House at Dorbey's Close

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, two storey vernacular dwelling of probable pre 1859 origin, now derelict and in very poor condition. The building is set right on the SE side of the Hilltown Road, 1 mile W of Kilcoo and 4.5 miles E of Rathfriland.

The front (NW) façade has a slightly right of centre shallow lean-to porch, whose door opening is now minus its door. To the left of the porch is a small window opening, with another to the right and two more smaller openings to the first floor. All of these openings have lost their frames.

Both the SW and NE gables are blank. To the NE gable is the remains of a single storey gabled section, now largely collapsed. The rear façade is blank. Most of the façade appears to have been harled at some point, but much of this has come away revealing rubble construction. The gabled roof is partly covered in natural slate, but many slates to the front have fallen away. Two rendered chimney stacks (to gables). Rendered parapets. No rw goods.

On a rise to the SE of the building is a modern house, possibly built as a replacement dwelling.

Historical information

A building is shown on this site on the OS map of 1859, but not that of 1834. The 1863 valuation notes that the property was in the hands of a Bridget Cunningham at that date, who leased it from a Catherine O’Connor. The building appears to have been abandoned for some considerable time.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/42/3 OS maps 1st rev.1859, Co Down sheet 42
2 PRONI Second (Griffith’s) valuation records, Kilcoo (1863) [in print]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Small, two storey vernacular dwelling of probable pre 1859 origin, now derelict.