Newry Town Hall

Northern Ireland492 seats

Newry Town Hall dates from 1893, and is unique in that it is built on a three-arched bridge astride the Clanrye River – apparently to settle the rivalry between the people of Armagh and Down over which County it should be sited in!

The seating was replaced as part of the second phase of a major refurbishment, involving work to the balcony, the stage, the addition of a control room and redecoration throughout. “The existing seating was looking tired, there were concerns about comfort, it was very heavy and was not user friendly,” says Gavin McVeigh, Estates Surveyor for Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

After consultation with Audience Systems, the seat selected is a luxurious high backed version of the Espace 628 which gives outstanding comfort and support as well as a high-specification look to the auditorium. The stalls chairs are deployed on “Matrix” removable floorbars – both chairs and floorbars are completely removable with no need for floor fixings, and the chairs can be removed quickly in groups and stacked on specially designed trolleys. Meanwhile, matching, tread fixed seats are permanently installed on the balcony.

Gavin McVeigh is delighted with the finished product. “The seating looks amazing, and the colour scheme works really well in the hall. The installers, Jamie and Oliver were very friendly, worked incredibly hard to get the job done and should be given a lot of credit.”