8 Abbey Yard, Newry, Co Down, BT34 2EG

8 Abbey Yard, Newry

This is the centre house of a terrace of three classical Georgian houses situated on the north side of Abbey Yard. A Grade B2 listed building of early 19th-century date, it forms part of an important group of properties.

The house is three storeys high with basement and attic accommodation. The roof is mansard, natural slated with lead trimmings. Painted, lined cement render walls are topped with a granite parapet and a chamfered granite stringcourse runs between the basement and ground floor levels. The façade features a parapet gutter with shared downpipes to left and right. Two metal skylights light the front pitch, with two modern skylights to the rear pitch. Cement render chimneys, shared with the adjacent properties, rise from the left and right gables.

The main entrance is positioned at ground floor right, accessed by four granite steps and a granite paved bridge spanning the basement passage. The door is a reproduction six-panel raised and fielded timber design with beaded muntin and modern furniture, set within two fluted, tapering granite demi-columns supporting a moulded granite entablature. Above is a segmental reproduction peacocks-tail fanlight. The whole composition sits within a granite pole-mould chamfered segmental headed opening. A modern coach lamp, plaque, and security alarm box are mounted to the elevation.

To the left of the entrance door at ground floor is a single 6/6 sliding sash window with horns and granite cill. The basement level contains a modern six-panelled door positioned under the front steps and a 6/3 sliding sash window set within a three-piece granite lintel and jamb opening with granite cills and security bars. The first and second floors each have two equally spaced windows diminished in height to the second floor, all aligned to the left of the ground floor openings. Each first floor window is fitted with a decorative cast iron balconette.

The basement passage, shared with the adjacent properties, is enclosed by plain spiked railings with urn-topped posts on a chamfered granite base wall.

The rear elevation has painted, lined cement render walls with two openings per floor on the remaining section. The basement level contains a modern six-panelled timber door to the left and a 6/3 sliding sash with metal security grill to the right. At ground floor, a 6/6 sliding sash window sits to the left, while to the right is a tripartite window comprising 6/6 sliding sashes flanked by 2/2 sliding sashes, all with granite cills. Upper floor windows follow the same pattern but are diminished in height at the second floor. Modern railings and planters enclose the rear basement passage, accessed by modern steps from the rear courtyard.

This area of ground was owned by the Corry family from the mid-18th century. The house was probably erected by Isaac Corry, Member of Parliament and Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Irish parliament, sometime after 1760. It does not appear on John Rocque's map of 1760, when the site lay at the bottom end of Boat Street. The building is of late 18th or early 19th-century date and is shown on the 1834 Ordnance Survey map. From the early 1900s until 1972, it formed part of the Christian Brothers School. Following the school's relocation, the premises fell into dereliction until restoration by Clanrye Community Workshop between 1986 and 1991. The door facing Castle Street was salvaged during the demolition of 50 Queen (Dominic) Street Newry, which was formerly the home of Lord Russell of Killowen. Although the exterior is largely intact following substantial restoration, few original internal features remain.