Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB16/08/026

Address :
Bank of Ireland Church Square Rathfriland Newry Co Down BT34 5PF

Townland:
Kiltarriff

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
22/09/1981 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Bank

Former Use
Bank

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
253/7

IG Ref:
J1994 3356

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Owner Category

Financial

Exterior Description And Setting

Two storey end of terrace bank (and manager’s house) with decorative stucco façade, originally a pair of mid 19th century houses, one of which was converted to a banking hall in 1875, with both remodelled along the present lines in c.1911 to give both the bank and the manager’s house. The building is set on W side of Church Square at junction with John Street. Bank is three windows wide to first floor and manager’s house is two windows wide. Main elevation faces E, onto square. Pitched natural slate roof aligned N-S with three smooth rendered chimneys, all with overhanging moulded copings and four pots each - one to each gable and one to party wall between bank and manager’s house. Two equally spaced wall-head dormers to front pitch - one above centre of bank and one at left side of manager’s house. Each has pitched natural slate roof, plain bargeboards and smooth plastered walls. That to bank has a pair of small 1/1 sliding sash (with horns) in single opening and fixed lights to each cheek. That to house has single 2/2 sash and also a fixed light on right cheek. Walls are smooth rendered and painted. Base course has a panelled stucco dado and dado moulding which forms the ground floor cill course. Run moulded stringcourse at three-quarter height of ground floor. A moulded stringcourse runs above windows, framing a fascia topped by a moulded cornice, which forms the first floor cill course. A moulded stringcourse runs at three quarter height of first floor with fascia over, topped by a deep eaves cornice, plain blocking course over with scotia coping and raised panelled corners. At each corner of front and side elevations are tapering ionic pilasters on moulded bases. Those to ground floor rest on the dado moulding and extend to the fascia. Those to first floor rest on the first floor cill course and also extend to the fascia. Advanced plain blocks over each pilaster at fascia level. Bank is three windows wide at first floor on principal façade. Below the central window is main entrance. This consists of a varnished timber door with six raised and fielded panels. It has a semi-circular fanlight (inset with bank logo) and set in an opening with concave reveal and key block. Single pilasters as those to front corners frame this opening. The pilaster heads meet the three-quarter height string course of the ground floor and over are large fluted and foliated corbels. These rise through fascia as plain blocks to the first floor cill course, which rises to form a segmental pediment over the doorcase. The panel formed below the pediment, but over the door, has a decorative cartouche with festoons of cloth and flowers. On wall to left is modern metal plaque. Left and right bays of bank at ground floor are identical. Each has two semi circular headed windows both containing two fixed vertical lights and a semicircular transom. Plain tapering pilasters frame each window with fluted frieze below the three-quarter height stringcourse. Over is a moulded architrave with moulded keyblock. The spandrel between each pair of windows has a foliated relief panel with matching half sized spandrels to either side. The three first floor windows are 1/1 sashes with horns. Pilasters as those to either end of the façade flank the central one and the entrance pediment obscures its cill. The three-quarter height string course to this floor extends over each window as a drip mould with moulded key block. Angled timber flagpole attached to the wall between the left two windows. The ground floor of the manager’s house is two bays wide. Its front wall is detailed as the bank but has no panel detail below dado moulding. At left is entrance which consists of a six panelled door and semi circular transom, all set in reveal similar to the bank entrance and framed by similar pilasters and corbels. The corbels support plain blocks over which the cornice continues (no pediment). Ground floor right has a pair of semi circular headed 1/1 sash windows with horns, over which the stringcourse forms a hood mould. There are two 1/1 sliding sash windows to first floor detailed as those to bank. That to left (over front door) is framed by pilasters as those to either end. To front of both bank and manager’s house is a narrow paved area. Enclosing it is a chamfered painted and rendered plinth supporting decorative wrought iron railings (early 20thC) with pair of matching gates to each doorway. On left gable (S facing); the street falls away steeply to left exposing the plain base course. Ground floor detailing is as ground floor elevation of bank (dado, stringcourse, fascia, spandrels etc). There are two windows (as previous ones at G/F of bank) separated by similarly dressed blind window. Below right window is night safe reading “Hibernian Bank Ltd.”. Above are two first floor windows detailed as front. Their keystones support moulded blocks which are in line with and match the stringcourse at first floor of façade. This front eaves cornice does not cross the gable but is replicated at either side over the corner pilasters. The gable has a Dutch-style profile, which sweeps and scrolls and is capped by a shallow segmental headed pediment under the chimney. The centre of the gable has an applied blind roundel with keystone hood mould and foliated festoons. Below and to left and right of the roundel are three decorative pilasters, the left and right ones are fluted and rest on the first floor window key blocks. The central one rests on a matching corbel. This elevation continues to left as S face of the rear return. This return has a pitched natural slate roof with chimney (as those to façade), on gable end. The ground floor falls away with street but has no base course. Large rectangular opening at left (containing a modern metal roller shutter), the head of which is framed by foliated corbels supporting a segmental pediment. These corbel brackets are in line with the dado moulding of main block. Immediately to right of this entrance is a narrow infilled window opening with moulded cill, and segmental pediment above an eared moulded architrave. At first floor is a pair of 1/1 sliding sash windows (with horns) sharing string cill course, which continues across from main block. W (rear) gable of return is blank and cleared of any embellishment. Right gable forms party wall with adjoining building. Rear elevation not inspected. Right gable of main block not inspected.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

A building is shown on this site on the OS map of 1834 and all others thereafter. The first valuation town plan of Rathfriland, drawn up in 1835 shows that this corner of Church Square (then named ‘Church Street’) was then occupied by a small dwelling belonging to one John Fagan [Fegan] measuring 21ft x 22½ x 10, with three others to the north of it all measuring 11ft x 22½ x 9, occupied by a Robert Leech, James McGowan and [?Francis] Fagan respectively. By c.1861, this had altered, with a large 2½ storey dwelling, containing a post office, grocery shop and dwelling, (all in the hands of John Fegan), in place. The annual valuation revision books tell us that in c.1875 a large southern portion of this building, (i.e. the present bank section itself), was leased by Richard Fegan to the Hibernian Bank with the northern portion of the building occupied as a private dwelling. This remained the case until c.1911 when the bank gained possession of the dwelling as well, remodelling both properties to give the banking hall and manager’s house we see today. The premises were later taken over by the Bank of Ireland (who acquired the Hibernian Bank). The manager’s house remained occupied until c.1982. References- Primary sources 1 PRONI VAL/1B/358a First valuation, Drumgrath Parish, c.1835 2 PRONI VAL/1D/3/3 First valuation plan of Rathfriland, c.1835-38 3 PRONI VAL/2B/3/60b Second valuation, Rathfriland, c.1860-64 [There map to accompany this valuation appears to be missing.] 4 PRONI VAL/12B/22/20a-g Annual (valuation) revision books, 1864-c.1920s 5 PRONI VAL/12E/114/1 Valuation plan of Rathfriland, 1864-1907 6 PRONI VAL/12E/114/2 Valuation town plan of Rathfriland, 1907-35

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation H-. Alterations detracting from building I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Two storey end of terrace bank (and manager’s house) with decorative stucco façade, originally a pair of mid 19th century houses, one which was converted to a banking hall in 1875, with both remodelled along the present lines in c.1911 to give both the bank and the manager’s house.

General Comments

Date of Survey

18 May 1999