McMullan Mausoleum, St Mary's RC Churchyard, Castlewellan Road, Cabra, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5RA

McMullan Mausoleum

A large and well-detailed mid 19th-century Gothic Revival mausoleum, an uncommon building type in Roman Catholic churchyards of the locality. The mausoleum is a square structure aligned west to east, positioned in the front lawn of St Mary's Roman Catholic Churchyard. It is constructed entirely in finely dressed ashlar granite.

The building has a Greek cross plan with a pitched ashlar roof in six courses and a roll-moulded ridge. The walls rest on a moulded two-stage plinth. The west gable is raised and coped with a cross finial and moulded kneelers. At its centre is a Gothic doorway with a deep two-order chamfered reveal and a moulded hood. The door is painted timber with a beaded muntin, featuring four plain flush-moulded panels to the bottom and four tapering panels to the top aligned with the door head.

The south gable is set lower than the west-east gables and steps out to form a double corner. It has a moulded coping and cross finial but no kneelers. Resting on the top of the plinth is a Gothic niche (with head matching the west door) inset with a slate memorial panel. The top of this panel is incised with a cross and IHS, followed by an inscription recording the erection of the monument by Alexander McMullan Esq of Cabra House in commemoration of his son Patrick Francis, who died on 29 May 1841 aged 22.

The east elevation is similar to the west but without the door. It too has a Gothic niche with a slate memorial panel set on the plinth. This panel bears a white marble cartouche emblazoned with three crescents (at the dexter chief point, sinister chief point, and middle base point) and a hand holding a dagger at the fess point. A similar crest of hand and dagger rests above. Below is the motto "EXCELLIT / VIRTUS". The inscription records the vault containing the remains of Alexander McMullan Esq, J.P., of Cabra House, who died on 25 September 1849 aged 64.

The north gable is similar to the south. Its panel bears an incised cross and IHS above an inscription documenting the remains of Mary P. Cartlan, daughter of Alexander McMullan and wife of Geo Henry Cartlan, who died on 22 June 1856 aged 36.

The mausoleum is enclosed by a chamfered ashlar granite dwarf wall, upon which rests cast iron railings with foliated spearheads, similar in design to those enclosing the front of the churchyard. The west side includes a matching gate with dog bars.

The building appears on the 1859 Ordnance Survey 6-inch map and was presumably erected in 1841 following the death of Patrick Francis McMullan. It has historical associations with Cabra House.