I was stocking up on some (expensive) nyjer seeds today at a shop in North Street, Belfast, when I encountered David Thompson, who recognized me from the Blog.
We had a good chin-wag for ages outside the former Assembly Rooms of 1769 (latterly a bank) at 2 Waring Street.
David urged me to have a look at a painting by J W Carey RUA, of St Anne's Parish Church, Belfast (top), being sold at auction next Wednesday in Ross's auction-house. St Anne's stood on the site of the Cathedral.
I ambled further along Donegall Street and stopped at St Patrick's Presbytery (above) at 199 Donegall Street, a Georgian building of ca 1820. This is a three-storey, red brick house adjacent to St Patrick's RC Church. It still has a splendidly gleaming brass-covered door with a fanlight over a lintel supported by Ionic columns.
The Presbytery was originally an episcopal palace, the first prelate being the Bishop of Down and Connor, William Crolly, in 1825.
193-195 Donegall Street was originally St Patrick's School for boys and girls, built in 1828. The stone plaques above double Tudor-style doors display the entrances to the Christian Brothers and National Schools.
You may be interested in looking up the columns of St. George's Parish, if you're not familiar with the story already!
ReplyDeleteW.
Ballyscullion by any chance? :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Tim, I attended that school in 1967 as it was then part of St. Mary's CBS. Other past pupils include Mr G. Adams MP and Fr Brendan Smith.
ReplyDeleteBest regards
KM
Aha! A certain Gerry Adams pulled pints at the estimable Duke of York off Donegall Street!
ReplyDeleteI'd actually forgotten which house they were from, Tim; I thought it was a never-to-be house commissioned by the Earl of Bristol.
ReplyDeleteW.
Yes, I think it was a half-finished palace of the Earl Bishop and the portico was acquired by St George's, wasn't it?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that the venerable joke-smith Frank Carson went there too.
ReplyDelete