'Marino', 45 South Promenade, Newcastle, Ballaghbeg, Co Down, BT33 0EY

Marino is a substantial, low-proportioned two-storey Regency gentleman's residence dating from around 1830, situated on the south-west side of South Promenade to the south of Newcastle town centre. The house commands views over Dundrum Bay.

The building is characterised by canted bays and a hipped roof. The front façade faces north-east and is symmetrical in composition. At the centre is the main entrance, surrounded by a flat-roofed portico with closed north-west and south-east sides. The entrance doorway comprises a partially glazed double timber door flanked by side panels, surmounted by a large elliptical arched fanlight with radial tracery. Steps lead up to the doorway. Directly above the entrance is a squat first-floor 6 over 6 Georgian-paned sliding sash window with a wrought iron safety grille.

On either side of the entrance is a broad two-storey canted bay with hipped roof. The bays contain sliding sash windows with Georgian panes on both floors. The windows to the outer faces of each bay are narrower, with 4 over 4 panes, while those to the front faces have 6 over 6 panes. The first-floor front windows are fitted with safety grilles, as is the first-floor centre window. The front façade is finished in slightly uneven render and painted, with in and out quoins. The south-east façade has a single-storey garage attached.

The roof is hipped and covered in natural slate, with two large centrally located chimney stacks topped with octagonal pots. Rainwater goods are cast iron. A substantial full-height rubble stone boundary wall with a single door opening encloses the rear boundary of the plot along King Street.

The house appears on the 1834 Ordnance Survey map and the 1838 valuation town plan of Newcastle. Valuation records from 1834 indicate it belonged to Reverend Leslie Creery and was a relatively new building at that time. In 1856, Charles Albert Creery obtained a new lease from the Annesley Estate, under conditions forbidding use as a public house, ale keeper, spirit retailer, victualler, butcher, slaughterman, soap maker, tallow chandler, candle maker, smith, brazier, tin man, or any other noisy or offensive trade. The Creery family remained in possession until at least 1886. By 1901 the property had passed to Richard Brush and had been renamed Marino. Mr Brush vacated the house by 1910.