Convent of Mercy, Home Avenue, Newry, Co Down, BT34 2DL

Convent of Mercy

An asymmetrical three-storey double pile house with an attached chapel, dating from the 19th century. The building is Grade B+ listed and faces west towards Home Avenue in Newry.

The main front elevation presents a formally composed design with raised granite quoins to both corners and a raised render base course beneath dashed walls. The roof is double gabled with natural slate and rendered chimneys with oversailing caps to each gable end (four in total). A corbelled three-course plain cornice runs at eaves level. Plastic rainwater goods serve both front and rear.

The principal entrance is centrally positioned, reached by three granite steps. The timber door has six panels—rectangular at top and bottom with square panels between—and brass fittings. It is framed by two demi-columns and pilasters supporting a pedimented entablature, all painted (probably over granite). Between each column and pilaster is a 2/2 vertically divided sliding sash window. Above the door is a semicircular fanlight which breaks the base of the pediment. Flower-filled urns and wrought iron boot scrapers flank the entrance. To left and right are 6/6 sliding sash windows.

All floor levels have a rendered continuous cill course across the front facade. The ground floor contains three 6/6 sliding sash windows (in addition to those flanking the door), the first floor has three 6/6 windows, and the second floor has three 6/3 diminished sliding sash windows. All window openings have rendered heads and stepped jambs, with upper floor openings aligned with those below.

The right double gable faces into an enclosed yard and has a rendered wall with the facade cornice continuing across at eaves level. Two cast-iron downpipes serve this elevation, one from the central roof valley. A flat-roofed one-storey cement-rendered extension abuts the ground floor here. The extension's rear wall facing the yard contains a sliding sash window with louvre glass to the top sash, while its end wall is blank. Its right cheek, aligned with the rear elevation of the main block, contains a pair of modern French doors with plain transom at basement level.

The left gable contains a notable Venetian window at the half-landing between ground and first floor level. This comprises a 6/6 sliding sash with Y-tracery segmental head, flanked on both sides by a narrower three-paned window. Below at ground level is a 2/2 sliding sash window. A sweep of curving stone steps leads to a basement door and window further below. The left gable walls are smooth rendered with corbelled cornice at eaves level and a cast-iron downpipe from the central roof valley.

The rear elevation overlooks a large garden planted with lawns, flower beds and trees, enclosed by a high random rubble wall. Formal paths divide the garden into four square central plots. The rendered walls have raised granite quoins at both corners.

Due to the sloping ground, the basement level here functions as the ground floor. Along this level runs a row of five modern top-hung windows. At the principal ground floor are five tall openings which contain, from left to right: a pair of glazed timber doors with six-paned transom above, a 6/9 sliding sash window, another pair of glazed timber doors with six-paned transom, and two further 6/9 sliding sash windows. A modern steel-railed metal balcony with metal staircase provides access to ground level. At first floor are five equally spaced 6/6 sliding sash windows with granite cills, and at second floor five equally spaced 3/3 sliding sash windows also with granite cills. All these windows are vertically aligned.

The first and second floors of the right gable each contain a 1/1 sliding sash window to the left side.

A single-storey link block abutting the ground floor left connects to the adjacent chapel.

The yard to the right contains a two-storey outhouse with natural slate hipped roof laid in diminishing courses. The walls facing into the yard are dashed with smooth rendered dressings. The first floor has small windows and the ground floor larger windows. A sheeted painted timber door is housed in a semicircular-headed recess. Gable and rear wall openings are blocked.

A pair of wrought iron entrance gates with dog bars at the bottom and hooped spikes at the top lead into the property from Home Avenue. They are set between two tall rendered granite gate posts embellished with a base course, fluted frieze along the top, projecting cornice and stepped caps. High painted rendered walls flank the gates on either side, each punched through with a wicket gate having a plain rendered architrave.

A residential home was constructed in the grounds by Thomas Fagan in 1898.