Battalion Headquarters, South Africa St. Lucia’s Barracks, Barracks Lane, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, BT78

Former Barracks Hospital, Battalion Headquarters — St. Lucia's Barracks, Omagh

This detached, multi-bay, two-storey former barracks hospital was built in 1881, probably by contractors Messrs. Colhoun Brothers of Derry to designs by Mr. James H. Butler, Civil Engineer, acting as superintending officer for the Royal Engineer Department. It is situated on the east side of the St. Lucia's Barracks parade ground, east of Barracks Lane, in the Gortmore townland, Omagh, County Tyrone. The building is currently known as the Battalion Headquarters and carries the name "South Africa," though it was originally built and used as the barracks hospital. Two associated single-storey outbuildings to its rear — formerly the infectious ward (with attached orderly's room) and the mortuary — were also built in 1881, most likely by the same contractors.

The wider St. Lucia's Barracks complex was constructed for the Royal Inniskilling Fusilier Regiment, with the principal building contracts shared between Messrs. Fulton of Belfast and Messrs. Colhoun Brothers of Derry. The total cost of the barracks works was reported at between £30,000 and £40,000. The Tyrone Constitution of 16 December 1881 described the hospital and canteen as "large and elegant blocks" situated in the north angle of the parade ground, facing the officers' mess. The hospital as originally built contained three wards with beds for 26 patients, a surgery, waiting quarters for the hospital sergeant, and a kitchen. The two isolated buildings to the rear comprised the infectious ward, with two beds and an attached orderly's room, and the mortuary. The buildings first appear on an 1882 Ordnance Survey town plan of Omagh, captioned "Infantry Barracks." Annual Revision records from 1879 note the new barracks buildings, recording construction in chisel-dressed limestone with freestone coins, and mention a further contract of £25,000 taken by Colhoun (spelled "Cahoon") of Derry. A 1881 revision records an additional eastern and western division valued at £500.

The original construction was, as the Tyrone Constitution reported, built of local limestone with Dungannon grit-stone dressings, with all external walls brick-lined internally as a precaution against damp.

Architecture — Main Building

The former hospital is T-shaped on plan, facing west. Its principal features include a gabled breakfront bay to the west abutted by a lower two-storey gabled entrance porch; single and two-storey returns to the north with modern extensions (of no interest); a two-storey square tower to the south-east corner; and additional modern abutments to the south and east (of no interest).

The roofs are hipped and finished in natural slate with rolled lead ridges. The chimneystacks are of dressed stone, paired, and fitted with terracotta pots. Rainwater goods are ogee-profile cast-iron gutters and round cast-iron downpipes.

The walling is of coursed, squared, rock-faced local limestone over a chamfered plinth course, with sandstone platbands at sill and lintel levels and a chamfered eaves course. Window openings are square-headed with uPVC casements, dressed sandstone surrounds, and projecting stone sills.

The principal (west) elevation has a projecting gabled left bay abutted by the porch at left, with slender paired window openings to each floor at right; both gables are raised on kneeler stones and have windows to their right and left cheeks. The first floor of the entrance porch features a tripartite window opening, with a painted timber plaque reading "SOUTH AFRICA" affixed to the lintel. The door opening is square-headed with a raised-and-fielded double-leaf timber door; the lintel carries faded painted lettering spelling "HOSPITAL," with a relieving arch above. The remainder of the elevation to the right is three windows wide, extended by a further two windows to the south circa 1990 using matching materials.

The north elevation is abutted by the return; the exposed section is blank. The left end of the return is a gabled two-storey form abutted by stone stairs ascending to the first floor and an extension (both of no interest); the right end of the return is single-pitched and single-storey.

The rear (east) elevation is abutted at its left end by the south-east tower, a boiler house, and a modern extension (of no interest). The exposed section has a variety of window openings and a gabled two-storey breakfront to the right. The tower has a variety of heightened windows.

The south elevation is abutted at its left end by a modern extension (of no interest) accessed by a modern staircase ascending to the first floor; the exposed section has a variety of heightened windows.

The Two Rear Stores

To the east of the former hospital stand two single-storey outbuildings aligned north–south, both with pitched natural slate roofs. Their walling is detailed to match the former hospital, in local limestone with sandstone dressings. Windows are a variety of square-headed timber sash types; doors are square-headed timber replacements.

The northern store, the former infectious ward, has a catslide orderly's room annex to its west side and a lean-to addition to its south gable. The southern store, the former mortuary, retains a blocked carriage arch of sandstone, which adds considerable interest to an otherwise plain structure. Both buildings retain their original windows in part and are closely associated with the former hospital.

Setting and Group Value

The Battalion Headquarters occupies an elevated and imposing position within the enclosed St. Lucia's Barracks complex, at the east side of the parade ground. The surrounding listed structures include, clockwise: the Guardroom, the Army Recruiting Centre, the Officers' Mess Hall, the Waterloo and St. Lucia's Barracks Block, St. Lucia's Club, and the Sergeants' Mess Hall. The complex is unusual for its completeness and degree of preservation, and reflects an important chapter in the architectural and social heritage of Omagh, as well as the town's strong historic associations with The Royal Irish Regiment and The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

Although alterations have taken place — including the loss of original fenestration and the addition of modern extensions — the building retains its fine Victorian masonry craftsmanship and robust architectural character. The two rear stores, though altered, retain original fabric of significance and remain functionally and historically linked to the former hospital.