Slieve Gullion Inn

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A prominently sited two-storey (+semi-basement) / five bay public house aligned NE-SW along Old Bridge Road. Its left-end is taller due to the sloping topography.

Pitched natural slate roof with tiled verges. Five red brick corbelled chimneys with paired shafts - one to each gable, and one between each bay (except 4 and 5). A slightly advanced eaves course supports half-round metal rainwater goods.

Principal elevation faces SE and is lined cement-rendered with contrasting painted base course. All windows have painted stone cills and modern external shutters; those to ground floor are modern timber casements. From left, ground floor is detailed as follows: Bay 1 has a modern four-panelled timber door with narrow transom over (accessed by a paved ramp enclosed by modern metal railings): Bay 2 has a 1/6 top-hung casement. Bay 3 has a wide 3x3 casement to left and a pair of three panelled timber doors to right (main entrance). Bays 4 and 5 each have a 1/6 top-hung casements. First floor has five 2/2 sliding sash windows, in line with those below (with the exception of the public entrance). Between each first floor window is a modern metal lantern. Above public entrance is a cement-rendered and painted panel with painted gold lettering “M.C. LARKIN”.

Left gable is pebble-dashed and has a smooth rendered and painted base course. There are two windows to each floor; those to ground floor are 3/6 top-hung casements, those to first floor are 2/2 uPVC. All have cement-rendered reveals.

Rear elevation is lime-rendered and whitewashed and abutted by four returns - two to each end. That to extreme right-end has a cat-slide roof. The others are single-storey with flat roofs and modern windows – all of no interest. The exposed section to first floor has four 2/2 sash windows. Basement level was not inspected due to high wall.

Right gable is cement rendered and painted with hand-painted lettering advertising the premises. There are no openings.

Historical information

A building is shown at this location on the 1835 OS map. It is described as a dwelling measuring 56ft 6in x 18ft 6in x 10ft in the first Valuation Book of 1836. It is first cited as a pubic house in the 1883 Valuation Revision book entry. Its rateable value increases from £6.15.0 to £15 in 1909 – this probably reflects its enlargement (and probable heightening) to its present form around this time.

Primary sources:
1. OS 6” map, 1st edition, Co Armagh sheet 31 (PRONI OS 6/2/31/1).
2. First Valuation book, 1836 (VAL 1B/247, p.39).
3. Valuation Revision Book, 1883 (PRONI VAL 12B/15/13B, p.127).
4. Valuation Revision Book, 1909 (PRONI VAL 12B/15/13C, p.3).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A two-storey (+semi-basement) five bay public house. This building retains some of its original external character and its prominent siting is of note but it is not of special architectural or historic interest.