Market houses in Northern Ireland

Market houses are a notable feature of many Northern Ireland towns; their varying styles of architecture, size and ornamentation make for a most interesting feature of the streetscape. The market houses 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

Town	County	Date built	Current use	Image and/or link
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[1]
Dervock	Antrim	1805	Cafe 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	–
Ederney	Fermanagh	1839 c. Rebuilt in 1889 as a town hall	Redeveloped in 1989 as a community centre
Eglinton	Londonderry	1825	Occupied by Faughanvale Credit Union[2]
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

1. "National Museums NI". www.nmni.com. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
2. "Faughanvale Credit Union". faughanvalecreditunion.co.uk. Retrieved 17 September 2021.

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 ISBN 0-300-09064-1

External links

• Ulster Architectural Heritage Society
• Irish Antiquities (with many pictures of market houses)