Survey Data
Reg No
30412002
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Social
Previous Name
Inisheer Coastguard Station
Original Use
Coastguard station
In Use As
House
Date
1870 - 1880
Coordinates
97684, 202774
Date Recorded
08/10/2009
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached nine-bay two-storey former coastguard station, built c.1875, having two-bay end elevations, porch to front elevation, and pitched and lean-to extensions to rear. Hipped artificial slate roof with timber eaves, and having rendered chimneystacks to ridge and to west hip. Rendered walls with dressed limestone plinth. Machicolations to east-most bay of front elevation and front-most bay of east elevation, having rendered walls supported on render corbelling, with square-headed window to upper part of each machicolation. Segmental-headed window openings to front, square-headed elsewhere, with replacement windows and rendered sills. Square-headed doorway to front porch. Rubble limestone boundary walls to garden to front of building. Detached boathouse to east of building, having rendered walls with brick quoins, pitched artificial slate roof with timber eaves and bargeboards, and square-headed windows with brick reveals, and vehicular entrance to east gable having brick retaining arch and reveals, timber lintel and double-leaf timber battened doors, with domed limestone wheelguard to south side.
Appraisal
This former coastguard station is a testament to the importance of maritime activities to the Aran Islands. The building is of a standard type familiar elsewhere in County Galway. The bartizan details at the perceived vulnerable corner add an element of defensiveness to the building. The boathouse, in use for marine and cliff rescue, is notable for its use of brick on an island otherwise notable for its limestone construction.