Survey Data

Reg No

30314060


Rating

Regional


Categories of Special Interest

Architectural, Social


Previous Name

Galway Methodist Church originally Galway Wesleyan Chapel


Original Use

Church/chapel


In Use As

Church/chapel


Date

1835 - 1840


Coordinates

130138, 225209


Date Recorded

04/09/2008


Date Updated

--/--/--


Description

Corner-sited Methodist church and school, built 1839, sharing same façade. Two-bay three-storey school to north-east end, having entrance door in first floor, and church to south-west end having three-bay gable-front and having projecting gabled porch to central bay. Pitched slate and artificial slate roofs having cut limestone pediments to school and church, with modillions to sloping sides and to base, roof having cast-iron and replacement uPVC rainwater goods. Dressed limestone walling to front elevation with limestone plinth. Low buttresses to corners of porch, with ashlar quoins and kneelers. Blank raised plaques to above end windows of church and plaque between upper floors of school inscribed 'School House'. Spired pinnacle with metal weather vane to pediment of church. Blank lined-and-ruled rendered walls to south-west elevation having dressed limestone quoins. Round-headed window openings to front elevation, except for round heads to top floor of school, having limestone sills, surrounds and voussoirs with replacement timber and uPVC windows to school and lead-lined stained-glass windows to church within timber casement frames. Top floor of school has stone lintels. Square-headed window openings to side elevations of porch having tooled limestone sills, block-and-start surrounds, stone lintels and replacement uPVC windows. Pointed-arch door opening to porch having tooled chamfered limestone block-and-start surround with limestone steps and double-leaf timber panelled doors. Round-headed door opening to first floor of school having limestone surround and voussoirs with timber panelled door and spoked fanlight, approached by recent concrete steps. Painted rendered interior walls and ceiling with timber crucifix to rear.

Appraisal

This combined church and school is most unusual and adds significantly to the architectural variety of the city. The school may be a later structure, as suggested by the junction between the two structures. The building displays simple Classical detailing in its round-headed openings. The assymetrical fenestration of the whole makes this one of the more interesting buildings in the area around Eyre Square and the building is enhanced by the various plaques and by the varied openings to the porch and top floor of the school.