12-14 Irish Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Mixed two and three storey terrace block containing two shops, both possibly dating from the mid to later 18th century, with No.12, the two storey property, probably the older and No.14 possibly dating from c.1790 but probably originally part of a larger property (with No.16). The properties are set within the terrace on the E side of Irish Street.

No.12
The SW facing front façade of No.12 is asymmetrical. The ground floor level is dominated by a broad, period style shop front in two sections. That to the left has a panelled and glazed door with large flanking semicircular headed ‘sidelight’ windows (set in flat arch openings), and a narrow rectangular fanlight. The section to the right has a large window with three lights as windows to left. Both sections of the shop front are flanked by rusticated piers. Each section has a narrow signboard above with a much larger plastic signboard above which spans the whole shop front. This signboard has a hood supported on curved brackets. To far left on the ground floor is a flat arch doorway leading into a narrow entry giving access to the rear.

To the first floor are three tall sash windows with Georgian panes (6/6). There is a period style projecting signboard between the 2nd and third windows. The front façade is finished lined render with in-out bevelled quoins.

To ground floor far right of the rear elevation is the rear of the side entry. Directly above this to first floor is a narrow sash window with Georgian panes (4/4). To the left of this there extends a long two storey return. To the ground floor of the NW face of this there are two doorways. The door to the left is partly glazed whilst that to the right is panelled and has narrow sidelights with sash frames (2/2). To left on the first floor is a small sash window (4/4). To right is a much larger tripartite sash window (2/2, 6/6,2/2). To far right (and set at an intermediate level) is a tall semicircular headed sash window (8/6). To the SW the return abuts a return (belonging to No.14), and, to the NE, it is abutted by another two storey block. The whole rear elevation is finished in lined render and painted.

The steeply pitched gabled roof is slated. Cast iron and PVC rw goods.

No.14
The ground floor of No.14 is completely taken up with a large shop front with mainly glazed double door to right and large area of modern style glazing. The shop front has a traditional surround with narrow timber edge pilasters and timber signboard with gabled edge ‘piers’ supported curved brackets. To the first floor are two sash windows with Georgian panes (6/6). To the second floor are two similar, but slightly smaller, windows. The front façade is finished in painted lined render.

The exposed section of the NW gable is finished in plain unpainted render and is blank. The writers did not gain access to the rear façade but were able to observe that it appears to be almost completely covered by a large two storey return.

The gabled roof is slated and has a large red brick chimney stack to NW.

Historical information

Both sides of Irish Street appear to have been largely developed by the opening years of the 18th century. This particular stretch of terrace may date from the mid to later 1700s, with No.12 probably the older and perhaps dating from c.1750s or earlier and No.14 possibly c.1790, but perhaps originally part of a larger property (which included the now almost identical No.16).

Both buildings are undoubtedly the same properties recorded in the valuation of 1838 as the homes of John Rowan (No.12) and Dr Hutton (No.14)- the latter shown on the valuation town plan, as suggested above, as part of a larger property. The OS town plan of 1859 shows that by that date the larger property of 1838 had been split into the present Nos.14 and 16.

Photographic evidence suggests the ground floor of No.14 has been a shop since c.1914 at least.

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

Mixed two and three storey terrace block containing two shops, both possibly dating from the mid to later 18th century, with No.12, the two storey property, probably the older and No.14 possibly dating from c.1790 but probably originally part of a larger property (with No.16). Whilst interesting it is not thought that they are of special architectural or historic interest.