6-8 Dromore Street, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5LU

6–8 Dromore Street, Rathfriland, is a large double-pile, three-storey townhouse of 18th-century date, situated on the south side of Dromore Street. The front right portion is reduced to two storeys in height. The three-storey main block is four openings wide, with a pitched natural slate roof and rendered chimneys on the north gable and between the first and second openings from the left. The walls are painted lined cement rendered. Modern plastic rainwater goods are fitted to a moulded granite eaves course.

The main entrance occupies the right opening at ground floor and consists of a four-panelled door of mid-to-late 19th-century date, with bolection mouldings and brass furniture, topped by a plain glazed transom. The doorcase is of finely dressed granite from the late 18th century, topped by a moulded granite drip mould, with a bell pull on the wall to its right. The two openings to the left of the entrance are 1/1 exposed box sliding sashes with horns and painted granite cills. All other windows on the façade are identical. At the left is a large flat-headed coachway with flat iron gates, leading to the rear. Each upper floor has four windows, diminished in height on the second floor, with the left windows on each floor spaced further apart than the others. A second, two-storey block to the north has a pitched natural slate roof with a rendered chimney on the west gable and two windows on each floor in line with those of the first floor of the main block. Plain railings and a rendered dwarf granite wall enclose the small front area, with urn-topped cast-iron posts to the railings and a matching gate. Inside the coachway, a window opening on the right (north) wall is infilled with concrete blocks.

The rear elevation is almost completely abutted by a three-storey rear pile, save for the right bay (as viewed from the rear). This bay contains the coachway at ground floor, a probably 19th-century angled link at first floor connecting to the rear pile, and a modern rectangular single-pane casement window at second floor. The rear pile has a roof similar to the first pile with two rendered chimneys, one at the centre of the ridge and another from wall head to the right of centre. A clay ridge tile on the rear pile's south block is inscribed "S. MURPHY"; the owner claims a date of 1690 also appears on the tile but this is no longer readable. The south gable has two windows to each floor, except where an angled link fills the right opening of the first floor. At ground floor, there is a 1/1 sash window with horns at left and a pair of six-paned timber casements with an external iron grille at right. The first-floor left window is a modern 1/1 casement in an original opening; to its right is the link with a modern timber 4 x 2 window and flat roof. The two second-floor windows are modern casements with a vent in the gable apex. The rear elevation of the rear pile has unpainted cement rendered walls with the following openings from left to right at ground floor: a modern post-war cube porch with rendered walls and concrete roof and a modern door on its right cheek; above is a window opening with raised cill to accommodate the porch, containing a modern stained timber window; to the left of centre is a large 2/2 modern casement window serving the kitchen, and to the right is the back door, a late 18th-century door with four raised and fielded panels and two glazed upper panels. Two windows occupy the left side of each upper floor, and one window sits between first and second floors at right (serving the stairwell), with the same arrangement above. All are 1/1 exposed box sashes, except the first-floor left window, which has been replaced with a modern 1/1 casement. Those at second floor are diminished in height. The left (east) gable of the rear pile has an infilled window opening to the attic.

To the rear are numerous rubble stone and natural slate outbuildings, including a small house yard, a yard beyond fronting Back Road, and a large enclosed garden. Two outbuildings are particularly prominent as they also front Back Road to the northwest of the house.

The first, nearest Dromore Street, is a single-bay, three-storey building with a pitched natural slate roof, tiled verges, and no gutters. The random rubble granite walls have brick eaves; all openings to the upper floors have brick relieving arches. The road (north) elevation has two window openings to the middle and loading doors at either end at ground floor. The second floor has four window openings in line with those below. The left (east) gable is blank. A lower rubble stone building, now roofless, abuts it. The yard (south) elevation is abutted at ground floor left by a single-storey building; a loading door occupies the right side, with one on each floor above. The top floor has three small replacement windows. The right (west) gable is blank, with a wall continuing rightward to another outbuilding.

The second building is situated further down the road. It is of similar construction to the first outbuilding but lacks brick relieving arches. Its road (north) elevation has a pedestrian door to the left and a wider door to the right; a loading door sits between them at first floor, and a small shuttered opening at first floor right. The left (east) gable is blank but shows traces of an infilled loading door at ground floor. This section was abutted by a lower gabled building, of which only the ghost now survives, and a large segmental-headed coach arch to Back Lane. The yard (south) elevation has a door to ground floor left (with steps down from ground level) and a small window opening to ground floor right; both openings have feather-and-wedge split granite lintels. The upper floor is blank. The right (west) gable is blank. A lower gabled outbuilding in ruined condition abuts it. Its road elevation has various openings. A monopitched building, now ruinous, abuts this building to the north.