Market houses are a notable feature of several Northern Ireland towns. While these market houses vary in styles of architecture, size and ornamentation, many were designed with three, four or even five bays on the ground floor which were an open arcade. An upper floor was often used as a court house or ballroom. Ornamentation consisted of a cupola, a clock or sometimes a dome or tower. Today most of the market houses in Ireland have been put to use as cultural venues or business premises. Some are still derelict.
Table of market houses locations
TownCountyDate builtCurrent useImageNote Antrim Antrim 1726 Vacant (formerly court house) Armagh Armagh 1815 Library and learning centre Aughnacloy Tyrone – Shops Ballycastle Antrim 1830 c. Local museum Ballyclare Antrim 18th century ? Demolished 1866, Town Hall built on site Ballyclare Antrim 19th century (2nd Market House) Shopping centre Ballygawley Tyrone 19th century Now an accountant's office Ballymena Antrim 1684 Burnt down 1919, town hall built on site in 1924 History of Ballymena, photograph of Market House Ballymoney Antrim 1755 c. masonic hall Ballynahinch Down 1795 Community centre History of Ballynahinch Market House Banbridge Down 1832 Offices Bangor Down 1810 or 1780 Bank Belfast (Waring Street) Antrim 1769 Formerly a bank, now unused Belfast markets history Belfast (St George's Market) Antrim 1890s Still in use as market Brookeborough Fermanagh 1837 (before) Vacant ? (Formerly Orange Hall) Caledon Tyrone 1830 c. – Carrickfergus Antrim 1755 ? Art gallery Castlewellan Down 1764 c. Library Clogher Tyrone 1837 – Crossgar Down 1829 Boarded up and missing its clock Cushendall Antrim 1858 Dervock Antrim 1805 Café and hairdressers Donaghadee Down 1819 c. Shops Draperstown Londonderry 1839 A library on the ground Floor; a toddlers' playgroup on the first floor Dromara Down 1830 c. Masonic hall Dromore Down 18th century Replaced in 1886 Dromore Down 1886 Library Ederney Fermanagh 1839 c. Rebuilt in 1889 as a town hallRedeveloped in 1989 as a community centre EglintonLondonderry1825Occupied by Faughanvale Credit Union Hillsborough Down 1760 c.; 2nd phase c. 1810 Court house and tourist information centre Hilltown Down 1828 Part of a public house Irvinestown Fermanagh 1835 (before) Shop Kilkeel Down 1800 Upper floor was used as a courthouse. Demolished in 1952 Killyleagh Down 1788 c. "Drop-in" centre Lisbellaw Fermanagh 1830 c. Butchers Lisburn Antrim 18th century ? Irish linen centre and museum Loughgall Armagh 1746 – Maghera Londonderry 18th century ? Replaced in 1824 Maghera Londonderry 1824 (2nd market house) Offices Maguiresbridge Fermanagh 1835 c. Vacant ? Markethill Armagh – Shop Middletown Armagh 1829 Offices Moira Down 1810 c. Offices ? Moneymore Londonderry 1819 Public house and vacant Moneymore Londonderry 1839 Shops and private houses Newtownards Down 1765 See full article on Market House, Newtownards Newtownbutler Fermanagh 1830 c. – Portaferry Down 1752 Sub-office of Northern Ireland Housing Executive Randalstown Antrim 1831 Library (previously court house) Rathfriland Down 1770 c. – Saintfield Down 1802 Orange Hall Toome Antrim 1830 (before) Bookmaker Trillick Tyrone 1820 c. Masonic hall
See also Architecture of Ireland List of country houses in the United Kingdom List of towns and villages in Northern Ireland List of market houses in the Republic of Ireland Tholsel
References
Sources A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Samuel Lewis (1838) Buildings at Risk (various volumes), Ulster Architectural Heritage Society Saintfield Conservation Area, The Planning Service Agency, Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland
Further reading McParland, Edward (2001) Public Architecture in Ireland 1680–1760 Yale University Press
External links
Ulster Architectural Heritage Society