1-3 Market Street and 7 Irish Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Relatively large three storey corner block of 1913-14 with shops and offices, in red brick with large gables, dentilled overhanging eaves and an oriel window set on a bevelled corner. The property is situated at the corner of Irish Street and Market Street, in the middle of Downpatrick town centre.

The longer SE elevation faces into Market Street and is asymmetrical. To the right of centre is a tall recessed doorway with large panelled timber door with large segmental headed fanlight (which leads to the apartment- no.1 Market Street).

To the left of this doorway is a large (bookmakers) shop front (no.3 Market Street). This shop front is symmetrical with a central doorway flanked by large plate glass shop windows and painted brick piers. Over is a signboard which is linked to a ‘course’ which stretches around the rest of the block. The shop front has somewhat modernised in recent years; the central recessed doorway appears to have a roller shutter and the signboard is faced in what appears to be plastic.

To the right of the office doorway is another shop front (no.7 Irish Street). This is set on the corner of the block with a plate glass window facing into Market Street, a deeply recessed doorway set on the (E facing) bevelled corner of the block, and a glazed larger boarded over window facing into Irish Street. The whole ensemble has painted brick piers, the doorway has a recent glazed door and recent timber signboards have been placed over each of the three openings (below the level of the original signboard ‘course’).

To the first floor of the SE elevation there are six unevenly grouped segmental headed window openings all with sash frames. To the second floor are two groups of two similar (but slightly shorter) windows, with each group set partly within a large gable with dentilled overhang.

The bevelled corner of the block is finished is dry dash. To the first floor is a relatively narrow three-sided oriel window with mullioned and transomed frame and flat roof. The second floor level is blank.

The short NE elevation has a single window to both upper floors, as those to SE. The second floor window is partly set within a gable, as SE.

The exposed (second floor) section of the SW gable of the block is rendered and possesses no openings. The NW elevation was largely obscured from view and its upper floors could only be partially glimpsed from a the rear of no.5 Irish Street. These floors are in red brick (as much of rest of block) and possess some windows similar to those to SE and NE. Map evidence suggests the ground floor level (i.e. no.3 Market Street) has been extended.

The gabled roof is slated and has a pronounced overhang with dentils. To NW there (to gable of no.5 Irish Street) there is a tall red brick chimneystack with a ‘cornice’ course and five uniform pots. Cast iron rw goods.

Historical information

The valuation records tell us that this corner block was built in 1913-14 by a John Denvir and originally contained ‘shops, warerooms and workrooms’. It replaced a house of probable mid 18th century origin (which photographic evidence shows was much in the same style as the present nos.1-5 Irish Street). The ‘new’ building has continued to contain shops and offices ever since 1914, latterly clothing businesses and an accountant’s office. A bookmaker’s shop now occupies no.3 Market Street, but the rest of the block is vacant.

References- Primary sources
1 Down County Museum Photograph of Irish St, c.1880 [reprinted in ‘Saint Patrick’s town’ by Anthony M. Wilson (Belfast, 1995), p.184]
2 PRONI VAL/12E/120/2/1-3 Valuation town plans of Downpatrick, 1906-35
3 PRONI VAL/12B/18/7j Annual valuation revision notebook, Downpatrick U.D., 1908-20
4 LHL ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster directory’ (Belfast, 1914- )

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Relatively large three storey corner block of 1913-14 with shops and offices, in red brick with large gables, dentilled overhanging eaves and an oriel window set on a bevelled corner. It is of little architectural or historic interest.