Survey Data
Reg No
20862045
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Historical, Social
Original Use
Bishop's palace
In Use As
Bishop's palace
Date
1920 - 1940
Coordinates
167119, 73049
Date Recorded
26/04/2011
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached U-plan three-bay two-storey over basement bishop's palace and diocesan office, built c.1930, with projecting end bays, seven-bay side elevation to south having full-height central canted bay, canted bay to west and single-storey return to north. Hipped pantiled roofs with projecting rendered eaves, brick chimneystacks and cast-iron rainwater goods. Red brick walls laid in English garden wall bond with smooth render to basement. Stepped brick parapet over southern canted bay. Square- headed window openings with concrete sills and eight-over-eight and eight-over-twelve (ground floor east elevation) timber sash windows. Four-over-four timber sash windows to sides of canted bay. Windows set in shallow recesses to ground floor having soldier laid brick lintels and clay tile window aprons. Wrought-iron guard rails to basement openings. Square-headed door opening to east set in shallow round headed recess formed by pilasters supporting archivolt with carved plaque to tympanum. Timber panelled double-leaf doors with leaded glass tripartite overlight and moulded lintel with interlace motif. Door accessed by limestone steps. Set in own grounds with entrance to south-east comprising smooth rendered square-profile gate piers with brick plat band to cast-iron gates
Appraisal
The Bishop's Palace for the Diocese of Cork and Ross, designed by S.F. Hynes, displays many characteristics of early twentieth-century architecture. The advanced bays to the main elevation and canted bay to south elevation enliven to the building's symmetrical form, with the skilful use of brick and clay tile detailing adding further embellishment. The Celtic-influenced door lintel to the main entrance adds artistic interest, while also subtly reflecting the continued promotion of a national identity within the emergent independent state at this time.