House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two storey (+attic and basement) / three bay house aligned W-E to the N of Mullyduff Townland. To the rear of this house, and now acting as a rear return, is an earlier building, aligned N-S.

Pitched fibre cement slate roof with a cement-rendered chimney at each gable. Boxed eaves support half-round plastic rainwater goods. Walls are lined cement rendered with stepped stucco quoins over a slightly advanced base course. Windows are 1/1 sliding sashes with horns and stone cills (unless otherwise stated). Those to façade are set in moulded stucco architraves.

Principal elevation faces N. To centre is a large projecting entrance porch, detailed as house with a flat tarred roof (with a cast-iron balustrade around top). N face and right cheek each have a semicircular headed margin-paned sliding sash window. Left cheek has a modern timber panelled door with sidelights and transom, accessed by a set of six modern tiled steps. Left and right bays each have two windows. Aligned above ground floor openings are five windows, diminished in height.

Left gable has a small 1/1 sliding sash set to either side at attic level.

Rear elevation is abutted to left of centre by the slightly lower original building. In the angle (at right bay of main block) is a later return, rising to eaves level of main block and breaking eaves of the rear block. Main block has a window to each floor at right. Both the rear block and the return have pitched artificial slate roofs (the original block has a chimney to centre) and harled walls with cement rendered quoins. All openings are uPVC top-hung casements. The S gable of the original block is blank. W elevation has three windows at ground floor; those to either end are small, that to centre is larger. First floor has a window to left and centre, aligned slightly to the right of those beneath. The E elevation is abutted to left of centre by the return. The exposed section has a modern timber door to left. The E elevation of the return has a door to left and a window to right at ground floor, and two small windows above. S gable is blank.

Right gable has a timber top-hung casement to right side at each floor, and one to either side at attic.

Historical information

"Mullyduff" is captioned on the 1834 OS 6" map and subsequent editions. It is noted in the 1835 first Valuation as belonging to Thomas Bailey and measuring 44ft x 28ft x 22ft, and also having a cellar (18ft x 17ft x 6ft) and kitchen (34ft x 21ft6in x 10ft6in). It had the high valuation of £17.17s.0d. The 1860 Valuation book notes that it was “decayed and becoming dilapidated; not habitable at present. Not occupied for many years and not fit for occupation at present”. It gives the building dimensions as 43ft6in x 28ft6in x 2 storeys. There is also a return (15ft x 9ft x 2 storeys) and wing (42ft x 21ft x 2 storeys). The rear and front sections are probably of early and later 19th century dates respectively. .

Primary sources:
1. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834), Co Fermanagh sheet 40 (PRONI OS 6/4/40/1).
2. First Valuation book, Galloon Parish (PRONI VAL 1B, 411A, p.21 and 208).
3. OS 6" map, 2nd edition (1857), Co Fermanagh sheet 40 (PRONI OS 6/4/40/2).
4. Second Valuation book, Galloon Parish, Clones Union, 1860 (PRONI VAL 2B/4/7A, p.60).
5. OS 6" map, 3rd edition (1907), Co Fermanagh sheet 40 (PRONI OS 6/4/40/3).

Evaluation

A pleasant and interesting house which has been developed at various stages, but that is not of special architectural or historic interest..