Drover's Cottage Mount Mill Glen Road Drummiller Newry Co.Down BT34 1QS

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single storey, hearth lobby vernacular dwelling house (no jamb wall), known as ‘Drover’s Cottage’ first shown on the third edition OS map of 1903, and dating from between 1859 and 1903. Located on N side of Mount Mills complex (Corn Mill site IHR 03488), facing SE and accessed off laneway which runs from Glen Road entrance on NE side towards SW. Motte (SMR: DOW046:002) located to SW.
Pitched natural slate roof with rectangular section stone chimney to centre with cement apron. Random-coursed rock-faced stone walling with patches of lime render and metal casement windows. No rainwater goods.

Front elevation (SE):
Three-bay façade with breakfront porch to centre with lean-to slated roof and sheeted timber door. Modern timber fascia to porch.
Single window opening to each side of porch with three-pane metal-framed casement single-glazed windows with original stone cills.
Replacement reclaimed Bangor Blue slates to roof. Advanced stone eaves beneath slate and modern timber fascia. Black clay ridge tiles.
20th C tall concrete pier built against wall to right side of porch, metal gate attached.

Gable elevation (SW):
Blind façade with modern timber fascia.

Rear elevation (NW):
Blind façade, partially built into land to rear, with only top section exposed.

Gable elevation (NE):
Blind façade with modern timber fascia.

Setting
Former dwelling faces SE towards mill buildings and is accessed directly off laneway which leads to the mill buildings (HB16/21/098A) and agricultural land.

Materials
Walls: random-coursed rock-faced stone, lime render
Roof: replacement Bangor Blue slate
Windows: metal casement with single glazing
RWGS: none

Historical information

The vernacular dwelling house, known as ‘Drover’s Cottage’ (dwelling A) dates to between 1859 and 1903, being first shown on the third edition OS map of 1903. The dwelling is located adjacent to the entrance laneway to Mount Mill, a corn mill complex pre-dating the first edition OS map of 1834 but it is possible that the dwelling house was not constructed until after the mill had been taken over by cattle exporter Patrick Rooney, c1901. After Rooney took over the site, the dwelling was used by men driving cattle to market, and had no permanent tenant. This may account for the building’s absence as a separate designation in valuation records.

There were, at one time, two dwelling houses on the mill site, recorded by Green (Industrial Archaeology of County Down) as ‘a double and single cottage for millers and kiln men’ leading to some uncertainty about which house is being referred to in the records. A dwelling house (most likely dwelling B, however, this identification must remain tentative) associated with the mill is first entered into valuation records in 1886 valued at 10s, but it appears that this valuation refers to an apparent single-storey house located to the E of the corn kiln, which is also first shown on the third edition OS map. Part of dwelling B appears in a photograph by McCutcheon in the 1960s and was demolished before 1977 (large-scale OS map).

It is possible that neither of the dwellings were used by millers or kiln men, as the primary source evidence suggests that the kiln and mills fell into disuse after 1880 and that at least one, if not both, of the dwellings, postdates 1886. Dwelling B may have been used by a caretaker for the mill. After the last tenant, Thomas Cardwell, died, the owner and resident of nearby Mount Mill House, William Walmsley, attempted to re-let the mill in the late 1870s (Newry Reporter), and it is possible that dwelling B was built to protect the mill while it lay vacant. The mill had been extremely prone to accidental fire, and had burned down on several occasions (1834, 1837, 1840 and 1853). However, there is no evidence that the mill operated again after c1880 and the mill buildings had become agricultural outbuildings by 1908.

At the turn into the 20th century the farm and mill at Mount Mill were taken over by cattle exporter, Patrick Rooney, described as ‘one of the most extensive cattle traders in Ireland’ and his brother James (Drogheda Argus). The Rooney brothers were related to the Pittsburgh Rooney family, several members of which have been prominent in sport, the arts and politics. James and Mary Rooney (their relationship to the brothers is unclear) emigrated from Newry to the US in the 1840s during the Famine, and their great-grandson Art Rooney became the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football franchise, while Art’s son, Dan Rooney, became a US Ambassador to Ireland (Owner Information).

By 1903, Patrick Rooney had made extensive improvements to nearby Mount Mills house, the family residence, which resulted in an eventual rise in the valuation from £10.10s to £24. It is possible that the single-storey drover’s cottage was also constructed at around this time. The vernacular-style dwelling was used to provide refreshments and temporary shelter to men who were driving cattle for export towards Carlingford Lough (Owner information). The farm and former mills were let out several times in the 1940s and 50s, but the Rooney family appear to have retained an interest until at least the mid-20th century. The records suggest that the drover’s cottage was never permanently occupied during this time, although it is unclear how long the dwelling remained in use for the cattle export trade.

References:
Primary Sources:

1. Newry Telegraph, 6th January 1829, 23rd December 1834, 24th December 1836, 12th and 21st December 1837, 10th July, 6th September 1838, 15th February, 3rd November 1840, 5th August 1845, 3rd December 1846, 27th September 1855, 1st November 1856, 14th November 1865
2. Newry Examiner, 31st December 1834,14th December 1836, 21st February 11th July 1838, 15th October 1853
3. Newry Herald, 21st September 1858, 29th January, 26th February, 3rd September 1859
4. PRONI OS/6/3/46/2 Second edition Six Inch OS map (1859)
5. Newry Reporter, 10th January 1878
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/15/22A-F Annual Revisions Electoral Division of Mullaghglass (1864-1929)
7. PRONI Wills Calendars – William Walmsley, died 30th May 1894
8. PRONI Wills Calendars – Rachel Walmsley, died 8th February 1901
9. PRONI OS/6/3/46/3 Third edition Six Inch OS map (1903)
10. Drogheda Argus and Leinster Journal, 25th September 1909
11. PRONI OS/6/3/46/4 Fourth edition Six Inch OS map (1919)
12. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/29 First General Revaluation ED Mullaghglass (1936-1957)
13. Large scale OS maps 1906, 1955, 1975 (https://shop.centremapslive.co.uk/)

Secondary Sources:

14. Green, E.R.R. (1963) The Industrial Archaeology of County Down, Belfast: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Single storey, hearth lobby vernacular former dwelling house known as ‘Drover’s Cottage’ dating from between 1859 and 1903. Located on N side of Mount Mills complex (HB16/21/098A, Corn Mill site IHR 03488), on the W side of Glen Road, approximately 3.5 miles NW of Newry, Co Down. Despite its connection with Mount Mills and the good setting, this former dwelling has insufficient remaining original historic fabric for it to meet the legislative test for listing.