Farm buildings adjacent to

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey multi-bay late nineteenth-century outbuilding with attached double-height block to east, and forming the eastern portion of a small complex of outbuildings located to the east side of Seskinore Road, Seskinore (along with HB11/06/014B). The two-storey west block is rectangular on plan; lower attached double-height east block is L-shaped on plan.

Roofs are pitched natural slate with blue/black clay ridge tiles; return of lower block has a hipped natural slate roof breaking ridge; brick corbelled eaves course and timber bargeboards throughout. Cast-iron U-profile rainwater goods. Walling is roughcast lime rendered random rubble over a contrasting plinth; west block has a gabled brick bellcote (with bell) offset to right of centre; openings are brick-dressed, contain vertical timber louvres (unless otherwise stated) and have masonry cills.

Principal elevation of each block faces south. West block has three equally spaced openings to each floor; segmental-headed arches to ground floor and louvred openings to first floor (that to centre is wider). There is an ornate cast-iron post outside the the central arch, makers mark 'Riddell & Co. Belfast'. Lower east block has a segmental-headed coach-arch offset to left of centre; there is a 1/1 timber sliding sash window to its left with cast-metal bars and a square-headed door opening to extreme left; two louvred openings to right.

Left gable (of west block) is blank.

Rear (north) elevations are as follows: west block has five louvred openings to first floor and the ghost marks of a lower gabled abutment to ground floor right. Within the ghost marks is a blocked circular recess, possibly a former window opening. Ground floor is otherwise blank. The lower east block is abutted off-centre at right by the slightly higher return (of lime-washed brick construction with relieving arch; roof has three timber louvred ventilation cowls with metal sheeted canopies). Exposed section is blank and has a red-brick instepped chimneystack at right.

Right gable (of east block) is blank and abutted by a smooth rendered boundary wall with modern railing at right, enclosing access to rear.

This range of farm buildings is located at the north-east side of a farmyard group; second group located at south-west (HB11/06/014B). Both are accessed by lane from west.

Roof Natural Slate
Walling Roughcast lime rendered brick
Windows Square-headed timber louvred openings
RWG U-profile cast-iron

Historical information

These buildings are part of the outbuildings of Seskinore Lodge, now demolished. ‘Seskinore Lodge’ is captioned on the first edition OS map of 1833, and with each subsequent edition there are changes and additions to the buildings and grounds. The present outbuildings do not appear until the third edition of 1906, which also captions a Chapel of Ease and a Pheasantry.

The Townland Valuation (1828-40) lists the house and offices as occupied by Mrs Perry and valued at £30. The Lodge is mentioned in OS Memoirs and by Lewis as the residence of Mrs Perry of Dublin. Atkinson gives the following description of the Lodge in 1833, “Seskinore Lodge, the seat of Mrs Perry (relict of the late George Perry Esq) is part and parcel of the Seskinore estate and comprehends a neat and fashionable lodge, a tastefully planted lawn and about sixty Irish acres of a farm, well adapted to the growth of flax and corn crops, and to that of garden vegetables and ornamental trees. The demesne, however, lies low and the prospect from the lodge is exclusively confined to the little beauties of the home view in which the rose, the sweet William and the sweet brier seem to vie, which shall diffuse the larger proportion of its fragrance through the surrounding scene.” (p.326-7)

By the time of Griffith’s Valuation the property has passed to the McClintock family and by 1860 George P McClintock owns it in fee and it is valued at £30. In 1862 it is noted that a new house has been built and the value is subsequently raised to £65. The Dublin Builder of 1862 announces, “Messrs Boyd and Batt are architects for an extensive addition to the mansion-house of Seskinore…for Captain McClintock. The contract is being executed by Mr McClelland of Derry, in his usual excellent manner.” The publication also mentions that the cost of the ‘additions and alterations’ is £2,074.10s.5d. It is likely that the outbuildings under consideration were constructed at this time. It should also be noted that, according to Mitchell (quoting Pike), it was around this time that the Tyrone Hunt, later known as the Seskinore Hunt, was established by George P McClintock. He was the Master of the Hunt until 1886 and was succeeded by his son who retired in 1905. (p.45)

In 1933 the whole property is valued at £435, subsequently reduced to £130. In 1935 valuers note that the last additions to the building were made in 1860 and that the original building dates from 1600 [but see below]. At this time John McClintock owns the house in fee and a note reads, “The office housing is all in fairly good repair and moderately maintained but far too extensive for the owner’s immediate requirements”. The value of the whole property is further reduced to £65. In 1954 the main house is recorded as being ‘down’.

Mitchell quotes from Pike’s Province of Ulster (1909), giving some background to the owners and the estate itself, “A James Perry [was] granted free farm lands from Sir Audley Mervyn in 1662…The estates fell to the third son, George, who married a daughter of the Rev. James Sinclair of Holyhill. His grandson, George, dying without issue, the estates passed to his nephew, Samuel [McClintock]…Samuel was a Lieutenant in the 18th Royal Irish Regiment and High Sheriff of County Louth, and his eldest son, George Perry McClintock, Colonel who commanded 4th Royal Enniskilling Fusiliers…was A.D.C. to the Duke of Abercorn and Earl Spencer when Lords Lieutenant, also J.P. and D.L. for Co.Tyrone and High Sheriff in 1865.”

Mitchell also shows a photograph of Seskinore House dating from 1934.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/43/1 – First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/43/2 – Second Edition OS Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/43/3 – Third Edition OS Map (1906)
4. PRONI OS/6/6/43/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map (1936-8)
5. PRONI VAL/1/A/6/43 – Townland Valuation Map
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/627 – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
7. PRONI VAL/2/A/6/43 – Griffiths’ Valuation Map
8. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/29 – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/41/39A-F – Annual Revision Records (1860-1929)
10. Day, A. and P. McWilliams, eds. “OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Tyrone
II, 1825, 1833-5, 1840, Vol. 20.” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1990.
11. The Dublin Builder, March 15 1862, p.72
12. The Dublin Builder, October 1 1862, p.254

Secondary Sources:

1. Atkinson, A “Ireland in the nineteenth century, and seventh of England's dominion”
London : Hamilton Adams & Co, 1833

2. Lewis, Samuel. “A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland”; London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837

3. Mitchell, C. J. Haldane, Ed. Images of Omagh and District. Vol. 4. Omagh: Rotary
Club of Omagh, 1994.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A two-storey late nineteenth-century outbuilding with double-height attached lower block, located to the east side of Seskinore Road, Seskinore and forming part of a group with additional range HB11/06/14B. Traditionally constructed, the farm buildings remain largely intact in terms of materials, attractive massing and proportions. Both buildings are enhanced by the traditional rural farmyard setting and contribute significantly to the architectural heritage of the local rural area.