Survey Data

Reg No

40504012


Rating

Regional


Categories of Special Interest

Historical, Social


Original Use

Gates/railings/walls


In Use As

Unknown


Date

1850 - 1855


Coordinates

216800, 411195


Date Recorded

01/12/2008


Date Updated

--/--/--


Description

Boundary wall associated with the former Letterkenny town corn market, erected 1852, comprising slightly battered roughcast rendered rubble stone wall with rendered brick coping over. Plaque (on rectangular-plan) to east elevation having moulded surround and inset panel with incised lettering reading ‘Letterkenny Market 1852’. Smooth rendered former sign to north end of the east elevation having shouldered corners. Road-fronted to the south-west of the centre of Letterkenny. Gateway to the north end having a pair of smooth rendered gate piers (on square-plan) having corrugated metal sheet double-gates. Collection of single-storey outbuildings to the west having pitched corrugated-metal roofs, rendered walls, and square-headed openings.

Appraisal

This unassuming but imposing section of roughcast rendered boundary wall was originally erected to form the east boundary of the former Letterkenny town corn market and, as such, is an interesting historical reflection of the growth of Letterkenny as an important regional market town during the mid-to-late nineteenth century. Its plain form is enhanced by the simple but effective name and date plaque with moulded surround and incised lettering. This simple feature is a significant reminder of the economic, social and commercial history of Letterkenny, and is an interesting feature to the south-west of the centre of the town. Markets were held here every Friday in 1881 and 1894, and on the 8th of each month, excepting Sundays (Slater’s Directory).