Site of former 56-58 Irish Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Site, on the sloping E side of Irish Street, formerly occupied by a pair of small two storey houses / shops of possible late 18th construction, demolished c.1991 with new dwellings in place.

The building was described in the first survey of March 1976 as, Two storey block of two houses and shops. Roof slated. Concrete brick chimney. Wall rendered and lined. Two first floor drop hung windows, Georgian panes. Ground floor has combined window and door- combined door and window, each framed with thin, fluted pilasters below recessed narrow signboard. No.56, window now steel casement, door sheeted, plain fanlight. No.58, doorway similar but window four light wood casement.
Condition poor'.

Historical information

This site is shown occupied on the 1708 town plan of Downpatrick and all others thereafter. Like much of the rest of Irish Street, the properties described above probably dated from the late 18th or early 19th century, perhaps c.1800. Both appear to be indicated on the valuation plan of 1838, when No.56 was in the hands of a William Gordon and its neighbour in possession of a Robert Bell*. Both properties were 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 pair of small two storey houses / shops of possible late 18th construction, demolished c.1991 with new dwellings in place.