Site of former 50-52 Irish Street, Downpatrick, Co Down, BT30 6BP

Site of former 50-52 Irish Street, Downpatrick

This site on the sloping east side of Irish Street was formerly occupied by a two to three storey terrace house of probable late 18th century origin, which originally comprised two separate dwellings. The building was demolished around 1991, and new neo-Georgian dwellings were subsequently built in its place.

The building, as recorded in a survey of March 1976, consisted of two sections. The right hand (south) section was a two storey house with a slated roof and brick chimney. Its walls were rendered, lined, and formerly painted. The front featured two first floor drop hung windows with Georgian panes and one ground floor drop hung window with horizontal astragals.

The left hand (lower) section was three storeys tall, with a slated roof and brick chimneys. The upper wall comprised rough dressed coursed stone, while the ground floor was rendered and lined. It contained four second floor windows and four first floor windows, all with Georgian panes. The ground floor housed a passage doorway with a sheeted door, wood lintel plate, and three steps, along with a drop hung window featuring horizontal astragals.

Both sections were covered by a projecting single storey porch with a flat roof, moulded and corbelled eaves cornice, and rendered walls with bevel quoins. The porch doorway had an elliptical arch head with a moulded surround, plain fanlight and sidelights, moulded transom, and a panelled door with plain aprons. A granite step led to the entrance. Each side face of the porch contained a drop hung window with horizontal astragals. The front measured approximately 40 feet. The building was recorded as being in poor condition.

Historical records indicate that the site was occupied from at least 1708 onwards. The building began as two separate dwellings with staggered front elevations dating from the mid to later 18th century. On the valuation plan of 1838, they are shown as distinct properties: the larger house (No. 50) was owned by Thomas Boyle, whilst the smaller was occupied by William McNeal. The two properties were amalgamated sometime prior to 1859, when the porch first appears on the Ordnance Survey town plan of that year. The building was demolished circa 1991.