12-14 Irish Street, Downpatrick, Co Down, BT30 6BP

12-14 Irish Street, Downpatrick

This mixed two and three storey terrace block on the east side of Irish Street contains two shops. No.12 is a two storey property dating probably from the mid to later 18th century, while No.14 is a three storey building possibly dating from around 1790, though it may originally have formed part of a larger property with No.16.

No.12

The south-west facing front façade is asymmetrical. The ground floor is dominated by a broad period style shop front in two sections. The left section has a panelled and glazed door with large flanking semicircular headed sidelight windows set in flat arch openings, and a narrow rectangular fanlight. The right section has a large window with three lights. Both sections are flanked by rusticated piers. Each has a narrow signboard above, with a much larger plastic signboard spanning the whole shop front, supported on curved brackets. To the far left of the ground floor is a flat arch doorway leading to a narrow entry giving access to the rear. The first floor has three tall sash windows with Georgian panes (6/6), with a period style projecting signboard between the second and third windows. The front façade is finished in lined render with in-out bevelled quoins.

The rear elevation has a flat arch rear entry to ground floor far right. Directly above on the first floor is a narrow sash window with Georgian panes (4/4). To the left extends a long two storey return. The north-west face of this return has two ground floor doorways: the left partly glazed, the right panelled with narrow sidelights with sash frames (2/2). The first floor has a small sash window (4/4) to the left and a much larger tripartite sash window (2/2, 6/6, 2/2) to the right. Set at an intermediate level to far right is a tall semicircular headed sash window (8/6). The whole rear elevation is finished in lined render and painted. The steeply pitched gabled roof is slated, with cast iron and PVC rainwater goods.

No.14

The ground floor is entirely occupied by a large shop front with mainly glazed double doors to the right and a large area of modern style glazing. The shop front has a traditional surround with narrow timber edge pilasters and timber signboard with gabled edge piers supported on curved brackets. The first floor has two sash windows with Georgian panes (6/6), and the second floor has two similar but slightly smaller windows. The front façade is finished in painted lined render. The exposed section of the north-west gable is finished in plain unpainted render and is blank. The rear façade appears to be almost completely covered by a large two storey return. The gabled roof is slated and has a large red brick chimney stack to the north-west.