Orange Hall, Newry Street, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5PY

Orange Hall

A two-storey Orange Hall of three windows wide, built in 1869, situated on the south side of Newry Street in Rathfriland. The building is finished in cement render and painted throughout, with a pitched artificial slate roof.

The front elevation features a decorative wall-head gablet positioned left of centre, itself topped with a pitched slate roof. Cement rendered chimneys with decorative copings sit to each end gable. An advanced eaves course, carried by brackets, supports the rainwater goods. The walls display blocked alternating V-channelled stucco quoins, though those to the left are obscured at ground floor by an abutting wall and those to the right by the adjoining building. A slightly advanced base course with moulded platband runs across the front. The gablet wall features a rectangular plaque inscribed "Orange Hall 1869" with a run moulded frame, above which sits a brightly painted stucco fruit basket.

Three windows are positioned to each floor, set left of centre. The windows are all modern 2/2 stained timber casements with decorative surrounds comprising a moulded cill supported by two foliated consoles, and a moulded stucco architrave with a motif-topped keystone. All keystones have a decorative dog's head applied to the front; the ground floor left and right keystones are topped with fruit baskets, whilst the central one displays a piper. The central first-floor window features a moulded stucco King William III on a white charger as its keystone. The main entrance occupies the extreme right of the ground floor, with a painted timber door of three bottom panels and a glazed top panel, topped by a two-paned transom.

The east and west gables appear to be devoid of openings. The east gable is finished in plain cement render to the first floor and loft level.

The rear elevation is substantially dominated by a very large full-height gabled return. The west face of the return carries a timber sheeted door to the right at ground floor level and a window with modern timber frame and metal security bars to the left at an intermediate stair level between ground and first floor. The entire ground floor level of the gable return is covered by a large single-storey rendered and corrugated iron extension serving as a billiard hall, with a mainly gabled roof. A window to the left at landing level between ground and first floor of the gable has a matching frame and bars. Internal evidence indicates a mid-20th century metal-framed window at ground floor of the east face of the return, though this face was not visible from outside. The exposed rear face of the main section of the building, to the left of the rear elevation and not covered by the return, has a window to ground floor and another to first floor, matching those of the west face and gable of the return. The entire rear elevation outside the extension is finished in plain unpainted cement render. The return has a cement rendered chimneystack to its gable. The rear elevation displays PVC rainwater goods.