The Ballinderry War Memorial Hall

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached three-bay two-storey freestyle War Memorial hall; dated 1924 and located east of North Street, Ballinderry. T-shaped on plan with projecting porch to front.

Hipped natural slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles and timber bellcote on slated base. Roughcast chimneystacks over gabled flues. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods on overhanging timber-sheeted eaves. Walling is painted roughcast render with smooth rendered plinth and plat-band between floors. Windows are 8/8 timber-framed sliding sash to first floor and 12/12 to ground floor, all in smooth rendered painted reveals with masonry sills, unless otherwise stated.

Principal elevation faces west and is symmetrically arranged. Ground floor is completely abutted by a single-storey lean-to vestibule comprising central entrance flanked by a diamond-lattice glazed window to either side. Entrance consists of a pair of double-leaf timber doors with multi-paned top panels, embraced by a neo-Baroque style segmental canopy supported on entasis columns with pilaster responds. An oval plaque above the door has painted letters: ‘THE BALLINDERRY WAR MEMORIAL HALL ERECTED 1924’. First floor has a pair of windows flanking a breakfront central bay with occulus, surmounted by a shallow pediment.

The north elevation is four windows wide (left bay projects) with off-centre projecting gabled flue. To left is the rear wing having a window to ground and first floor; inner cheek to west has window at first floor and an original half-panelled timber door (glazing is boarded), in similar style to main entrance; with corbelled canopy over and accessed by brick and tiled step enclosed by masonry block.

The rear (east) elevation has four 6/6 windows to first floor; ground floor has two windows flanked by a small timber casement window to left and a similar opening (boarded) to right.

The south elevation is four windows wide (right bay projects) with off centre projecting gabled flue. To left is a sandstone inscribed plaque with painted lettering reading “FOUNDATION STONE LAID BY ALFRED SEFTON ESQ 5TH JULY 1924.” Inner cheek to west has window to first floor and replacement door with transom light and corbelled canopy to ground floor, accessed by brick and tiled step enclosed by masonry block.

Setting:

Situated in a largely residential area surrounded by mid and late twentieth-century housing. Set back from the road with curved walls to either side of main elevation, flanked by square piers with ball finial on plinths, and containing cast-iron gates leading to side gardens. To north is an undeveloped site. Enclosed to south and east by hedgerow and timber fence.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Roughcast render
Windows: Timber-framed sash
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

A plaque on the War Memorial Hall at Ballinderry states that the foundation stone was laid on the 5th July 1924 by Alfred Sefton Esq. a Ballinderry businessman and gentleman (Lisburn Standard, 1924). The Irish Builder records that the War Memorial Hall was designed by Robert H. Gibson who became the occupant of the Glebe House at Ballinderry (HB 19/01/046; Irish Builder, August 1931, p. 753). The hall was opened in 1924 by Sir. Robert H. Baird who commemorated the men from the area who had sacrificed their lives in the Great War: ‘In the splendid Ulster Division and other ranks, on sea and on land, in many climes the young men of Ballinderry maintained the best traditions of their loyal countryside, and though many of them, alas, sleep the long sleep in Flanders fields where poppy’s grow and in other scenes of terrible combat, they secured for us the glorious peace.’ Baird stated that ‘this large, handsome, and thoroughly equipped hall will be of practical use to the living for many years to come, and be a fitting monument so long as one stone shall stand upon another to those in whose honour it has been erected’ (Ulster War Memorials.net).

Brett describes the hall as a ‘pleasing Neo-Georgian composition’ and suggests that the architect and his client were close acquaintances due to the confident and free design of the hall (Brett, p. 251).

Within the hall is a plaque recording 83 names of those from Ballinderry who fought in the Great War, 18 of which were killed during the conflict. The hall was used by the people of Ballinderry for a number of events and organisations. In April 1930 the memorial hall was used to form a branch of the South Antrim Women’s Unionist Association (Lisburn Standard, 1930), whilst in February 1936 a Public Entertainments Licence was granted to the hall after which the hall was used for local dances. This license was only granted after safety modifications were made to the building (Lisburn Herald, 1936). In 1947 the memorial hall was used as the local Child Welfare Centre ‘for the weighing and examination of babies and children under 5 years’ to give parents advice on caring for their children through educational films and lectures (Lisburn Herald, 1947).

The War Memorial Hall was listed in May 1992.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/63/1 – First Edition OS Map 1832
2. PRONI OS/6/1/63/2 – Second Edition OS Map 1857
3. PRONI OS/6/1/63/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-1901
4. PRONI OS/6/1/63/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1920-1921
5. Irish Builder, 29 Aug 1931, p. 753.
6. Lisburn Standard, 1924; 1930.
7. Lisburn Herald, 1936, 1947.

Secondary Sources
1. Brett, C. E. B., ‘Buildings of County Antrim’ Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1996.

Online Resources
1. Ulster War Memorials Website: www.ulsterwarmemorials.net

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

The War Memorial Hall at Ballinderry is a two-storey detached hall, dated 1924, built to designs by R.H. Gibson in a free style and located east of North Street, Ballinderry. Displaying good proportions and well detailed, the hall retains its original appearance with little alteration or modification, both internally and externally. Its front elevation with attached curved flanking walls is of particular interest. This hall is of an unusual and relatively rare design and is of particular social significance within the local community, as it was built to honour the local war dead.

General comments

Included in Upper Ballinderry Area of Villiage Character