Saint Mary's Convent

Attached ten-bay three-storey yellow brick former convent and school, dated 1875, now used as apartments. Gable-fronted two-bay central breakfront to north, return to rear (south). Hipped slate roofs, clay ridge tiles, yellow brick corbelled chimneystacks, dog tooth moulding to shaft, moulded cast-iron gutters on overhanging eaves supported by yellow brick modillions, profiled cast-iron downpipes with decorative brackets tooled limestone verge coping to breakfront, cast-iron cross finial. Yellow brick walling laid in Flemish bond, rock-faced limestone plinth with cut limestone coping, ashlar limestone block-and-start quoins and continuous sill courses; stone dog-tooth moulding and decorative oculus to breakfront; stone date plaque to west of north elevation, "Saint Mary's National Schools for Boys 1875". Pointed arch window openings to breakfront, moulded yellow brick surrounds, splayed limestone sill, painted timber Y-tracery sliding sash windows; square-headed window openings, moulded brick elliptical-headed surrounds, splayed limestone sills, painted timber casement windows; paired square-headed window openings to second floor, chamfered brick reveals, engaged stone column mullions with rusticated capitals, mix of painted one-over-one timber sliding sash and casement windows. Pointed arch door openings, moulded limestone hood-moulding with label stops, paired pointed arch painted timber decoratively panelled doors separated by engaged marble colonette, rusticated capital, tooled limestone base, limestone step; square-headed door opening to east, elliptical-headed moulded yellow brick surround, plain-glazed overlight, painted timber decoratively panelled door; square-headed door opening to west, segmental-headed limestone surround, fillet ashlar reveals, hood moulding with mask stops, painted timber double doors with four flat panels, limestone step. Street fronted.

This attractive former convent and school displays varied decorative detailing from the elegant dog-tooth mouldings to the more robust rock-faced plinth. The mask stops in the shape of boys' heads are a charming detail pointing to the building's use as a boys' school. This decoration together with the contrasting brick and stone construction make this a striking landmark along Dublin Road.