Market-house

The National Monuments Service's description

A map of Roscommon town by Nicholas Malby c. 1580 shows the town house and market place, and a map of 1736 by Francis Plunket shows the market house as a small building with a domed roof in the market place. The building had collapsed in 1719 (Gacquin 2006), but it was rebuilt after 1762 by George and John Ensor as a rectangular and arcaded tholsel of six bays by three bays with the session rooms of the Grand Jury overhead.
In 1836 it became the Roman Catholic church and was re-designed by J. O'Farrell who turned it into a one storey building, built up the arcades, expanded the porch with a tower and cupola overhead, and added a sacristy at N. This work was completed by 1844 and the building continued as a church until 1903 when the church of the Sacred Heart, designed by Walter Doolin, was opened. Throughout the 20th century the old Session House served as a hall, called the Harrison Hall after a popular physician. In the late 1970s it was sold to the Bank of Ireland who opened it as a branch in 1980. (Siggins 1998b).

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 August 2010

References

Gacquin, W. 2006 Roscommon courthouse collapse 1719. Journal of the Roscommon Historical and Archaeological Society 10, 21.

Siggins, A. 1998b DAB's visit to Roscommon town in 1808. Journal of the County Roscommon Historical and Archaeological Society, vol. 7, 24-5.