House adjacent to Aghanloo Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey three bay house over basement exposed as three stories to rear. Complete exterior renovation, white dry dash, PVC windows and rainwater goods. Flat roofed glazed front porch bridging over lightwells to basement. Three square windows at first floor level equally spaced. Two double square aligning at ground floor flanking the porch.

House extended to rear one metre approximately as roof pitch is altered. One double square ground floor window near back of south gable at level 600mm above those on front (east elevation). Kitchen return across two thirds of back (west) elevation at basement with toilet extension at ground floor level above in central bay. Nine windows to elevation f varying sizes. No windows in north gable. There is an overhang of the slate roof and a chimney at each gable. The building is set back from Aghanloo Road at end of a drive lined with mature trees, there is a blocked up entrance to the church yard. A modern farm yard (date stone 1938) wraps around a court yard at basement level to north and west

Historical information

Unclear. Building a storey and a half brick house over basement until roof raised and renovated by the present occupants ten years ago. Described in 1970 as having “an entrance recessed in a square opening flanked by four pane side lights and surmounted by a rectangular fanlight. A large window to either side double hung with sashes divided into two panes vertically. Each of the openings on the front elevation is surmounted by a semi-circular window glazed with curvilinear astragals. The building is approached over a basement by a curved brick walled flight of steps.” Slide taken of occupant’s colour photograph for records. The semi-circular windows described were blank painted recesses. Mr Thompson’s great grandfather bought the house in the 1890s but he was unable to give any earlier information.

The building is shown on the 1830 map where its tree lined entrance avenue splits in two and enters the church as well, (its main approach). The present arrangement of a separate entrance is shown on the survey of 1848. The present warden’s house on the other side of Aghanloo Road first appears on the 1848 map. This building may have been built as a warden’s house at the same time as the church and carried on as a farm in the next generation. The Memoirs (p.15) mention the Church family of Drumbane, holders of the church land property of Drumbane, Shanvey, Rathfad and Ballybrissel, however there is no mention of duties associated with the church. The building was similar to HB02/11/009 on Freehall Road

References:

Owners (1997)
Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol 11

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Once very interesting early 19th century house with standard plan arrangement altered by the requirements of stepping down the site. It was located in a complimentary setting to Aghanloo Church. Now unsympathetically renovated, it is of interest only for its history, some interior detailing and possibly its relationship to the Church of Ireland community at Aghanloo.