Tullyrain House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A refurbished symmetrical three-bay one-and-a-half storey detached rendered farmhouse with range of rubble stone outbuildings; built c.1810 and altered c.1860, located to the west side of Drumneath Road, east of Banbridge. Rectangular on plan with full-height return and double-height rubble stone extension to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and raised masonry verges; rendered chimneystacks with three clay pots to gables. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods on projecting eaves. Walling is smooth render. Windows are replacement 6/6 tripartite timber-framed sash with horns and projecting stone sills; replacement 2/2 timber-framed sash to gables; uPVC and timber replacements to return.

The principal elevation faces east and is symmetrically arranged about a central doorway with window at either side. Elliptical-headed doorway has bolection-moulded six-panelled timber door with brass furniture accessed by a granite step, flanked by fluted jambs with moulded circular motifs and four-paned side-lights; surmounted by timber spider-web fanlight.

The south gable has two windows to first floor; window to ground floor left.

The west (rear) elevation is abutted at right by the full-height return; window to ground floor left. The return has a gablet and window at ground floor at north elevation; south elevation has been modified to include a large modern fully glazed gablet with conservatory under. West gable is abutted by the double-height rubble stone extension (described below).

The north gable has two windows to first floor; ground floor is abutted by tall rendered wall.

Setting

Situated on an extensive mature site in a rural location to the east side of Banbridge. Accessed from Quarry Road to north and Drumneath Road to east and surrounded by farmland. Rendered square gate piers with pointed caps to Quarry Road entrance. Rendered entrance walls and squared stone gate piers with pointed caps supporting original cast-iron gates to Drumneath Road entrance; both lead to farmyard to north side of house. Yard accessed to northeast by tall square rendered piers with pointed caps. Farmyard has variety of refurbished slated and painted rubble stone outbuildings, probably not original; all with variety of timber-sheeted and replacement corrugated metal doors. Rubble stone extension to west elevation of house has central recessed segmental-headed entrance bay in red-brick with replacement timber door and replacement timber sash window; entrance bay is flanked by two replacement timber sash windows in red-brick surrounds. Set of external steps to west elevation.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: render
Windows: timber
RWG; Cast-iron

Historical information

Tullyrain House is shown, uncaptioned, on the first edition OS map of 1833, appearing as a rectangular structure with return forming a T-plan, and situated at the head of a tree-lined avenue. Gardens and, orchards are laid out to the rear and outbuildings are shown in the farmyard, at least one of which appears to have survived. The second edition of 1860 shows additional outbuildings in the farmyard. It is not until the third edition (1903), however, that the farm is captioned ‘Tullyrain House’.

The farm appears in the Townland Valuation (1828-40) as the home of Andrew McClelland and dimensions are given for the house, kitchen and outshot, all slated. The quality mark given to the house suggests that it was more than 20 years old in the 1830s. Four outbuildings are listed, three of which are thatched. Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) gives the farmer as Robert Strong and values the buildings at £14. The farm, which extends to over 61 acres, is leased from James Quinn. The valuer comments that the ‘respectable’ farmhouse is ‘well situated’ with a ‘neat avenue and gate’. Dimensions are given which broadly match those from the previous Townland Valuation. The most significant change is the addition of two outbuildings to the plot, one of which is a piggery. Two of the older outbuildings remain thatched at this stage.

In 1870 the valuation of the buildings was raised to £16 suggesting some additions or improvements at this time. In 1872 the farm was taken over by John Graham and then by Francis McGibney (1896) who remained resident at the time of the 1911 census when he was living in the ten-room house with his Waterford wife and three teenage children. Sixty-five-year-old McGibney was a farmer and also received a soldier’s pension from his service in the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons, a regiment that played a key part in the Crimean War of the 1850s. The next tenant farmer was Robert McCahy and in 1911 he was living at the house with his wife and four daughters, ranging in age from 1 to 7. McCahy became the owner in fee of the farm in 1913 under the Land Acts. The farm remained in the McCahy family at least until 1942 when Sarah Kathleen McCahy is noted as the owner.

The First General Revaluation of the 1930s revalued the property at £5.10s for agricultural buildings and £9.5s for the farmhouse. Ancillary valuer’s notes give a plan of the one-and-a-half storey house with return housing a dairy and scullery outshot. Accommodation comprised four bedrooms, two receptions, a kitchen, pantry and scullery, and the valuer commented that the farmhouse was in ‘good condition, substantially built’ with a ‘fair finish’.

The house retains its original facade but has been altered to the rear with the addition of a conservatory. The house remains in use as a domestic dwelling.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/27/1 First Edition OS Map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/27/2 Second Edition OS map 1860
3. PRONI OS/6/3/27/3 Third Edition OS Map 1903
4. PRONI OS/6/3/27/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1903-18
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/345 Townland Valuation (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/40 Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/19A-E Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
8. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/3 – First General Revaluation (1933-57)
9. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/3/P/6 – First General Revaluation (1933-57)
10. 1901 census online
11. 1911 census online

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Tullyrain House is a symmetrical three-bay one-and-a-half-storey detached rendered farmhouse with outbuildings; built c.1810 and altered c.1860, located to the west side of Drumneath Road, east of Banbridge. The house and setting include a range of rubble stone outbuildings constituting a middle-sized agricultural holding. The house has been extensively refurbished in recent years. Although significant in the locale, its character has been compromised by alterations and there are other, better, examples listed.