Clones Protestant Recreation Hall

Detached single-storey over basement hall, built 1926, to designs by Clones architect and civil engineer William Potts, having three-bay gable-fronted entrance elevation, doorway having canopy overhead, railed balcony to each side, approached by flight of steps. Eight-bay side elevation, and three-bay front elevation. Recent lean-to extension to north-west end of south-west side elevation. Pitched slate roof with black clay ridge tiles, smooth-rendered chimneystack to gable-front, and replacement metal rainwater goods on metal-sheeted timber eaves. Roughcast cement rendered walls with smooth rendered pilasters between bays of side elevations. Front elevation has painted roughcast cement render, apex having black-painted raised smooth render strips to resemble timber framing. Square-headed window openings throughout, with concrete sills and replacement uPVC frames. Round-headed replacement uPVC double-leaf main entrance door, with latticed fanlight. Concrete balcony to front elevation with decorative steel railing and moulded front edge supported by square-plan concrete columns. Flat concrete canopy over doorway supported by similar columns, latter having moulded capitals. Square-headed replacement uPVC doors to basement level of south-east elevation and to north-west end bays on both sides. Building set back from Cara Street. Ramped concrete access to rear parts of hall on north-east side and steel railings on low smooth rendered wall with wide steel sliding gate to front on north-west side of Cara Street.

This whimsical twentieth-century building is a relatively early example of concrete construction in this part of Ireland. Its form is a medley of architectural styles and devices, from the pilasters to the side elevations to the Mock Tudor frontage. The canopy and the balcony to each side of the entrance, and the tall flight of steps gives it an elegant appearance to the street.