Outbuilding

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey mid-nineteenth-century linear outbuilding, located at the main crossroads in Leitrim village, north-west of Castlewellan, adjacent to associated double-pile house incorporating shop and public house (HB17/10/025A). Rectangular plan.

Pitched natural slate roof with angled ridge tiles; plastic rainwater goods on slightly projecting stone eaves. Walling is random rubble masonry, built to courses to main elevations, bedded in lime-render, and having roughly dressed granite quoins. Variety of window openings, generally 6/6 timber sash (unless otherwise stated) with exposed boxes (no horns) with dressed granite lintels and without cills. Doors are generally timber sheeted, except where otherwise stated.

Principal north-facing elevation has, from left at ground floor: a stable door, an additional stable door flanked by metal framed casement openings; a cart-door with painted brick relieving arch over fronted by a double metal sheeted sliding door flanked by windows, and a further stable door with a window to right. All stable doors have a wide painted border. Loft has, from left, a window without glazing, a loading door on plinth blocks, four sash windows, all as stated with the exception of a single sash window offset above the cart door.

East gable is abutted by a set of external granite steps, leading to a loft door; the steps are abutted by a painted monolithic masonry pier supporting a metal field gate. Small section of gabled collapsed, and small patch of crude cement pointing.

The rear elevation is generally blank with stable door to far right and a series of three small ventilation apertures formed in masonry.

West gable is as east.

Setting

The outbuilding is set at a crossroads, road-fronted with earth and gravelled hardstandings, and concrete yard to rear. Main house, incorporating pub and shop to north, and modern housing development to south.

Roof: Slate
Walling: stone
Windows: timber
RWG: Plastic

Historical information

The outbuilding at Mac’s bar is of vernacular construction and although a building on the site pre-dates the first ordnance survey of 1834, valuation records suggest that the early structure on the site was a single-storey thatched building and that the present byre was rebuilt after 1860. The outbuilding was associated with the public house at the Leitrim crossroads and continues to be used for agricultural purposes by the publican.

Buildings are shown on the site on the first edition of 1834 which correspond to the present bar and outbuilding at the Leitrim crossroads. The Townland Valuation (1828-40) records James Savage as the tenant of the ‘public house’ and dimensions are given for a thatched pub and slated annexe and two single-storey outbuildings, one slated and the other thatched. The buildings are valued together at £8.

Griffith’s Valuation of 1856-64 lists the house and outbuildings at a value of £11. Patrick Murphy leases over 20 acres of land and the buildings from the Earl of Annesley. The dimensions of the house are 64x25x17 and the outbuilding 72x17 but at this stage it remains single-storey and thatched.

Annual Revisions see the valuation raised to £20.10s suggesting additions or improvements in the mid-1860s. Michael McCartan took over the farm and buildings in 1884 and in 1885 a new outbuilding was added to the site. The third edition OS map shows the new building to the rear of the pub and a further single-storey shed beside the present building. Michael McCartan died on 24th December 1897, an exceptionally wealthy man leaving a fortune of nearly £18,000. He left £500 to his brother who was parish priest of Seago ‘for the support and benefit of such poor priests in Ireland as he may select’. The rest of his estate was left equally to his two brothers including Owen McCartan.

The pub passed to Owen McCartan in 1899 and he is recorded in the 1901 census as a spirit merchant and Irish speaker of 64 who lived in the house with six servants, three of these work as grocer’s assistants, including a 15-year-old boy. A further servant works on the farm and two women are general domestics. The public house has 16 rooms and is designated first class. The 16 outbuildings include two stables, a coach house and harness room and numerous agricultural buildings. In 1911 Owen McCartan describes himself as a general merchant and employs a live-in shop manager and two shop assistants. Two female servants undertake domestic duties. Owen McCartan died on 7th January 1912 and appears to have left his considerable fortune of over £9,000 to his brother the priest.

Next to take over the premises was Edward McAnulty who purchased the building for £4,060 in 1912 including the licence, goodwill and 20 acres of land near Leitrim station. In 1915 the designation ‘shop’ was added to the description and the valuation was raised to £30 indicating improvements at this time. In 1920 a second pile was added to the rear of the pub/house and the valuation was raised to £37. This was lowered again to £30 in 1921 most likely following an appeal. A petrol pump was added to the site in 1929 and the valuation was raised as a consequence to £34.

Valuer’s notes of the 1930s give a plan of the pub and outbuildings which describes the current building as a ‘byre’. A coach house and further byre are shown to the north of the current building and stables, a dutch barn and potato house to the rear of the pub. The owner of the pub had his own electric plant in the 1930s and supplied electricity to the parish priest’s house and the chapel. The outbuilding continues in agricultural use by the owner of the nearby bar.

References:

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/3/36/1 First Edition OS Map 1834
2. PRONI OS/6/3/36/2 Second Edition OS map 1859
3. PRONI OS/6/3/36/3 Third Edition OS Map 1901
4. PRONI OS/6/3/36/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-20
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/3509 Townland Valuation (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/51D Griffiths Valuation (1861)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/25A-G Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
8. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/2 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
9. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/3/K/6 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
10. PRONI Will of Michael McCartan died 24th December 1897
11. PRONI Will of Owen McCartan died 7th January 1912
12. 1901 census online
13. 1911 census online

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A two-storey masonry outbuilding prominently located at the main crossroads in Leitrim village and associated with the nearby double-pile building, incorporating shop and public house (HB17/10/025B). The outbuilding exhibits fine masonry construction techniques and its original character and detailing survive. This and the associated pub and shop form a traditional grouping that is becoming rare and a good example of this type of village pub and shop.