12 Canal Street, Newry, Co Down, BT35 6JB

12 Canal Street, Newry

A 19th century townhouse of notable architectural and historical interest, standing on the west side of Canal Street. Built between 1860 and 1879, the building is distinguished by its complete plan form and an unusual staircase arrangement. The side entrance to the living quarters and rear return configuration is of particular architectural significance, a feature found in only a small number of Newry properties. The building has a documented historical association with Éamon de Valera, who was held in custody here for several days in October 1924.

The building comprises three storeys with basement and attic accommodation, occupying two bays. It has a pitched natural slate roof with a red brick chimney rising from the ridge at the centre, and single cast iron skylights to each pitch. Semicircular metal rainwater goods with a downpipe to the right of the façade complete the roofline detail.

The east elevation presents a complex ground floor arrangement. A shop occupies three-quarters of the façade, with a central door flanked by large fixed windows. Pilasters support a flush painted timber fascia on either side of the door and at each end of the shop front, with pilasters and stall risers clad in mosaic tiles. Shop windows and door are fitted with boarded timber shutters. To the right is a rectangular coach way opening containing a pair of large tongue-and-groove sheeted painted timber doors. Above the shop, the walls are painted lined cement render with raised eaves course. Four equally spaced 1/1 sliding sash windows are positioned to each upper floor. All feature stop-end-chamfered reveals and heads with painted granite cills. First floor windows are distinguished by decorative render hoods with foliated labels, whilst those to the second floor are diminished in height. The south gable is abutted by the adjacent building (number 10), whilst the north gable is abutted by a lower property (number 14), with the exposed wall above lined and rendered.

The rear west elevation is accessed through the coach way. Its right three-quarters is abutted by a two-storey return. The exposed section of wall to the left comprises the coach way opening (with timber lintel) and a small section of wall to its right containing a small 6/6 sliding sash window with bars over at ground floor level. First floor windows above the coach way include a single 1/1 sliding sash, with a second similar window positioned over the ground floor window to its right. The second floor contains three windows, all diminished in height: those to centre and right are 1/1 sliding sashes (the right one has obscured glass) whilst that to the left is a modern two-paned casement. All rear windows are painted timber with painted granite cills.

The rear return is constructed in two stages. The first block, a low two-storey structure with lean-to slate roof, abuts the adjacent property and the main house. Its yard-facing wall is rendered, featuring a post-war painted timber and glass door with side light at ground floor, and a 1/1 window to the half landing with another above it at first floor. The second, taller block has a higher lean-to natural slate roof with a yard-facing wall rendered and flush with the first block. At ground floor it has an 8/8 sliding sash window and at first floor a 6/6 sash window, with a narrow glazed opening to the basement below the ground floor window. The end gable of this block is abutted by a two-storey outhouse.

The rear outhouse runs parallel to the main block with a coach way to the right (in line with the main coach way). It has a pitched natural slate roof and rendered walls, except for the right jamb of the coach way which is constructed in ashlar granite. To the left it abuts the rear gable of the return block. A first floor 8/8 sliding sash window with granite cill is located to its street-facing elevation. The rear yard is enclosed to the right on entry from the street by a high rendered wall featuring an iron lamp bracket containing an ill-fitting antique lamp.

The front elevation displays applied late Victorian ornamentation and a poor modern shop front, though this has not significantly detracted from the overall quality of the building.

Historical context

The 1863 valuation recorded the house as measuring 31 feet by 30 feet by 3 and one-third storeys in height. It is first cited as a Constabulary Barracks in the 1865 valuation revision. The barracks almost certainly occupied an existing building and was not purpose-built. The station also occupied the adjoining house (10 Canal Street) from 1920 onwards. The building was extensively damaged by fire on 14 June 1921. De Valera was held in custody here for several days in October 1924.

The property is located within a conservation area and remains in private residential use.