Frontier Cinema

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical three-storey/three-bay late 19th c. building, with central entrance, fronting John Mitchel Place.

Its slated pitched roof is finished with raised parapet gables and a brick chimney stack to each end, with modern concrete copings. Red brick walls with granite quoins to upper floors, and rendered dressings to openings.

The ground floor has a recessed arched door at centre. This has a semicircular fan light flanked by rendered pilasters supporting corbel brackets to bay window above, thus forming an entrance canopy, the top of which continues across façade to form a cornice at the base of the first floor. To either side on ground floor are shop fronts now largely obscured by face-mounted metal roller shutter doors. Left shop front fascia lettering reads “Founded 1883”. Below, set within original shop front above modern shutter, is a further fascia reading “Irish National Foresters John Mitchel Branch.” Corresponding panels to right side read “Erected 1906” and “Frontier Cinema”. There is a pilaster on each end.

The first floor has a large canted bay at middle, with rendered finish. This rests on the rectangular canopy projection which is topped with two floral relief semi-circular mouldings. The bay, which is capped with a balustraded parapet around its roof, consists of three timber windows, the middle one being the widest. To either side of the bay is a timber window (one fixed light over two opening casements) in a decorative rendered surround, with granite cills and rendered apron panels.

The second floor has four 1/1 sliding sash segmental- headed windows, the middle two paired above the central bay roof, which also holds the flagpole. Window surrounds are in curved canted brick specials, with granite cills and small rendered apron panels. The wall is finished with a projecting cornice, with open balustrade above. The latter is in three sections with brick piers containing rendered recessed panels.

Historical information

The Irish National Foresters’ Benefit Society was founded in 1877, and a branch established in Newry in 1885. The present building, known as the Mitchel Memorial Hall, was opened in March 1907, building having begun the previous year. First cited as 1908 entry in valuation revision book. In 1912, the Mitchel Memorial Assembly Hall was added at the back to house a cinema. In 1923, a bar and refreshment room were also opened.

Primary Sources:

1. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 12B/22/17A, p.133.
2. Plaque on wall.

Secondary Sources:

1. Exploring living memory, part 4: Newry, the Mournes and South Armagh, pp.24-5 (Newry & District Confederation of Community Groups, 1997).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A symmetrical three-storey/three-bay late 19th c. building. This building is typical of the grand civic scale of building in early 20th c, with attractive detailing including large oriel bay and central door case. However, it is not of special architectural or historic interest.