Survey Data
Reg No
12301014
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural
Previous Name
Castlecomer Constabulary Barrack
Original Use
Post office
In Use As
Post office
Date
1815 - 1835
Coordinates
253297, 173005
Date Recorded
18/05/2004
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached five-bay two-storey post office, c.1825, possibly originally Royal Irish Constabulary barracks on a corner site. Reroofed. Hipped roof with replacement artificial slate, terracotta ridge tiles, rendered chimney stacks, slightly sproketed eaves, and cast-iron rainwater goods on cut-limestone eaves. Unpainted rendered walls. Square-headed window openings with cut-limestone sills, and six-over-six timber sash windows having iron bars to ground floor. Square-headed door opening with timber panelled door having overlight. Round-headed door opening to side (east) elevation with timber panelled door having overlight. Road fronted on a corner site with concrete footpath to front.
Appraisal
A well-composed post office occupying a prominent corner site in the centre of Castlecomer, thereby contributing to the visual appeal of the townscape. Sparsely-detailed the stern external expression of the composition gives weight to the suggestion that the building originally operated as a Royal Irish Constabulary barracks, an austere architectural treatment having been favoured to convey the authority of the constabulary in the locality. Having been reasonably well maintained the retention of most of the original composition attributes together with much of the early fabric maintains the positive impression made on the historic character of the street scene.