9 Downshire Place, Newry, Co Down, BT34 1DZ

9 Downshire Place is the second building from the left in a symmetrical terrace of four two-storey houses (plus semi-basement and attic storeys) on the east side of Downshire Road in Newry. It is a fine example of an early 19th-century Georgian townhouse and an early instance of town planning by an improving landlord. The building's architectural merit lies in its restrained decoration, particularly the doorcase, and in its contribution to the intact symmetrical grouping of the terrace.

The front elevation is three bays wide, with four openings across the front. The pitched roof is covered in artificial slate with two cast iron skylights on the rear pitch. Cement-rendered chimneys with projecting caps sit on each gable, shared with adjacent properties. Rainwater goods are semicircular plastic with metal downpipes to left and right, also shared with neighbours. The facade wall is painted with line rendering applied, and features a projecting rendered eaves course.

Two granite steps lead to a granite-paved platform in front of the main entrance in the second opening from the left on the ground floor. Original palmette-headed cast iron railings flank the sides of this platform. Cement stairs at the right provide access down to the basement passage. The entrance door is painted timber with a beaded muntin and four bolection-moulded panels, fitted with assorted ironmongery and a modern intercom box. The door frame is reeded timber. The doorway is flanked by two three-quarter attached granite Tuscan columns supporting a moulded granite entablature, above which sits a rectangular lead Greek Revival transom light. The opening has one-piece moulded granite jambs with scrolled consoles at the top supporting a moulded granite cornice. A second intercom box is mounted on the left column, and a modern small plastic sign is fixed to the wall to the right of the door.

To the right of the door are two 1/1 sliding sash windows; to the left is an identical one. All windows lack horns and have painted granite cills. Three windows serve the basement, in line with those above; these are modern four-paned timber casements with bottom transoms, granite cills, and metal security bars. Directly beneath the main door platform is a porch dividing the basement passage across the front into two sections. On the right cheek of the porch is a modern timber door with a sidelight; on the left cheek is a small 1/1 top-hung modern window.

The first floor carries four equally spaced windows identical to those on the ground floor but diminished in height. Left and right gables form party walls with adjacent properties (numbers 7 and 11).

The basement to the rear elevation is at ground level due to the sloping topography of the site. The rear wall is smooth unpainted render with a projecting eaves course. A two-storey lean-to abuts the second bay from the left. Unless otherwise stated, all rear windows have granite cills and are fitted with metal security grilles.

At the basement left is a modern timber and glass door with side and transom lights. Immediately to its right, beneath the abutting lean-to room, is a one-pane modern window. Further right is a sheeted plywood door providing exit from the basement stairs. At the far right is a four-paned timber casement. Between basement and ground floor, just left of centre, is a modern top-hung window with concrete cill serving the basement stairs. At ground floor right is a single 3/3 sliding sash without horns. At the half landing between ground and first floors on the left bay is a tall 1/1 sliding sash window serving the stairs inside. On the first floor left and right are single 6/6 sliding sashes. Between the first floor right window and the half landing window below is a small modern casement serving a toilet; it has no security grille over it.

The lean-to return has an artificial slate roof, plastic rainwater goods, and cement-rendered walls supported on two rendered corner piers over the basement of the main block. The face of the return carries two sliding sashes on the ground floor (with horns): that to the left is 1/1 and to the right 2/2.

The rear garden is enclosed on sides and rear by granite rubble walls with a gate to the rear onto a lane to Church Avenue.

To the front, a garden is enclosed by a chamfered granite base wall (railings now gone). A cement path from the street leads to the front door, with small lawns and mature hedges to either side.

The building is shown in its present form on the 1834 Ordnance Survey map. It was owned by Reverend John Weir in 1838 according to the Valuation. It was probably erected in the 1820s or early 1830s as part of the development of Downshire Road by the Marquis of Downshire, seemingly conceived as part of a longer terrace that was never completed. The building currently serves as office use, having been converted from its original residential function.