Convent of Mercy Chapel, Catherine St, Newry, Co Down, BT35 6JG

Convent of Mercy Chapel

This chapel in Newry presents a plain exterior that conceals an interior of considerable importance and quality. Alterations to layout and detail have been minimal.

The building is a single-cell chapel with a basement refectory below, linked to the north elevation of the Convent of Mercy on Catherine Street. The east elevation, which faces Catherine Street, contains the sanctuary and sacristy at its right end. The sanctuary's east elevation is canted, and its south elevation is abutted by a link block to the convent. The rear wall faces onto the convent gardens.

The chapel is constructed of squared granite rubble brought to courses, with dressed chamfered ashlar granite string courses between basement and ground floor levels. The walls feature corbelled rendered eaves and stepped render quoins. The hipped natural slate roof is canted and hipped at the liturgical east end, topped with a wrought iron cross finial at the ridge end. Ogee metal rainwater goods and square cast iron downpipes serve the roof. The walls to the sanctuary at the east end are lined with render.

The front wall has six semicircular-headed windows to the ground floor, each tall with a granite cill and inset with figurative stained glass protected by exterior polycarbonate security glazing. Below, in line with the four leftmost ground floor openings, are four 2/2 sliding sashes with bars, all with granite cills and stepped render jambs. Below the fifth ground floor window is a semicircular-headed opening serving as a passageway to the rear, abutted by a timber cloister. The right wall (canted east end) has a single window to each cheek of each floor, detailed as those to the façade. The rear wall has six ground floor windows matching those to the façade. The basement has four windows in line with four right ground floor windows. To the left, below the remaining ground floor windows, is a semicircular-headed passageway abutted by a gabled timber cloister. The left wall is abutted at centre by a single-storey link block to the convent. This remaining wall section is detailed as the façade, with a single doorway to the right leading to an external decorative painted cast iron staircase falling to the front cloister. The link block has a lean-to roof running from the convent with rendered walls; each cheek features a semicircular-headed 4/4 sliding sash window.

The front elevation is enclosed by a high wet dashed wall with an ashlar granite basecourse and ashlar copping. A narrow paved basement passage with a rendered retaining wall supporting a grass verge precedes the chapel. The wall features a pair of tongue-and-groove sheeted painted timber shouldered doors, cusped at the top corners, set within a stone opening of the same profile with a stopped chamfer to the head, forming part of an ashlar granite porch. Above the door is a Gothic-headed arch with a recessed panel tympanum inset. The porch walls are ashlar granite, gabled over with stepped ashlar copping and a trifoliate finial. Between the wall and grass verge extends a cloister running along the back of the wall, with a pitched natural slate roof supported by chamfered timber posts with tongue-and-groove eaves, each cut to a point for decorative effect. Between the street porch and the passage under the chapel, the cloister continues with a semicircular corrugated metal roof. The cloister to the rear of the passage is similarly designed and falls to the left with granite steps leading to St. Joseph's Convent Primary School.

The sacristy forms the left-hand bay of a three-bay unit, the other two bays being occupied by a dwelling (number 7). A smooth rendered chimney on the party wall contains five flues, two having pots. The cap is corbelled and centres on the ridge. The roof features artificial slate with traditional corbelled eaves and slated verge; cast iron rainwater goods and downpipe (the latter located on the adjacent property) serve the dwelling. Two windows serve the street, one at ground and one at first floor—both exposed box painted timber sliding sashes with vertically divided glazing protected by wrought iron bars set off the cill with two moulded cast iron blocks, three plain horizontals, and six vertical rods brought to a point. The cills are painted stone. A six-panelled door with bolection mouldings, grained and varnished, leads into the covered walkway against the gable. The front wall and gable are smooth rendered with a canted projecting plinth. The rear abuts the chapel.

Historical Context

The convent first appears on the 1863 Ordnance Survey map, indicating a mid-19th century construction date (c.1862). The 1863 Valuation Book describes it as "Convent of Mercy" and cites a one-storey chapel, which must have been contained within the main block as nothing appears on the 1861 or 1873 town maps where the present chapel now stands. The present chapel is shown on the 1903 town map, cited as "Emmanuel R.C. Church", indicating it was built sometime between 1873 and 1903. Although not explicitly cited in subsequent valuation revision books, its internal style suggests construction around 1900.