Farm buildings adjacent to

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A range of attached multi-bay single- and two-storey late nineteenth-century outbuildings, located to the east side of Seskinore Road. Each is rectangular-on-plan arranged around an enclosed courtyard.

Roofs are pitched natural slate, blue/black clay ridge tiles; timber bargeboards supporting replacement uPVC rainwater goods. Walls are generally roughcast lime rendered brick (unless otherwise stated) over painted plinth. Windows are 1/1 timber framed sliding sashes with projecting stone cills; vertically sheeted timber doors (unless otherwise stated).

North single-storey range has lime-washed rubble walling and timber fascias; roof has been partially replaced to east. South elevation contains two segmental-arched-headed openings at right and square-headed opening at left with transom light; each opening contains vertically sheeted timber doors and is flanked by two windows at left; three windows at right show evidence of original segmental-arched-headed carriage-arch (now blocked). Windows covered by fixed cast-iron railings. West gable contains single round-arched-headed opening. North elevation contains three square-headed openings at right. East gable is abutted by two-storey east range.

East two-storey range; west elevation appears to have been originally symmetrical but has since been abutted at left by the west range. Exposed section at right contains two round-arched-headed openings (that to right blocked), each separated by a single round-arched-headed window opening, two at left; all have double brick voussoirs. Six square-headed louvred openings at first floor; all of differing sizes. North gable contains large double-height square-headed opening with vertically-sheeted timber door. East elevation has a scattered fenestration comprising a total of eleven square-headed timber louvred openings, eight at ground floor and three at first floor, all orientated about a central entrance (now covered) surmounted by painted coat of arms.

South single-storey range has whitened rubble walling; corbelled brick chimneys. North elevation contains, at left, square-headed entrance door flanked at left by square-headed windows and at right by four square-headed windows; at right, attached bay has higher eaves level and contains square-headed door opening. East gable is blank. South elevation is blank. West gable contains single window.

West single-storey range; west elevation contains, at left, segmental-arched-headed carriage-arch and square-headed opening; at right, door is flanked at left and right by louvred opening. South gable is blank. East elevation contains central square-headed entrance accessed by three stone steps; six small openings at high level at left.

Access to courtyard is through pair of steel gates to north-west and south-west supported on pair of square rubble piers. This range of farm buildings forms the south side of a farmyard group; second group located at north (HB11/06/014A). Both accessed by lane from west.

Roof Natural Slate
Walling Roughcast lime rendered brick
Windows Square-headed timber louvred openings
RWG Cast-iron half-round gutters and round downpipes

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

Attached group of multi-bay single- and two-storey late nineteenth-century outbuildings, located to the east side of Seskinore Road, Seskinore. Traditionally constructed, and well-maintained the farm buildings remain largely intact in terms of materials, massing and proportion. Both buildings are enhanced by the traditional rural farmyard setting and outbuildings at south (HB11/06/014A); overall the farm