Site of former 50-52 Irish Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Site, on the sloping E side of Irish Street, formerly occupied by a two to three storey terrace house of probable late 18th century origin, but which was originally two dwellings. The property was demolished c.1991 with new 'neo-Georgian' dwellings built in its place.

The building was described in the first survey of March 1976 as, 'Two storey house in two sections. Right hand [S] section has slated roof. Brick chimney. Wall rendered, lined and, formerly, painted. Front has two first floor drop hung windows, Georgian panes. One ground floor drop hung window, horizontal astragals. Lower left hand section- Roof slated. Brick chimneys. Three storey. Upper wall rough dressed coursed stone. Ground floor rendered and lined. Four second floor and four first floor windows, Georgian panes. Ground floor has passage doorway- door sheeted, wood lintel plate, three steps. Drop hung window, horizontal astragals. Then projecting single storey porch which covers both sections. Flat roof, moulded and corbelled eaves cornice, rendered wall, bevel quoins. Doorway has elliptical arch head, moulded surround, plain fanlight, plain sidelights, moulded transom, panelled door and plain aprons. Granite step. Each side face has drop hung window, horizontal astragals.

Condition poor. Front about 40ft'.

Historical information

This site is shown occupied on the town plan of 1708 and all others thereafter. The building described above began as two separate dwellings, whose (slightly haphazardly arranged) front elevations suggest dated from the mid to later 18th century. They are shown as separate properties on the valuation plan of 1838, when the larger house [No.50] was in the hands one Thomas Boyle [?Boyd ?Boyce] with the smaller occupied by a William McNeal*. Both properties appear to have been amalgamated some time prior to 1859, for the porch is shown on the OS town plan of that year.

The building was demolished in c.1991.

References- Primary sources
1 Down County Museum ‘A plan of Downpatrick’ (c.1708)
2 PRONI D.477A ‘A survey of the town of Downpatrick in the county of Down and province of Ulster in Ireland’ by James Maguire (c.1708)
3 British Library, Addit. MS 9750, ff.71b-72 ‘A plan of the town of Downpatrick (c.1720)
4 British Library, Addit. MS 21, 131, f.90 ‘A plan of the town of Downpatrick 1729’
5 Walter Harris, ‘The ancient and present state of the County of Down’ (Dublin 1744)
6 PRONI OS/6/3/37/1 OS map, Down sh 37, 1834
7 Ordnance Survey memoirs of Co Down (IV), ed Angélique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1992), pp.38-61 [Dec. 1836]
8 PRONI VAL/1B/378 First valuation, Down, c.1838 [*Unfortunately this valuation does not supply either dimensions of buildings within Downpatrick or any indication of their age / condition; it merely gives a list of the occupants names and the rateable value of each property.]
9 PRONI VAL/1D/3/7 First valuation town plan of Downpatrick, c.1838
10 PRONI OS/8/9/1/1-24 OS town plans of Downpatrick, 1859
11 PRONI Second valuation, Down, 1863 (in print). [The map to accompany this valuation is missing.]
12 PRONI VAL/12E/120/1 Revaluation manuscript books, Downpatrick, 1864-1901
13 PRONI VAL/12E/120/1/1-24 Revaluation town plans of Downpatrick, 1864-1901 [12 sheets missing]
14 PRONI OS/8/9/2/1-3 OS town plans of Downpatrick, 1901
15 PRONI VAL/12E/120/2/1-3 Revaluation town plans of Downpatrick, 1906-35

Secondary sources
1 Lady Dunleath, P.J. Rankin, A Rowan, ‘Historic buildings…Downpatrick’ (Belfast 1970), p.15-16, 18-19
2 Anthony M. Wilson, ‘Saint Patrick’s town’ (Belfast 1995)
3 R.H. Buchanan and Anthony Wilson, ‘Irish historic towns atlas no.8: Downpatrick’ (Royal Irish Academy 1996)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Site, on the sloping E side of Irish Street, formerly occupied by a two to three storey terrace house of probable late 18th century origin, but which was originally two dwellings. The property was demolished c.1991 with new 'neo-Georgian' dwellings built in its place.