1 Mullaghinch Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached symmetrical three-bay two-storey rendered house, built c.1866, with central entrance porch and single-storey accretion to the north gable as part of the former post office. L-shaped on plan facing east and set within a low lying wooded site below the junction of three urban roads.

Pitched artificial slate roof with roll-moulded clay ridge tiles and a pair of rendered profiled chimneystacks to either end with terracotta pots. Cast-iron guttering to sheeted overhanging eaves, cast-iron downpipes and timber bargeboards to the gables. Ruled-and-lined cement rendered walling with rusticated rendered quoins to either end. Square-headed window openings with moulded architrave surrounds, keystones, concrete sills on corbels and mostly original 2/2 timber sash windows.

Symmetrical three-bay front elevation abutted to the centre by a square-plan flat-roofed entrance porch having a deep moulded parapet cornice. Square-headed door opening to the south cheek with original four-panelled timber door having bolection mouldings and opening onto a concrete step to gravel forecourt.

South gable has a single off-centre window opening to the ground floor and abutted by a wraparound timber-frame conservatory.
Rear west elevation has a catslide roof to a full-height projection to the north end. The window openings have plain surrounds with replacement multi-pane timber casement windows to the projection and abutted by the timber-framed conservatory.

North gable abutted by a single-storey rendered accretion, built c.1920 when in use as Aghadowey Post Office. Moulded surrounds (as per above) to all window openings and to a single door opening to the accretion having four-panelled timber door with bolection mouldings and an overlight.

Setting:
Located on a low-lying mature wooded site to the west of Mullaghinch and Moneybrannon Roads. Access to the south via a gravel drive opening onto Mullaghinch Road via wrought-iron gates on rendered piers with ball finials. Cast-iron post box to the rear and wrought-iron pedestrian gate to the front garden.

Roof Fibre cement slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Cement render
Windows Original 2/2 timber sash

Historical information

The present dwelling house, a former post office, dates from 1866. A house is shown on the site on the first edition OS map of 1831-2 and by the second edition, a rear return and outbuilding have been added, but in 1866 the house was extensively remodelled or rebuilt to give its present day form.

Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) lists the occupier as Solomon McKeernan and the farmhouse and over eight acres are leased from the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers. The house was valued at £1, suggesting a single-storey vernacular dwelling. In the mid-1860s the house was taken over by John Selfridge and by 1866 a new house and slated offices valued at £7 had been built on the plot. The house remained in the Selfridge family until at least 1930. At the time of the 1901 census, Margaret Selfridge was the postmistress and was living in the eight-room, first-class house with her four adult daughters, two of whom assisted in the post office while a third was a telegraphist. The post office was located next to Aghadowey railway station which opened on 19th February 1880 and closed on 28th August 1950 (www.railbrit.co.uk). The dwelling continues in domestic use.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/5/11/1 First Edition OS Map 1831-2
2. PRONI OS/6/5/11/2 Second Edition OS map 1849-52
3. PRONI OS/6/5/11/3 Third Edition OS Map 1904
4. PRONI OS/6/5/11/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1923
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/51 Townland Valuation (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/2A-F Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
7. Griffith’s Valuation online

Secondary Sources

1. www.railbrit.co.uk

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

Detached symmetrical three-bay two-storey rendered house, built c.1866, with central entrance porch and single-storey section to the north gable used as the former Post Office. Carefully restored, this well proportioned and detailed house has a late nineteenth-century character and is enhanced by its interior detailing, its mature setting which contains gates, gate posts and piers. It is of social interest from its use as the local Post office.

General comments

Listing Criteria R - Age; S - Authenticity and T - Historic Importance also apply.