Court House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This building is currently undergoing an extensive restoration programme funded by EC Peace and Reconciliation and Heritage Lottery Funds. It is described as it stood at the time of survey.

An early 19thC T-shaped former Court House; the leg of the ‘T’ faces E with the two-storey rear cross wings aligned N-S.

Pitched artificial slate roof with cement rendered chimney to each end of right wing.
Advanced eaves course extends across the front (E) face of the gable as a platband.

Principal elevation faces E. Walls are generally wet-dashed and cement rendered with banded quoins to E gable. To centre is a large door opening. The S elevation of ‘court room’ is two windows wide; the original openings are blocked up with new windows set below – both are modern top-hung timber casements mimicking 6/6 sliding sashes. The N elevation is three windows wide – all are tall 3x4 timber casements with timber panel to centre.

Left wing.
The E elevation has been extended to ground floor; the exposed upper section has three windows - a 6/3 sliding sash window to either end and a top-hung six-paned casement to centre. The extension has cement rendered concrete block walls with advanced central gable. Its front E face has a modern semicircular-headed transom with spoked-glazing bars; door opening below. Left gable has three windows to each floor.

Right wing.
The E elevation has a semicircular-headed recess to centre with modern stained timber door set within a painted stone surround with pedimented head. Above to first floor is a landscape timber window with external timber louvred shutters. Right gable has a top-hung casement window to first floor left.

The rear elevation could not be seen.

Historical information

This building is by W.D. Butler of Dublin, and was erected 1828-30 at a cost of £1077.18s.0d. The builder was Jonathan Tilson of Belturbet, Co Cavan. The building was bombed in 1971 and restored as a church hall in the late ‘70s.

Primary sources:
1. Ordnance Survey Memoir, Galloon Parish, Co Fermanagh (1835).

Secondary sources:
1. A Rowan, North-West Ulster, p.438 (Harmondsworth, 1979).
2. C.E.B. Brett, Court Houses and Market Houses of the Province of Ulster, p.83 (Belfast, 1973).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A much altered Court House, now retaining few original features of interest.