'The Murlough Tavern'

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey terrace public house, with large square bay, which assumed its present form in 1898 but which may be based around a remodelling of an earlier building of perhaps c.1862. The property is set at the E end of a short terrace on the N side of Main Street, Dundrum.

The front elevation faces roughly S and is asymmetrical. To the far left on the ground floor is a panelled timber door with plain rectangular fanlight. This door leads to the upstairs apartments. Directly above the doorway is a window with top hung frame made to resemble 2/2 sash. To the right of this door and window the façade projects slightly and is finished in rusticated render (as opposed to plain render to left). To the ground floor of this section there is a door as previous, but with taller fanlight. Directly above is a window, as before.

To the right again the is a large single storey square bay with recent shop (off license) front with plate glass window and panelled timber door. Directly over the door is a small recent signboard. To right this bay merges with a larger two storey square bay (see below) and above it is topped with a wholly glazed first floor ‘lean-to’ ‘conservatory, with slated pitched roof and small top hung openers to windows.

To the immediate right of all of this is a broader full height square bay with a slated hipped roof which follows the pitch and matches the height of the main roof. The ground floor of the bay is taken up with a relatively recent pub front with large acid etched plate glass windows (with small top hung upper openers). Between the windows there is boarded up space which may once have been a doorway. Under the windows (and the space between) is a long plain rendered apron. To the first floor is a window, much as those to first floor far left but slightly broader and with a simple plain rendered surround. Above the ground floor pub front and the shop front to left there is a long recent signboard with projecting spotlights. To the right hand end of this signboard there is a recent projecting plastic (internally lit) sign. To immediate left of the first floor window there is a large projecting signboard.

To the right hand side of the full height bay there is a large flat arch vehicle entrance with timber sheeted double door. Immediately above this doorway is a small [?internally lit] plastic signboard. To the first floor is a window, much as those to left. To the immediate right of the vehicle entrance is a short rendered wall with painted [?]stone coping. A ‘period’ style light is attached to the wall.

There front elevation is largely finished in plain painted render. The full height square bay has bevelled quoins (which are ‘in-out’ to its short E face). ‘In-out’ quoins to right hand edge of elevation and to short W face of single storey square bay.

The E gable is blank and finished in plain unpainted cement render.

The rear elevation is dominated by a very large, single storey flat roofed extension. This extension is plain and modern with various modern windows and doors and an asphalted roof. To its N face there is a small timber lean-to shed with corrugated iron roof. To the left of this extension (to far left of rear elevation of original building), is the rear end of the large vehicle doorway (see above) which has a metal sheeted double door. To the first floor of the rear elevation of the original section are four windows with modern frames. The window to far left is smaller than the others, which are all the same size and evenly spaced. Between the first and second windows is a doorway with recent partly glazed door. The rear elevation of the original building is finished in plain unpainted cement render.

The gabled roof is natural slate to front and fibre cement to the rear. There are three rendered (ridge) chimneystacks. That to the centre and that to the W are larger than that to the E gable.

Historical information

A block of two, newly built two storey properties are recorded on this site in the valuation of 1834, both in the hands on a Hugh McClatchy with one of them a public house. This block does not appear to have stood for very long, for the second valuation of 1862 notes that the two properties on site at that time were ‘in progress’, i.e.- in the process of being built.

These two, seemingly new properties are recorded as being in the hands of the King family from 1862 to 1888, before passing to a John and Mary Letitia Savage. In 1898 the Savages are noted in the valuation list as constructing a ‘new building’ on the site. The accompanying valuation map shows that this ‘new’ single property (a public house) was slightly larger than its predecessors, stretching further to the east, (over what had been an open laneway), and with a return to the rear. However, one suspects that this ‘new’ structure may have entailed a remodelling of the earlier buildings and not a total rebuild, for some of the details of the front elevation (the square bay, rustication) match the house at the other end of the terrace. Alternatively, it could be argued that the building of 1898 was entirely new, its design merely intended to blend in with the rest of the terrace, however, it seems somewhat odd that this site witnessed so much apparent redevelopment in a relatively short space of time.

The building was listed in 1980 and repairs at the time were grant aided by the Department. Sash windows were removed between survey and final listing and were not reinstated in the works despite encouragement. In 1988 an aplication was approved to permit 'alterations, extension and change of use of dwelling to form an enlarged licensed premises and off licence' These works were mainly internal and to the rear though railings to the front were removed without authorisation. In 2008 'proposed alterations to façade including new shop front and signage with provision of smoking area (external) and assocaited beer garden' were agreed that will reinstate the sash windows and provide new shop fronts which complement the building. An early twentieth century extension to the front of the building will also be removed to the benefit of its overall character.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/1B/380 First valuation, Kilmegan parish, 1834
2 PRONI VAL/1D/3/19 First valuation plan of Dundrum, 1834-38
3 PRONI VAL/2B/3/28b Second valuation, Kilmegan parish, 1862
4 PRONI VAL/2D/3/17 First valuation plan of Dundrum, 1862
5 PRONI VAL/12B/18/6a-f Annual valuation revision notebooks, Dundrum etc., 1866-1929
6 PRONI OS/8/93/1 OS plan of Dundrum, 1900
7 PRONI VAL/3G/68/1 Valuation plan of Dundrum, 1936-56

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A two storey terrace public house, with large square bay, which assumed its present form in 1898 but which may be based around a remodelling of an earlier building of perhaps c.1862. Alterations carried out in advance of listing in 1980 and to extend the building in the late 1980's have reduced its overall architectural and historic interest. However, it is an important building in the wider streetscape of Drundrum and its interest is increased because of this setting and its position as part of a group of listed buildings along Main Street. A scheme of work to restore character to the front elevation has recently been approved.The listing of this building will be reviewed in future once these works are complete as part of the holistic Second Survey review of the area. This will consider all listings in the area and where relevant their group importance.