Survey Data
Reg No
13401923
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural
Original Use
Gates/railings/walls
In Use As
Gates/railings/walls
Date
1840 - 1880
Coordinates
223243, 265394
Date Recorded
18/07/2005
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Gateway serving Sleehaun House (13401924), erected c. 1860, comprising a pair of ashlar limestone entrance piers (on square-plan) having chamfered bases and with carved stepped limestone capping. Curved sections of rendered rubble wall to inner faces of piers. Rendered rubble stone walls to either side to either side of gateway (north and south) terminated by rendered rubble stone gate piers (on square-plan). Located to the southwest of Sleehaun House, at the start of long straight approach avenue, and to the southeast of Ardagh.
Appraisal
This simple but well-crafted gateway is located at the start of an impressive long straight approach avenue serving Sleehaun House (13401924) to the northeast. The inner gate piers are well-crafted with the moulded ashlar limestone capstones exhibiting particularly fine craftsmanship. The long avenue is depicted on an 1838 map of the area but the present Sleehaun House was not extant at this time, although the present house may contain the fabric of an earlier house to site. The detailing to the inner piers suggests that they are older than Sleehaun House and, perhaps, were moved here from another site or were originally associated with an earlier house to site. This gateway forms a pair of related sites with the house to the northeast and adds interest to the roadscape to the southeast of Ardagh.