Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB16/28/054 D

Address :
St. Clare’s Convent Primary School High Street Newry Co Down BT34 1HB

Townland:
Ballinacraig

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Survey 2:
Record Only

Date of Listing:

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
School

Former Use
School

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
266/7 SW

IG Ref:
J0876 2632

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Owner Category

Church - RC

Exterior Description And Setting

Part of an extensive complex which also comprises a convent and chapel (HB16/28/054A), burial vault (HB16/28/054B), oratory (HB16/28/054C), laundry (HB16/28/054E) and wells (HB16/28/054F). The school complex comprises: (1) a main block aligned E-W with the road; (2) a rear return thereon; (3) an annex to front at NW; (4) an annex to rear at SW; and (5) a three-storey section incorporated in a four-storey section of the convent block. 1. Main block Three storeys high; the school occupies the first two floors and the convent the top floor (accommodation). Half-hipped natural slate roof. Painted and lined cement rendered walls with contrasting painted base course. The principal elevation faces N to street. Its middle section advances forward slightly. At left, middle and right to G/F is a 6/6 sliding sash. Between these three windows are two narrower 4/4 sashes (seven openings in all). At left, middle and right to F/F are two 4/4 sliding sashes. Between these are single 6/6 windows (eight openings in all). At left and right to S/F are two 6/6 sashes; at middle is a single 4/4 sash. All these openings are set in chamfered reveals; those to G/F and F/F have two-centred heads and infilled spandrels between the head opening and actual (stooled) window lintels. The east gable has a skylight in its half-hipped roof. The G/F and F/F are encompassed by the main convent block. The exposed second floor section has a 6/3 sash window. On the rear elevation, a rendered chimney rises from the eaves towards the right-hand end (as viewed from south). The roof pitch has two skylights. Abutted to left by a slightly lower three-storey return. The G/F has three 6/6 sliding sash windows. The F/F is similar, but the windows are taller. The S/F is similar but the windows are shorter. All are set within stooled heads and have painted granite cills. This right-hand section of this elevation comprises a slightly lower hipped block. It has a G/F door (with t+g sheeted transom over) and a 6/6 landing light between the G/F and F/F, and again between the F/F and S/F. The G/F of this block is abutted by a covered walkway running to S. The west gable has two 6/6 sash windows to G/F and also to F/F; all have stooled heads. At S/F centre is a two-centred arched opening with multi-paned and margined sliding sash. To its right is a flat-headed 6/6 sash. A modern metal fire escape is affixed to the left-hand side. 2. Rear return A three storey block with pitched natural slate roof, chimney on S gable, half-round gutters and walls finished as main block. Viewing the block from the south, the gable has a 6/6 window to G/F, another to F/F and two narrower 6/6 windows to S/F; all have granite cills. The right cheek has a 6/6 sash window to each floor, in line with one another. The left cheek is identical but also has a t+g door to the left of the G/F window. 3. Annex at NW Three storeys high; top floor is occupied by the convent, and the remaining floors by the school. Natural slate roof, hipped with gablet to N and verged and gabled to south. Chimney rises from S gable. Half-round metal gutters on projecting plain eaves course. Walls finished as main block. The north gable has two 6/6 sash windows to G/F and to F/F. At S/F is a smaller 6/6 sash. All but the top floor windows are set in two-centred arched openings with stooled infills to their heads and chamfered jambs. There are two small vents between the windows at G/F-F/F level. The east elevation is six windows wide. The section containing the middle pair advances slightly. At G/F are six windows set in openings as gable; the middle two windows are narrower. Below the left-hand window (looking W) is a double-leaf 3-panel painted door with raised jamb and flat head. At F/F are six sash windows in line with those to G/F; identical openings. To S/F are five 6/6 sashes, diminished in height (one only to projecting section), all with stooled heads. The south gable is abutted by a modern metal fire escape staircase (with door at top) and at left by part of the SW annex. This elevation has miscellaneous sliding sash windows of irregular spacing and size. West elevation has three 6/6 sliding sashes and two entrances ways to G/F. At F/F there is a 6/6 sash over the left and right G/F windows, a pair of narrow 4/4 sashes to centre, and a small 2/2 sash at right. At S/F there are six 6/6 sashes. All have stooled heads (except G/F right) and granite cills. 4. Annex at SW This building is three storeys high with a semi-basement (opening to W). Flat concrete roof with parapet to S, E and W (the last sheeted over with profiled metal). Half-round gutters and down pipes along E side. Walls finished as main block of school. The E elevation is six opening wide. Four windows and two doors to G/F. Both upper floors have a pair of 2/2 sashes at left and 6/6 sashes in the remaining four openings. The S gable has, to the semi-basement, a door and four windows (three with paired 1/1 sashes, the fourth with a single 1/1 sash). To G/F are five openings (four with paired 1/1 sashes, the fifth with a single 1/1 sash). The F/F and S/F each have a tall narrow 2/2 sash. The W elevation has to its semi-basement four windows (of which three are paired 1/1 sashes) and a door. There are eight windows to G/F and nine to F/F and S/F; at G/F, all but one are 3/3 sashes, and 4/4 to the upper floors. The N gable is blank except for a large opening at G/F. There is a chimney rising from eaves level at left. 5. Section in convent block A four-storey section, the top two floors of which are used by the convent, and the lower two by the school. Pitched natural slate roof and painted and lined walls. The ground floor is abutted by an external flat-roofed walkway. A metal handrail runs along the top of this roof as there is access to the actual roof from the F/F of an abutting block to the south. Directly above the roofline are five 2/2 top-opening casements. At F/F are six 6/3 sashes and, at S/F, seven 2/2 sashes. The fourth floor is a 1960s addition and is lit by eight modern casements. The remaining elevations are abutted by adjoining buildings.

Architects

Bourke, John

Historical Information

Foundation stone of school laid in 1866. It replaced an earlier girls school elsewhere in the convent. The ground floor was an infants’ school, the first floor an industrial school, and the top floor for the use of the nuns. Architect John Bourke of Charlemont St, Dublin. Cost £2500 and completed by Mr B. Maginnis, a Newry contractor in 1868. The SW annex was added in 1930. Secondary sources: 1. G. Fay (ed) Proud People: a Newry anthology, pp 13-17. 2. Irish Builder, 1 April 1868, p.89.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

Not listed

Historic Interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A school complex comprising several blocks of varying ages and character. Of interest in terms of its association with the convent, but not of sufficient merit to list.

General Comments

Date of Survey

17 April 2000