104-8 Hill Street, Newry, Co Down, BT34 1BT

A three and a half storey L-shaped corner building at the junction of Hill Street and The Mall in Newry, dating from between 1820 and 1839.

The building comprises three adjoining properties numbered 104, 106, and 108. Number 104 occupies the left position on Hill Street. Its walls are of smooth painted render with stepped decorative quoin stones on the left corner and raised render platband above the second floor windows, with a raised render eaves course. The ground floor has a modern timber shopfront, with a door to its left leading to the first floor flat. The first floor has a 1/1 sliding sash window with horns, painted cill and plain reveal; a similar but diminished window appears on the second floor. Two metal tie bars are positioned at first and second floor ceiling level at the centre of the wall.

Number 106 is the central building on the Hill Street elevation. Its smooth painted render walls feature moulded render stringcourses between floors and a raised render eaves course. A modern shopfront occupies the ground floor, with two 1/1 sliding sash windows with horns to each upper floor, diminishing in height and positioned in line with those of number 104, all with painted cills.

Number 108 stands at the corner with The Mall, its main entrance situated on the canted corner with a modern shopfront matching those of numbers 104 and 106. The first floor has four 1/1 sliding sash windows with horns: two to Hill Street, one to the canted corner, and one to the right side of The Mall elevation, all diminishing in size to the second floor. Between the windows at first floor level on Hill Street is a modern plaque stating "Site of the former the Crown Inn, meeting place of the United Irishman 1144-1994". A lower three storey return continues flush with the façade to The Mall, with a pitched natural slate roof and plastic rainwater goods. At ground floor is a modern shopfront. The first floor has three modern timber casement windows: the first two from the left with concrete cills and the third with a granite cill. The second floor windows are in line with those below but larger: the first and second windows are 1/1 top hung timber casements, while the third is a tripartite consisting of three 1/1 sliding sash windows, all with granite cills.

All three properties feature three gabled dormer windows with 1/1 sliding sash windows with horns, glazed cheeks, fretted barge boards, and slate roofs. The dormer to number 108 is set on the canted corner with its right cheek set into part of the higher roof to the right. A modern skylight has been added to the front pitch of the right elevation. The roof is hipped with natural slate and a brick chimney at the top of the left hip of the Hill Street elevation.

The building has significant historical associations. This is the site of the former Crown Inn, where Wolfe Tone formed a branch of the United Irishmen. The 1835 Ordnance Survey map shows three houses at this location. The 1863 valuation revision book records it as a 3⅓ storey high building.