St Joseph’s Convent Primary School, Edward Street, Newry, Co Down, BT35 6AN

St Joseph's Convent Primary School is a 1920s school building constructed in rustic brick with Dutch Arts and Crafts detailing, located on a corner site between Edward Street and Catherine Street in Newry. The complex consists of two main blocks—a rectangular classroom block running south to east and a rectangular entrance block—connected by subsidiary blocks including a link block and toilet block.

Both main blocks feature pitched natural slate roofs with overhanging eaves supported by boxed soffits on moulded timber brackets. Cast iron rainwater goods are ogee moulded with circular downpipes. The subsidiary blocks have flat in-situ cast concrete roofs behind parapet walls. All walls are constructed in rustic red brick laid in English garden bond on a moulded stepped ashlar granite basecourse. Windows are plastic replacements (original ones were steel) but retain the original glazing pattern, with soldier-coursed brick heads and projecting granite cills. All windows follow this pattern unless otherwise stated.

The classroom block displays a large bronze louvred vent with a roof swept up to a spiked finial. Each gable has a chamfered concrete coping. Decorative pseudo-quoins appear at each corner, formed by recessing a course of three bricks every fifth course. A string course of three alternate recessed brick courses runs between ground and first floor levels. The south elevation is divided equally into three bays by two downpipes, reflecting internal divisions. Attached plastic letters spelling "St. Joseph's Convent Primary School" are positioned between ground and first floor. The central bay contains three 4x5 windows on each floor; the left and right bays are identical, each with a central 8x5 window flanked by 3x5 windows. The west and east gables are devoid of openings except for louvred timber vents to the attic.

The link block is inverted T-shaped in plan, abutting both the classroom block and entrance block on its north and south elevations. The right third of its west elevation is advanced at the join with the classroom block and contains a 4x5 window to ground floor and a 4x3 window to first floor. The cheek is blank while the left two-thirds has a 6x5 window to ground floor and a 6x3 window to first floor; the wall around this window has been rebuilt and lacks a soldier course head. The left third of the east elevation is advanced at the join with the classroom block and has no opening; the cheek of this raised section contains two 4x5 windows to ground floor and two 4x3 windows to first floor. The right first floor window has been removed and replaced with a pair of modern painted timber and glazed escape doors leading to a metal fire stair. The remaining section of east wall has a 6x5 window to ground floor and a 6x3 window to first floor, with a rebuilt wall and no soldier course to the head. All windows to this elevation are stained timber.

The toilet block is T-shaped in plan with its south wall abutting the entrance block. Its north wall has a central six-panelled stop-end chamfered door with a 3x2 transom over, aligned at first floor with a 3x3 window. The right three-quarters of the east elevation is advanced, containing three 2x5 windows to ground floor and three 2x3 windows to first floor. The cheek is blank and abutted to a single-storey service block at ground floor. The remaining quarter, at the join with the entrance block, has a high 3x2 window to ground floor (with the service block roof acting as cill) and a 3x3 window to first floor. A tall chimney rises up the toilet block wall and terminates above its roof with a concrete coping.

The service block has its south wall abutting between the entrance block and toilet block, with its west wall abutting the toilet block. It has a flat in-situ concrete roof behind a parapet. The north and east walls are brick with a small glazed louvred window to the east and a sheeted door to the north.

The playground is enclosed on all sides. The boundary to Catherine Street comprises plain gates and railings, whilst the boundary to Edward Street features ornate symmetrical gates and railings. These are set upon ashlar-dressed rustic brick piers with shallow pyramidal heads; the base of each pier continues as the basecourse of the railings. The railings are plainly spiked and linked by wrought iron open urns topped to piers. A recessed central pair of gates follows similar design. An additional layer of modern spiked railings has been attached along the top. To the rear playground stands a large shelter with a segmental-headed corrugated metal roof supported by steel beams, with tongue-and-groove sheeted eaves cut to a point for decorative effect.