Chapel at St Clare's Convent, High Street, Newry, Co Down, BT34 1HB

St Clare's Convent, High Street, Newry, is a substantial multi-storey complex established in 1829 and opened the following year, making it apparently the first such foundation north of the River Boyne since the Reformation. While the entire complex is of architectural and historical interest, it is the chapel that is of special merit on account of its architecture, fixtures and fittings. The complex as a whole incorporates nuns' accommodation, a chapel, and a refectory, and the grounds also contain a burial vault, oratory, school, laundry, and wells.

The complex is made up of several interconnected blocks, described here in turn.

Block 1 — the "New Wing"

A three-storey block, seven openings wide, fronting the street. It has a pitched natural slate roof with six dormers to the street elevation, each with plain bargeboards. The verges are parapeted with kneelers, and there is a raised gable immediately to the left of the coach arch. Rendered chimneys sit at the left and right. Half-round gutters — which cut across the front of the dormers — and two metal downpipes serve the front elevation. The walls are painted and finished in smooth lined render.

At ground floor right is a doorway containing a double-leaf three-panel stained timber door with a two-pane transom above, set within a moulded stucco architrave with a moulded drip mould over. This was formerly an open archway providing a right of way through to tenements at the rear, which have long since gone. Just left of centre is a segmental-headed archway with double-leaf tongue-and-groove sheeted doors, giving access to a separate burial ground at the rear. At the extreme left is a modern door with a louvred ventilator. Between this door and the coach arch is a 6-over-6 sliding sash window with metal bars to the front and a painted granite cill — a detail repeated on all other windows unless otherwise noted. Between the coach arch and the right-hand door are two windows, both 2-over-6 top-hung and also with metal bars to the front. Above the right-hand window is a plaque recording that this was the site of a theatre opened in 1769 and of the Pope's Head Inn, and that the convent was established in 1829.

At first floor there are seven windows, the right four of which are slightly lower than the remaining three; all are 6-over-6 sashes. Each of the six second-floor dormers contains a 6-over-6 sash, except the left-hand dormer which has a pair of such sashes. All have concrete cills. The top floor was added around 1935.

The left gable of this block is abutted by a lower house; the exposed section of the gable is cement rendered. The rear elevation is abutted to the left of the archway by a two-storey building (Block 4) and by Block 5 in the corner formed between Blocks 1 and 4. This rear wall is pebbledashed and has a rendered chimney and plastic rainwater gutters. The unabutted left-hand end of this elevation — to the left of Block 5 — is one opening wide, with a two-centred archway at ground floor and a Tudor window to each of the two floors above, identical in design to those on the rear face of Block 2. In front of the ground-floor opening hangs a bell on a modern steel bracket, inscribed "John C Wilson Founder Glasgow 1855." To the left of these vertical openings are, at ground floor, a lancet niche with a statue of the Virgin Mary; at first floor, a lancet niche containing a statue of St Patrick; and at second floor, a canopied lancet niche containing a cross. Running across the third (top) floor, as far as the archway to the graveyard, are four dormer windows each with a 6-over-6 top-opening sash.

The section of the rear elevation to the right of Block 4 is abutted by an arcaded reinforced-concrete passage running across the outside of the ground floor. This ground floor section contains, from left to right, a tongue-and-groove door, a 6-over-6 sash window, and a ventilated opening. The passage supports a conservatory at first-floor level, which has a plastic monopitched roof. At first floor there is also a small 2-over-2 sliding sash to the left and a large 3-over-4 sash to the right, with a 4-over-4 sash between them illuminating the half-landing between ground and first floors. Directly above the 4-over-4 sash is a 12-over-12 sash window, flanked to left and right by a 1-over-1 top-hung dormer each. The conservatory also contains a 6-over-6 sash. The right gable is abutted by Block 2.

Block 2 — the Original Convent Block

Formerly two storeys high, this is the original convent block and is now a four-storey building with a basement, four openings wide, set slightly back from the street frontage of Block 1. It has a pitched natural slate roof with a rendered chimney at the right end, a parapeted verge at the right, and three dormers to the front pitch. Metal gutters and a downpipe are at the right. The walls are painted in lined render.

At ground floor left is a modern three-panel stained timber door with a transom above. To its right are two 6-over-6 sliding sashes with exposed boxes and metal security bars, set within raised plain rendered architraves with painted granite cills — a detail repeated on all windows in this block except the basement lights. Just above these two windows, raised letters read "Convent of Poor Clares." Directly below these windows are two basement lights: the left has one fixed pane and the right has two fixed panes, both with metal grilles.

