24 INNISHMORE ROAD

The Department's description

Historical information

This house and its attached neighbour were built sometime between 1856 and 1860, as they are not shown on the OS map of the former year but recorded in the valuation carried out in the latter. The pair are likely to have been built by their original occupants, John Henderson and John Eadie, who in 1858 took over the nearby mill and established the firm of Henderson & Eadie Ltd. Woollen manufacturers. Mr Henderson appears to have resided in the house to the north (present no.34 Farnamullan Rd), with Mr. Eadie living next door (no.36).

Differences in the colour of the brickwork and the shape of the first floor lintels suggests that both houses may have originally have been smaller 2-bay structures - and possibly also fully detached, with the central section added at some point thus creating the present semi-detached row. The style of the brickwork would seem to indicate that this change may have happened relatively shortly after the houses were built, however. The rise in the rateable value of each from £4-10-0 to £5 in 1864 may allude to it, although if so, one might have expected a bigger increase given the size of the extensions.

The valuation books do indicate that extensions were carried out to both dwellings in or shortly before 1907 - quite likely the large sections to the rear, which appear to be of this era. The small detached structure to the south-east of the pair is earlier, having been built in c.1885-86 as a dairy and laundry.

The Henderson and Eadie families (descendants of the original owners) continued to live here until at least the 1930s.

Both buildings were listed in August 1977.

References - Primary sources
1 OS maps - 1856, 1906, 1957, 1981
2 PRONI VAL2B/4/21 Second valuation, Cleenish parish - 1860
3 PRONI VAL12B/26/31A-E Annual valuation revision books, Lisbellaw ED - 1864-1929
4 NLI Census of Ireland - 1901 (also available online)