Sergeants Mess Hall, St. Lucia’s Barracks, Barracks Lane, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, BT78

Sergeants Mess Hall, St. Lucia's Barracks, Omagh

This is a detached two-bay, two-storey-over-sunken-basement stone barracks mess hall, built in 1881 by Messrs. Colhoun Brothers of Derry. It sits on the east side of the parade ground within the enclosed St. Lucia's Barracks complex on Barracks Lane, occupying an elevated and imposing site in Omagh. The building was formerly known as the "Canteen" and forms an important part of a distinctive and unusually complete Victorian barracks group with strong historic associations with The Royal Irish Regiment and The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

Architectural Overview

The building has an asymmetrical plan with a gable front facing west. To the south is a hipped return with a single-bay, single-storey annex; to the north is a two-storey projecting bay. Further additions include a lean-to single-storey extension to the east, a flat-roofed projection to the south, and a modern lean-to extension to the south of the return (of no architectural interest). The roofs are pitched and covered in natural slate with blue/black angled clay ridge tiles. Rainwater goods are ogee-profile cast-iron gutters and square-profile downpipes. The chimneys are dressed sandstone.

The external walls are built in coursed squared rubble local limestone with dressed sandstone quoins, platbands at sill and lintel levels, a chamfered eaves course, and a chamfered granite plinth — consistent with the original specification recorded in the Tyrone Constitution of 16th December 1881, which noted that the buildings were "built of the local limestone, with Dungannon grit-stone dressings" and that "all the external walls are brick lined as preventative to damp."

Windows and Doors

Windows throughout are square-headed uPVC casements with dressed sandstone surrounds and sills; ground floor openings have relieving arches. The principal west-facing gable has a window to each bay, with a paired opening at ground floor. At the right end of this elevation are two square-headed timber raised-and-fielded panelled doors surmounted by six-light overlights. At the apex of the gable is a clock set in a moulded stone surround; the gable is raised and carried on kneeler stones.

The north elevation features a projecting gabled bay to the left, with two paired windows at ground floor and a tripartite window at first floor. The right cheek is largely blank except for two first-floor square window insertions; the left cheek is a single window wide. The remainder of the north elevation is three windows wide and includes a modern first-floor door insertion accessed by a modern spiral fire escape. The east elevation is largely abutted by the single-storey extension; the exposed section at first floor has two windows surmounted by a gable with a louvred oculus. The extension is detailed to match the main block. The south elevation is abutted at the left end by a projection of no architectural interest and at the right end by the return. The exposed section has a shortened ground-floor window at the left end. The return itself is abutted by a lean-to extension to the left (of no interest) and the annex to the right; the exposed first-floor section of the return has a variety of windows, some of which have been diminished.

Historical Context

The barracks complex — presently known as St. Lucia's — was built for the Royal Inniskilling Fusilier Regiment under the direction of Mr. James H. Butler, Civil Engineer, the superintending officer of the Royal Engineer Department. The principal contractors were Messrs. Fulton of Belfast and Messrs. Colhoun Brothers of Derry. Annual Revision records from 1879 note the construction of a northern range comprising regimental shops and stores, a Paymaster's Office, soldiers' quarters, a Militia Office, bread store, regimental shop and meat store, commanding officer's and orderly room, and guardroom, at an estimated cost of £15,500. A further contract of £25,000 was taken by Colhoun of Derry, and by 1881 an additional entry records "Eastern and Western Division, £500." The total cost of the works was reported at between £30,000 and £40,000.

The Tyrone Constitution of 16th December 1881 described the completed canteen in some detail: on the ground floor it contained a shop and tap with separate entrances, and off the tap a large tap room. On the upper floor were a recreation room with coffee bar attached, and a reading room, both reached by a separate entrance from the parade ground. The upper floor also provided quarters for the canteen sergeant and librarian. A separate door gave access to the Sergeants' Mess, where the mess room was described as "large and commodious"; a passage at the end led to the kitchen, cook's quarters, larder, store, scullery, and related rooms.

The buildings first appear on an 1882 Ordnance Survey town plan of Omagh, captioned "Infantry Barracks." The St. Lucia's Club within the wider complex was built around 1910.

Setting

The Sergeants Mess Hall is situated within the enclosed St. Lucia's Barracks complex on the east side of the parade ground. Surrounding buildings within the group include Battalion Headquarters, South Africa and two stores, the Guardroom, Army Recruiting Centre, the Officers' Mess Hall, the Waterloo and St. Lucia's Barracks Block, and St. Lucia's Club. The complex occupies an elevated and imposing position in the town and is notable for its unusual completeness and degree of preservation, reflecting an important aspect of the architectural and social heritage of Omagh.

Condition and Significance

Although some alterations have taken place, including the loss of original fenestration and the addition of elements of no architectural interest, the building remains a fine example of quality Victorian craftsmanship in a robust style. It has fine proportions and detailing and contributes significantly to the group value of the barracks complex as a whole. Its architectural interest lies in its style, proportion, ornamentation, and plan form, while its historical interest reflects social, cultural and economic importance, authorship, and local significance.