At first floor are four regularly spaced 2-over-6 top-hung windows (boxes not exposed). The second floor has identical but smaller windows. The third floor has three dormers, each with a 6-over-6 sash, concrete cills, and plain bargeboards.

The left gable is abutted by Block 1. The rear elevation is abutted to the left and centre by Block 6. The exposed right-hand section is one opening wide and is pebbledashed to all floors except the ground floor, which is painted and smooth rendered — a finish and detailing identical to the left end of Block 1's rear elevation, suggesting they were refurbished at the same time. The ground floor has a two-centred arched opening with a chamfered surround. At first floor is a Tudor-arched window opening with smooth dressed granite jambs, impost, head, and cill, containing a pair of quarry-paned lancet windows in metal frames, horizontally pivoted at the centre. The second floor has a window identical to that below. Running across the top floor, which is not abutted, are two flat-roofed dormers: the left contains a door out to the roof of Blocks 6 and 1 and a 1-over-1 window, and the right has two 1-over-1 windows. The right gable is abutted by a lower building (Block 3); the exposed section of the gable is cement rendered.

Block 3

A lower three-storey block, two openings wide, fronting the street. It has a pitched natural slate roof with a chimney at the left on the party wall with Block 2, and a rendered verge at the right. Cast-iron trough-section gutters with a downpipe are at the left, shared with Block 2. The walls are painted in lined render.

At ground floor are two 6-over-6 sash windows with metal grilles, painted cills, and raised plain rendered architraves — details repeated on all windows on this elevation. The first floor has two 2-over-6 top-hung windows and the second floor has two 2-over-4 top-hung windows. The rear elevation is abutted at the left by a three-storey flat-roofed extension to the convent school, and at the right by a four-storey wing of the same. At second floor there is a small 2-over-2 sash window. The right gable is painted and lined render, with a metal-framed window at ground floor right and a small single-paned timber window at second floor right.

Block 4 — Murdock's House

This guest accommodation block is known as Murdock's House after the person from whom it was acquired in 1848. It abuts the rear of Block 1 and comprises a two-bay unit, four openings long. It has a pitched artificial slate roof and plastic gutters. The southern half has a slightly lower roofline than the northern half and a pitched slated parapet along its south-west side, the top of which is level with the eaves to the left. There is a skylight to the north-east pitch and two chimneys to the higher section. The south-east end has a tiled verge with a metal cross finial. The walls are pebbledashed over a smooth rendered base course.

The principal façade faces south-west. All openings have Tudor heads. There are four regularly spaced openings to the ground floor: the two at the left are quarry-paned lancet windows identical in detailing and dressing to those on the rear of Blocks 1 and 2, while the right two openings contain two-panel painted timber doors each with two concrete steps — both doors were originally windows. There are four first-floor windows in line with those below, with small vents between the two floors and above the first-floor openings. Block 5 abuts at the extreme left. The south-east gable is blank at ground floor and has a pair of lancet windows (in a single opening) at first floor, detailed identically to those on the south-west façade. The north-east elevation is blank throughout. A small link passage with a skylit flat roof runs from the north end of this façade to the rear elevation of the right-hand section of Block 1.

Block 5

A relatively modern two-storey section containing a lift shaft, with a flat concrete roof, harled walls, and no openings.

Block 6 — the Chapel

This block abuts the south elevation of Block 2 and contains the priest's room, chapel, and accommodation over. Until the 1960s the block was three storeys high; the top floor was then removed and a flat concrete roof was inserted over the second storey. A harled chimney rises from the middle of the east wall, which also has a cement-rendered parapet along its entire length. A gabled ashlar granite bellcote rises from the apex of the south gable, contains a hand-operated bell, and is topped by a metal cross finial.

The principal elevation faces east. The walls are harled with a smooth painted base course and plastic gutters. The chapel occupies the left three-quarters of the block, with the remainder taken up by the priest's room; although this section is the same height as the rest of the building, it contains three floors and a basement.

A double-leaf four-panel door towards the left end leads up two granite steps into the chapel. The surround to this opening is of finely dressed granite with stepped and chamfered jambs and a Tudor head, with a modern electric light above. To the right of the right-hand jamb is a small water font. Just above the door head is a square niche with a labelled drip mould, containing the insignia of the Poor Clares and the words "Deus Meus et Omnia / AD MDCCCXXX."

