Dominican Convent Chapel, Falls Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim, BT12 6AD

Dominican Convent Chapel, Falls Road, Belfast

This is a very good example of a Gothic Revival gabled chapel, designed by Patrick (Padraic) Gregory and built from 1926, with the building opened on 5 October 1930. It was constructed at the same time as an extension to the adjoining Dominican Convent, both designed by Gregory, and built by contractor Felix G. O'Hare.

Background and History

St Mary's Dominican Convent on the Falls Road was originally built in 1868–70 to designs by O'Neill & Byrne (specifically John O'Neill). On 22 March 1870, seven nuns of the Order of St Dominic arrived at the new convent from the parent house at Cabra, County Dublin, at the invitation of Bishop Dr Dorrian. The nuns engaged in teaching girls through day and evening classes. In 1897, John O'Shea with E. & J. Byrne designed an additional wing to the west in a similar style to the original block. In 1926 the original block was extended to the north, and it was as part of this campaign that Gregory designed the chapel. The chapel is effectively two chapels in one — one for the convent community, and the other adjoining it at the sanctuary for boarders at the school. The mosaic floor of the sanctuary, in the Celtic style, was by Oppenheimer & Co. of Manchester. The rose window was made by Messrs Clarke of Dublin. In 1935, Gregory added the baldachino.

Plan Form and Setting

The chapel has an L-shaped plan form and is attached to the Byzantine-style convent to the south-east, together forming a quadrangle near the corner of Cavendish Street on the Falls Road. The wider site includes a four-storey gabled wing to the west occupied by the school, a number of modern school buildings to the south-west of little architectural interest, and a two-storey modern convent building to the east, also of little architectural interest. The building is located within the grounds of St Dominic's Grammar School for Girls, and together with the convent and school it forms a distinct complex of strong historic, social and group value within the St James ward.

External Description

The roof is pitched natural slate with roll-top crested black clay ridge tiles, moulded cornicing supporting cast iron guttering discharging to uPVC circular downpipes, and a carved stone Celtic cross to the apex. The lower ground floor level to the east is built in rock-faced random-coursed stone masonry. The upper floors are in red brick laid to Flemish bond with ashlar stone dressings and quoins. All stonework appears to be limestone.

Principal (East) Elevation: The principal gabled elevation faces east and is abutted to the south by the eight-bay-wide east wing of the convent. At lower ground floor level there are two windows with decorative metal grilles, and three pointed arch bipartite plate tracery windows with stained leaded glazing. Above these sits a large rose window set within a pointed arch. At high level within the gable there is a narrow lancet arched opening, surmounted by a carved stone Celtic cross finial. The gable is flanked by slender two-stage brick buttresses topped by ashlar stone gablets.

North Elevation: This consists of the five-bay-wide north elevation of the transept and the two-bay-wide north elevation of the chancel, with a three-stage buttress at their external junction. There is a two-storey, three-bay flat-roofed lean-to extension to the chancel. Lower ground floor windows to the transept have galvanised metal surface-mounted grilles and timber sashes. At first floor level, the transept and chancel have pointed arch tracery windows with stone dressings, splayed stone cills, and stained leaded glazing; storm glazing is fixed to the outer face beyond the reveal of each window opening. Stone steps with a nosed edge lead to a stone platform and a square-headed door opening into the extension, which has narrow square-headed windows with projecting stone cills, 6/6 panes to double-hung timber sash windows, and uPVC rainwater goods.

West Elevation: This consists of the three-bay apse and the four-bay-wide west transept of the chapel, abutted to the south by the convent and to the west by single- and two-storey lean-to extensions at the north end. The apse has pointed arch tracery windows with stained leaded glazing. The transept has pointed arch tracery windows with stone dressings, splayed stone cills, and stained leaded glazing. The extensions have square-headed window openings with projecting stone cills and 1/1 panes to timber sashes. There is a replacement uPVC casement at ground floor level at the north end.

Quadrangle: The central quadrangle is tarmacked. All elevations facing into the quadrangle are in red brick. The chapel elevations have pointed arch tracery windows with stained leaded glazing. Single- and two-storey extensions have square-headed windows with projecting stone cills and 6/6 panes to double-hung timber sash windows. A modern four-storey flat-roofed extension at the north-east corner contains a lift.

Square-headed windows to the lower ground floor throughout have ashlar stone dressings, 1/1 panes to double-hung timber sash windows, and projecting painted cills.

Interior

The interior is impressive and retains many original details, including a rib-vaulted stone ceiling and brightly coloured stained glass windows. The rose window by Messrs Clarke of Dublin is of particularly high quality. The sanctuary floor is laid in a Celtic-style mosaic by Oppenheimer & Co. of Manchester.

Condition and Alterations

Despite the addition of uPVC-framed secondary glazing to the apse and some modernisation of the lower ground floor, the chapel retains much of its architectural interest and makes a positive contribution to the character of the area.

Boundary Walls and Gates

The site is enclosed by rock-faced random-coursed basalt walling to the north and south with irregular stone coping. There are replacement metal gates to the gateway to the south-east, and double gates supported on square-section stone pillars in rock-faced coursed basalt with a projecting plinth and dressed pyramidal stone coping. Raised sections of walling to the north and east form square pedestrian gateways with round-arched openings formed in cut stone, now blocked with painted metal screens. The walling to the north-east is topped by painted metal fencing supported on dog-leg stays. The grounds include tarmacked driveways and pathways, with part-lawned areas to the east and south.