2-4 Church Square, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5PT

A pair of four-storey buildings sharing a common roof, occupying the corner of Church Square and Main Street in Rathfriland, locally known as Thompson's Corner. Dating from the early 19th century (probably 1831–2, contemporary with the adjacent former Methodist Chapel), these properties form part of a corner block recorded on the 1776 map of Rathfriland. The 1834 valuation records the block as comprising three shops, each 33 feet high, confirming the buildings have not been subsequently raised. A third similar building (No. 6) adjoins this pair.

The buildings are constructed with painted and lined cement-rendered walls. They share a pitched natural slate roof with lined cement-rendered chimneys—one projecting from the left end gable and one positioned between the two properties. An advanced painted stone eaves course with modern plastic guttering, fed into a cast-iron hopper and downpipe running between the properties, is a later addition.

No. 2 (left side of the group) presents a west-facing front elevation to Church Square. The ground floor contains two large modern shop fronts with glazed timber doors at the centre flanked by large shop windows with narrow transoms, all detailed with cement pilasters and fascia. The first floor has four equally spaced window openings. Above this, the windows diminish in height on each floor. First-floor windows are painted timber 1/1 sliding sashes with horns and exposed boxes; second-floor windows are similar, although the left two are 6/3 sashes; third-floor windows are modern 2/2 top-hung casements. All upper-floor windows have painted granite cills. The north gable shows a painted chamfered stone base course. An early 20th-century glazed timber door with two bottom panels and a larger upper panel with decorative inset corners to its head sits at the extreme left end, with a projecting moulded render architrave on plain base blocks. Two windows, positioned to the left side, occupy each upper floor, all with painted granite cills diminishing in height as they rise. First-floor windows are 1/1 sashes with horns and exposed boxes; second-floor windows are modern 1/1 top-hung casements; those to the third floor are 2/2 top-hung casements. The left windows are not aligned with the door below. The rear elevation is cement-rendered and unfinished, with extensive alterations. Two ground-floor openings comprise a large modern picture window with two top-hung transoms to the left and a modern door to the right. Two windows occupy each upper floor, all set to the right with modern top-hung casements. A narrow passage runs parallel with the rear wall.

No. 4 (right side of the group) displays three windows across each upper floor, with those to the middle positioned slightly to the right of centre. Ground floor contains a modern four-panelled stained timber door (each panel flush-moulded) to the right, with the remainder filled by a modern stained timber shop front featuring broad fluted pilasters supporting a flat timber fascia. The three windows to each upper floor diminish in height as they rise and align with those on No. 2. All are exposed-box sliding sashes with applied mouldings to reveals and painted granite cills. First- and second-floor windows are 1/1 sashes; the second-floor examples have horns and top sashes proportioned twice as high as the bottom ones, indicating they were probably originally 6/3-paned (matching those at the left end of No. 2). Third-floor windows are 3/3 sashes without horns. The right gable forms a party wall with No. 6. The rear elevation is cement-rendered (unfinished) and much altered. Two ground-floor openings comprise a doorway at the left opening into a small porch and a modern door with transom over to its right. A single modern casement window occupies the right side of each upper floor; the first-floor example is boarded over, with a smaller similar window to its left. A narrow passage runs parallel with the rear wall.

Historical evidence from early surveyor records indicates that the pair originally featured two additional chimneys on the centre of No. 2 and on the party wall between Nos. 4 and 6. The casement windows were originally 3/3 sliding sashes. The external character has been significantly compromised by inappropriate shop fronts, windows, and extensive rear alterations. However, the buildings retain townscape value as part of a group at one of Rathfriland's main junctions. The extent of listing applies to the main block only.