The door is flanked on both sides by three tall windows. All have splayed, finely dressed granite cills, post-and-block jambs, and pointed heads with flush keystones. Each opening contains a pair of lancet windows — each with two horizontally divided panes — with traceried panes filling their shared spandrel. Above each of these windows, at first-floor level, is a small Tudor-headed opening each with two windows, detailed as those on the rear elevations of Blocks 1 and 2; exceptionally, the right-hand window of this series is a modern 1-over-1 replacement.

To the right of the chapel proper, the priest's room section has two windows to each of its three floors, detailed as those on the rear of Blocks 1 and 2. Two basement windows also have lattice panes but with flat heads; this basement area was formerly a soup kitchen. Between the ground-floor windows of this section is a two-leaf folding painted timber door reached by one step, its surround detailed identically to the chapel door.

The left end of the east elevation is abutted by a lift shaft (Block 8) and engine room (Block 9). The south, west, and north elevations are abutted by Blocks 7, 10, and 2 respectively.

Block 7 — Chapter House and Refectory

Abutting the south-east gable of Block 6, this three-storey building with a semi-basement contains the chapter house to the north and the refectory with accommodation over. It has a pitched artificial slate roof with tiled verges, two skylights to the west pitch, half-round metal gutters, and metal downpipes. The walls are unpainted smooth lined cement render with a painted rendered base course.

The main façade faces north-east and is seven openings wide. The second opening from the right on the ground floor contains a pair of two-panel painted doors with a plain transom above, leading into the chapter house; to its right is a window. To the left of the doorway are five openings lighting the refectory. The first and second floors each have seven regularly spaced windows in line with those below, the top set being diminished in height. All windows have plain rendered surrounds, unpainted concrete cills, and contain a pair of horizontally pivoted quarry-paned metal windows — except the third from the left at ground floor, where one of the pair has been replaced with an extractor fan set into a casement window. At semi-basement level to the left are three segmental-headed openings each containing modern casements.

The south-east gable has two windows to the ground, first, and second floors, the upper being diminished in height; one window has a replacement casement with extractor fan. The semi-basement has two segmental-headed windows with modern casements. The south-west façade is unpainted and lined render, with two rendered chimneys rising from the eaves at the right. At ground-floor left is a glazed timber door with a window to its left, detailed as the north-east elevation; miscellaneous irregularly spaced window openings occur to all floors, some matching the north-east elevation and others with modern frames of varying design, together with a door at the left. The ground floor is abutted at the right by a link to Block 11, which has a pitched artificial slate roof, harled walls, and is of no special interest. The north-west gable is abutted by Blocks 6, 9, and 10.

Block 8

A modern unpainted lined-render lift shaft abutting the south end of the east elevation of Block 6, devoid of openings. Its north elevation is abutted at ground floor by Block 9.

Block 9

This small lift engine room abuts the north face of Block 8 and the south end of the east elevation of Block 6. It has a monopitched slate roof, rendered walls with a parapet at eaves level, and metal rainwater goods. Steps lead down to a tongue-and-groove painted door with metal railings around.

Block 10

A four-storey section, the top floor of which is used by the convent and the lower three by the school. It has a pitched natural slate roof and painted and lined walls. The top floor is a 1960s addition, lit by eight modern casements.

Block 11

A two-storey building aligned north-west to south-east, to the west of Block 7, to which it is linked by a connecting block. It has a pitched artificial slate roof with half-round asbestos gutters and skylights to the west pitch. A chimney on the south-west wall rises from the eaves. The building is abutted to the north-west by an open-sided building serving as a playground assembly area for the school. Miscellaneous modern single-storey buildings of no special interest abut the south-west elevation.

Setting

The First Presbyterian Church graveyard occupies much of the ground immediately behind Block 4, demarcated from the convent by a tall harled wall which contains four arched niches on the convent side. Beyond Block 7, a path leads through a Tudor-headed archway — embellished with hood-moulded niches and incised crosses — into a large garden containing several wells, beyond which lie a burial ground with vault and an oratory.

Historical Background

St Clare's Convent was founded in 1829 and opened the following year, apparently the first such establishment north of the River Boyne since the Reformation. The 1838 town valuation map identifies the complex as "nunnery, RC chapel and National School rooms," and at that time it comprised what are now Blocks 2, 6, 7, and 10. Block 1 originally comprised tenements that were gradually absorbed into the convent: the south-west section and Block 4 by 1861, and the north-east section of Block 1 in 1912 and 1921. Extensive alterations were carried out to Blocks 1 and 2 in the 1930s, and to Block 6 in the 1960s.