Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB16/29/017 A

Address :
Church of the Sacred Heart (RC) Adj. to 134 Dublin Road Newry Co Down

Townland:
Drumalane

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
29/11/1993 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Church

Former Use
Church

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
266/15

IG Ref:
J0820 2390

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Owner Category

Church - RC

Exterior Description And Setting

Basilica plan church in a Hiberno-Romanesque style. Constructed from coursed rock faced granite with finely dressed detailing. It sits on a hillside, with a sweeping driveway and flight of granite steps, flanked by decorative cast iron lamp standards. See also HB16/29/017B (parochial house) and HB16/29/017C (front gates and walling), also on the site. Church (which is aligned east-west) consists of a rectangular nave, side aisles and sanctuary, with projecting sacristy to rear right, and a square based tower abutting the right side of the west façade. Roof: stone-coped gables over nave and mono-pitched to side aisles, all natural green slate in diminishing courses. Alternating crested ridge tiles. Moulded granite brackets hold cast iron cyma recta gutters and rainwater goods with decorated hopper heads. All walls, unless otherwise stated, are rock-faced granite ashlar, with stepped base course and smooth faced granite dressings. All windows are leaded. Main façade (west facing): Comprises a fenestrated gable, with lean-to gable (aisle) abutting to the left and tower abutting to the right. Gable to centre and left aisle both have buttresses rising to mock machicolations along wall heads. Central doorway (3 steps up) set in a deeply recessed Romanesque arch with a pair of colonettes in stepped jambs to either side. Pair of timber doors (into vestibule) each comprising two rows of mullet panels with large metal handles and other external furniture. Directly above doorway, in centre of gable, is a label-moulded rose window, consisting of a multi-foil window ringed by eight smaller cinqefoil windows. Below window, within its finely dressed surround, is a small decorative arcade of nine blind semicircular-headed arches. Left of main gable: lean-to aisle roof. Gable has a tripartite window (each opening has a semicircular head, central one taller), within a larger semicircular arched surround with hood mould extending at either side as a string course. Right of main gable: square planned tower forming a stop to the south aisle. The tower comprises three stages, delineated by stringcourses: Stage one (G/F): tripartite window like that on left gable. Above is a statue of the Sacred Heart (Christ) under a crocketted and pinnacled granite canopy. Stepped buttresses rise up edges of the tower to eaves level of nave, and define the top of the first stage. Stage two (rises above eaves level), recessed wall panel with a blind arcade of three elongated semicircular-headed arched openings. Above this is a mock-machicolated stringcourse terminating the second stage. Third stage: arcade of three semicircular headed arches supported by Romanesque colonnettes and capitals. Below cill is a balustrade formed of seven semicircular headed blind panels. Above the windows is a mock-machicolated eaves course. Roof: a squared onion cupola with fish-scale copper tiles, and crocketted ridges and base, with pinnacle and cross finial and small projecting copper ogee headed blind lucarnes at ¾ height. The tower right elevation: two granite steps lead to a mullet-panelled double-leafed timber door (similar furniture to main doors). This is set within a semicircular headed, hoodmoulded, surround with bead-moulded jamb. Semicircular stair tower (with slit windows) abuts to right, finishing (just above side aisle eaves) in a conical stone roof wrapped around the corner of the tower. Church: left elevation: Side aisle windows: five pairs of semi circular headed windows with Celtic motifs in stained glass. Slightly projecting gable between the second and third pair of aisle windows (from left) on side aisle contains confessional: It contains a cinquefoil window with stone cross finial. Clerestory windows to nave: six sets of three semicircular headed stained glass windows, and three cinquefoil rose windows to sanctuary. Side chapel projects as a gable (with stone cross finial) below rose windows on extreme left at G/F. Its gable end contains: Two central semi circular headed stained glass windows with stained glass oeil de boeuf above. Rear gable of the sanctuary: Three semi circular headed stained glass windows (central window is taller), at clerestory level. Side aisle terminates at left (contains second chapel) with sacristy beyond. The end gable of the side aisle has two semi circular headed stained glass windows. The sacristy has a coped and gabled natural slate roof with chimney near end. It has two semicircular-headed windows to each side elevation. Its end gable has two semicircular-headed stained glass windows with a slit louvred window above. Church: Right elevation: Ground floor: Four pairs of semi-circular headed stained glass windows along aisle wall, between tower and sacristy. Projecting gable (confessional) is situated between the second and third pair of aisle windows (details as left elevation). To clerestory: five groups of three semi circular headed windows run from left to right, to right of these are three cinquefoil rose windows to sanctuary.

Architects

Ashlin & Coleman

Historical Information

Foundation stone was laid by Cardinal Logue on 11th June 1911; church dedicated on 23rd April (Easter Sunday) 1916. Was consecrated on 6th September 1930 by Cardinal McRory. Architects were Ashlin and Coleman of Dublin; builders were Neary and O’Hare of Newry. Source: 1. Sacred Heart Church, Cloughoge 1916-1991 (Newry, 1991).

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form I. Quality and survival of Interior K. Group value

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

An important basilica plan 20th century church in a Hiberno-Romanesque style, an architectural landmark set on a prominent elevated site. High quality contemporary interior, with fine detailing, relatively unaltered.

General Comments

Date of Survey

12 September 1997