McElgunn’s Cottage

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single-storey / three-bay, direct entry vernacular house with outbuildings, up long lane on N side of Mountdarby Road. Roof is aligned SW-NE, with principal elevation facing SE.

Pitched corrugated metal roof with two cement rendered chimneys – one to right gable and one between left and central bays. Metal half round rainwater goods on plain timber eaves board. Walls are lime dashed and painted rubble stone. Wall head has been smooth cement rendered below the eaves.

A concrete path runs the length of façade with single step to main entrance. This is a beaded t + g sheeted door, with brass cottage latch, set to the right side of the central bay. To its left is a 2/2 vertically divided exposed box sliding sash window (with horns) and painted stone cill. There are single similar windows to each remaining bay. Left end of main building has suffered structural settlement, which is visible as cracks around the window opening.

Left gable is dashed as the front and has a small timber casement window at apex. This gable is partially abutted by lower and smaller single-bay outbuilding. Its walls are as the main house, with pitched thatched roof (now collapsed, but with remains of thatch on wall head). It has a t+g sheeted door to front. Its gable and rear cheek are blank.

Rear elevation of house is rendered as facade with a small 6/3 sliding sash window (with horns) to central bay.

Right gable is blank and abutted by a lower and smaller two-bay outbuilding. It has a pitched corrugated metal roof. To front are two doorways- left one has a t+g sheeted door, right door gone. It is believed that this outbuilding was also formerly thatched.

Across a small overgrown yard, opposite house, is a single storey outbuilding aligned N-S. It has a pitched corrugated metal roof and lime rendered rubble stone walls. To right end of front (house facing) elevation is a wide doorway with timber lintel (pair of doors gone) and to left end is a metal casement window. Its left gable has t + g sheeted timber door (partially collapsed) with timber lintel. Over (in gable) is square window (now sheeted over). Rear elevation has a metal casement window to right-end. Its right gable is blank.

To E of the outbuilding is a turf shed aligned W-E. It has a pitched corrugated metal roof supported on lime rendered circular rubble stone piers to centre of the side walls and plain stone piers to front and rear gables. The gaps between the piers are infilled with an open timber framework; a smaller outbuilding abuts its rear gable.

Historical information

The 1834 / 35 OS map shows three small buildings on this site, one of which may be the present house and the outbuilding opposite. This cannot be verified, however, as none of the buildings are recorded in the contemporary valuation.

The revised OS map of 1859-60 shows what is undoubtedly the present house with the outbuilding. The 1862 valuation records the then occupant as one Thomas Gunn, with John Brady the immediate lessor and the rateable value 15/-. Thomas Gunn was followed by Ann Gunn in 1880 and Edward McElgunn in 1898.

The turf house is shown on the OS map of 1905-06. The house was vacated in 1994.

The owner in 1999 stated that the house was thatched up until the late 1960s, with the two abutting outbuildings thatched also.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/1A/4/35 OS map, County Fermanagh sheet 35, with valuation
references (1834 / 35-c.38)
2 PRONI VAL/2A/4/35B Revised OS map, County Fermanagh sheet 35, with valuation references (1859 / 60-c.62)
3 PRONI VAL/2B/4/5C Second valuation, Clones (1862)
4 PRONI VAL/12B/25/3A-E Annual valuation revision books, Clones (c.1864-c.1900)
5 PRONI OS/6/4/35/3 OS map, County Fermanagh sheet 35 (1905-06)

Secondary sources
1 Information supplied by the owner (1999)

The 1834 OS map shows three small buildings, one may be the outbuilding opposite the current house. The 1860 OS map shows the current house and outbuilding. The turf house appears on 1906-7 OS map. Complex not of sufficient value to be cited in the 1834 first valuation. The second valuation (1860) shows Thomas Gunn was occupant and house valued 15s. The valuation books state no changes to the building’s value during the 19thC, indicating no structural alterations.

Occupants listed include Thomas Gunn, Ann Gunn (1880) and Edward McElgunn (1898). The house was vacated in 1994. The owner in 1999 (in his late 30s) recalls the house when it was thatched (in the late 1960s). He believes that the two abutting outbuildings were thatched also.

Primary Sources:
1. 1st edition OS 6” map (1834) Co Fermanagh sheet 35.
2. 2nd edition OS 6” map (1859) Co Fermanagh sheet 35.
3. 3rd edition OS 6” map (1905-6) Co Fermanagh Sheet 35.
4. First valuation PRONI VAL/1B/1/46.
5. Second valuation PRONI VAL/2B/4/5C, p.199.
6. Revised valuations PRONI VAL/12B/25/3A, p.28.
7. Revised valuations PRONI VAL/12B/25/3D, p.41.
8. Revised valuations PRONI VAL/12B/25/3E, p.43.
9. Information from owner in 1999.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This attractive direct-entry vernacular house survives remarkably intact and retains most original internal and external features. Although formerly thatched, its more recent corrugated metal roof is an unobtrusive element, and could be seen as part of this buildings vernacular evolution. Its adjacent outbuilding and turf house add to its group value and its setting is very attractive.