Survey Data
Reg No
21834007
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Social
Original Use
Garda station/constabulary barracks
In Use As
Garda station/constabulary barracks
Date
1900 - 1940
Coordinates
112538, 135007
Date Recorded
03/09/2009
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached three-bay single-storey garda station, built c. 1920, having gable-fronted end bays to front (west). Hipped slate roof to central block with pitched slate roofs to gable-fronted end bays, having brick chimneystacks and cast-iron rainwater goods. Course of dog-tooth bricks below rendered eaves course with timber facia. Roughcast rendered walls with rendered plinth throughout. Recent intercom insert with rendered reveals to side (south) elevation. Square-headed window openings with raised render reveals and render sills throughout. Timber-framed tripartite windows to front and rear elevations with one-over-one pane timber sliding sash windows flanked by two-over-two pane timber sliding sash sidelights to front elevation. Six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows flanked by two-over-two pane timber sliding sash sidelights to rear elevation. Six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows to front elevation of gable-fronted end-bays. Four-over-four pane timber sliding sash windows to side (north, south) elevations. Timber casement windows to rear and side (north) elevation of southern gable-fronted end-bay. Round-headed recessed tympanums over windows to front elevation of gable-fronted end-bays. Square-headed door openings having raised render reveals throughout, with glazed timber door to rear and side (south) elevation openings. Tooled limestone step to side (south) elevation opening. Render surround and glazed timber door surmounted by single-pane overlight to side (north) elevation. Rendered footpath surrounding house. Recent corrugated-iron outbuilding to south-east. Roughcast rendered enclosing walls with render coping and square-profile piers having render capping, double-leaf galvanised-iron and single-leaf wrought-iron gates.
Appraisal
Situated adjacent to the old post office, this unusual Garda Station forms an important element within the local architectural heritage of Athea. Constructed in the twentieth century, the building is quite striking for its unusual combinations of various forms of sash and casement windows and for unusual curved tympanums above the windows to the end bays. Other architectural features include a fine slate roof, tooled limestone steps and glazed timber doors, all of which assist in maintaining the historic character of the building. Subtle architectural details such as the dog tooth eaves and brick soffits and further uniqueness to this fine building.