The Model Arts & Niland Centre is housed in an 1862 building designed and built by the architects James Owen and McCullough Mulvin.

Formerly known as "The Model School", the Model Arts and Niland Centre is the principal arts and cultural centre for the North West of Ireland.

As with other Model School's established in the latter part of the 19th century, it is an institution established to provide instruction for children of different denominations, in the principle of combined secular and seperate religious instruction.

This same principle continued on these lands until recent years in The Sligo School Project which was housed in pre-fabricated buildings situated to the rear of The Model School, before being moved some years ago to new premises across the Garavogue River, in an empty former school building beside the old Gaol (or Jail).

In recent years The Model School was renamed the Model Arts Centre, then after a tastfully carried out refurbishment, became The Niland Centre, housing a permanant exhibition of Jack B Yeats paintings, as well as housing touring exhibitions and featuring a wide range of cultural activities, including literary and musical festivals.

Leave The Model Arts and Niland Centre by turning left at the gate on The Mall and walk to the building next door, The Masonic Hall.

NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

The Freemasons Society, which originated in the medieval craft guilds of the stone masons, built their first Lodge (No 355) in County Sligo in December 1760, Though it wasn't until 1856 that a purpose built meeting place, or lodge, was proposed in Sligo Town.

39 years later in 1895, after countless fund-raising events and bazaars, The Masonic Lodge was built at the cost of £1,525 on The Mall in Sligo Town.

The Masonic Lodge was designed by the architect Mr Henry Seaver from Belfast and was built by Sligoman Mr George Kerr, described as being the Old English style, with the outer walls being faced with red perforated bricks, the upper storey being roughcast and the roofing being of green slates (the green slates are no longer on the building).

There is a lovely tower with bell shaped eaves rising over the main entrance to the building, which consisted internally of the pricipal lodge room (40ft X 20ft) a dining hall (40ft X 20ft) and a number of smaller rooms which were used for craft purposes, joined onto the two large rooms.

Successive members of the Dodd family lived in The Masonic Lodge as caretakers from the opening of the building in 1895 until 1951.

Continue to our next point of interest by crossing over The Mall to the nearby church.

The Calry Church.

Proposals to build a chapel for the growing protestant population in March 1817, the result of which is The Calry Church.

Construction of The Calry Church and a Glebe House was carried out by the local building contractor John Lynn.

The Calry Church was constructed to a plain Gothic style with a tower and a lovely spire commands a demanding position on a height overlooking the flowing waters of the nearby Garavogue River.

The stones used in the construction of the church was quarried on the spot, which would explain the somewhat low cost of £5,246.15s for the building works, of which £823.00 was raised by subscription and by the sale of pews.

After the church was consecrated in June 1824, its first Curate was the Rev William Armstrong, who ministered until his death in March 1840 at the age of 46.

There are a number of vaults beneath the church which had remained virtually unused since the construction in 1824, until renovation works were carried out in recent years, when the vaults were finally put to use.

To the side of The Calry Church furthest away from the town, there is an alleyway, continue down this alleyway to a most unusual footbridge crossing over The Garavogue River.

Click here to read about: The Garavogue River.

Last Modified Thursday, 20-Dec-2007 21:57:07 GMT.