long flight of steps down from Chapel St at north of the first entrance. The entrance to these steps has a pair of metal gates hung from rendered posts of square cross section. The Chapel St side is bounded by metal railings with circular heads in which are various Christian symbols, eg. alpha and omega.

Graveyard adjoins. The earliest legible headstone is 1735, but remains from the former abbey were also reburied here as well as various Newry bishops.

Historical information

Erected by Dr Matthew Lennon, Bishop of Dromore, in 1789 and dedicated the following year. Replaced a smaller Mass House of c.1730 which stood in the cemetery. Also known as the 'Old Chapel'. Three rose windows installed 1927. Alterations include a new roof in 1931, and new pews and organ in 1950s. Further alterations carried out 1990.

Secondary sources:

1. M Comer (1990), St Mary's and its people: a short history (Newry).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Plain rendered T plan chapel. Although much altered this chapel merits listing because of its age and its unusual layout even though its original fabric has been compromised by extensive alterations. Most alterations have been carried out with in an appropriate manner so that its historic character is preserved.