Armaghdown Bar, 19 Monaghan Street, Newry, Co Down, BT35 6BB

Armaghdown Bar is a two-storey, two-bay ashlar granite building fronting the north side of Monaghan Street in Newry, with a two-storey rubble-granite warehouse at the rear. The front block dates from the 1880s to 1890s, initially constructed as an office and wine store before converting to a public house by 1897.

The main façade demonstrates high-quality workmanship and proportionate detailing. The smooth ashlar granite front is finished over a projecting base course, with chamfered and channelled stepped quoins to the front face. A projecting string course runs across the first floor at window sill level. Above the eaves course sits a granite parapet with overhanging copings and three recessed sandstone panels, each punched with seven open roundels. The parapet rests on a bracketed sandstone cornice underlined with a moulded string course in finely dressed sandstone.

The front pitch of the roof has parapeted gables and is covered with pitched fibre cement slates, with rendered brick chimneys to each gable. A satellite dish and aerial are now mounted on the roof.

The main entrance is positioned at right on the street facade, comprising a pair of modern ten-panelled doors below a segmental-headed transom light. The reveal has a pole-moulded edge and head with voussoirs stepped into the wall coursing and a projecting keyblock. A metal security grille protects the front of the door. Wall markings for brass plaques, now removed, are visible on both jambs.

To the left of the door is a set of three semicircular-headed windows forming an arcade, all sharing the same granite cill. The middle section of each jamb has a pole-moulded reveal; the heads are also pole-moulded and painted with projecting keyblocks. Modern timber windows have been inserted with metal security grilles over them. Above the ground floor openings is a modern fascia reading "Armaghdown Bar".

At first floor are three window openings identical to and in line with those below, fitted with timber-framed metal-reinforced single-pane windows with semicircular lights above. To the right, centred above the entrance door, is a pair of windows openings of the same design. A projecting sign sits between the two sets of windows.

Small metal windows are inserted towards the rear on both floors to light toilets. The right gable appears to be cement-rendered random rubble granite. The left gable is abutted by the terrace, with an exposed section of rendered brick visible.

The rear elevation is random rubble masonry with a brick eaves course, abutted at the middle by the two-storey warehouse.

The warehouse building abuts the rear wall of the front block and appears to have originally been a bonded warehouse. Its pitched natural slate roof runs into the rear pitch of the main block, with rendered brick chimneys to each gable. Rainwater goods are missing. The west elevation has walls of random granite rubble abutted by lower buildings belonging to number 19a Monaghan Street. The east face may be wet-dash rendered but was too heavily overgrown for confirmation. This elevation has a large modern sliding door at the north end and at least one sliding sash window to the first floor with security bars. Towards the south end is a gabled first floor loading door. Heavy overgrowth precluded a complete inspection of the north gable.

The site was formerly occupied by stores belonging to Newry Distillery. The present building first appears in the 1882 Valuation Revision book, described as an office and wine store. It was taken over by Duncan, Alderdice & Company in 1890, who also operated two bonded stores on the other side of number 19c Monaghan Street (still standing but with frontage rebuilt). The office first appears as a public house in the 1897 Valuation Revision.

The building is located within a conservation area.