1906 – Convent of Mercy Chapel, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh

A fine convent chapel by William A. Scott, who also designed the townhall in Enniskillen. Described as being in the Byzantine style internally, with a plainer Romanesque interior. Built on buttresses on the river side of the building. Allegedly Scott was asked to design the interior in a style that would reflect as past where the Norman invasion never happened. There are fine stained glass windows by Michael Healy and marble reredoes by William Malone.

“This chapel is built of brick, rough-casted generally. The walls are divided in bays, with brick arches and fillings — bricks specially selected for colour qualities, and have small semi-circular windows in pairs, with sandstone jambs, glazed with Irish bottle-glass in figure designs.

The semi-circular apse is finished with cast concrete dome, having chain bar embedded therein at eaves, which have a projection of 2 feet all round the buildings, and are carried on cast concrete corbels.

There is a considerable slope on the ground, which allowed for the basement carried on piers, with open arching between. The ceiling of basement is vaulted in concrete. The roof covering is small, thick 12 inches by 6 inches Killaloe slates, with three rows of ton slates at eaves, and having lead ridge.

The roofing timbers are of pitch-pine, left from the tool without any varnish or coating of any kind. Already they have assumed a beautiful mellow tone. Otherwise the interior woodwork is chiefly oak. The carved panels in stalls treat of different subjects.

The altar is of limestone and Irish marble, with plaster relief in altar front. The architect was Mr. W. A. Scott, A.R.I.B.A., Dublin. ” The Irish Builder, October 6 1906.