Survey Data

Reg No

15310202


Rating

Regional


Categories of Special Interest

Architectural, Artistic, Social


Original Use

House


In Use As

House


Date

1740 - 1760


Coordinates

243636, 253000


Date Recorded

01/07/2004


Date Updated

--/--/--


Description

Terraced three-bay three-storey house, built c.1750. Ground floor now in use as a shop with shopfront added, c.1900. Steeply pitched slated roof with shared chimneystack to the east end, set behind roof ridge, and cast-iron rainwater goods. Smooth rendered walls with square-headed window openings having replacement windows. Square-headed doorway to the west end of the front elevation, added c.1855, having an early timber panelled door with an early decorative overlight over having central diamond motif. Doorway surrounded by a cut limestone doorcase, comprising pilasters with inset panels having scrolled console brackets over supporting a moulded cut stone cornice above. Central square-headed doorway to shopfront having glazed timber double doors with overlight above, flanked to either side by square-headed display windows over stallrisers with inset moulded square-headed panels. Display windows flanked to either side by bracketed pilasters supporting timber fascia above with heavy moulded cornice over and having timber brackets to either end with urn finials over. Road-fronted to the north side of Oliver Plunkett Street.

Appraisal

A large mid-eighteenth century house, which retains its early form and character despite alterations over the years. This building is an important legacy of the early town and is one of the earliest buildings still extant in the centre of Mullingar. This building forms part of a group of mid-eighteenth century buildings along with the two structures adjacent to the east, which together add an important early historic character to the north side of Oliver Plunkett Street. Although altered, the window openings retain their original mid-eighteenth size and scale. The grouping of the windows in the centre of the façade is also an indication of an early date and possible Palladian influence. This building was altered c.1855 with the addition of a fine cut limestone doorcase, which is a rare survival in that it retains its early door and an early decorative overlight above. The well-detailed traditional timber shopfront to the west end, probably added c.1900, is another noteworthy survival that adds further interest. This shopfront is based on a simplification of the classical formula of columns with entablature over, a typical feature of traditional Irish shopfronts. This building makes a strong positive contribution to the streetscape of Mullingar, with the doorcase and shopfront adding decorative interest at ground floor level.