Survey Data

Garden No.

WA0542


Significance

Modest site - now partially derelict or destroyed


Landscape Elements

Buildings/Artefacts, Landscape Park, Plant Collection


Townland

Ballytruckle


Present on Ordnance Survey

First Edition: yes, sheet 168

Second Edition: yes, area reduced

Revised Edition: yes, area reduced


Description

A mosdest site conataining a complex of large structures that evolved since its pre-1843 origins. It retains the former school, convent and chapel structures, boundary walls and entances. Impressive trees remain throughout the grounds. Historic images show former complex formal, botanic and productive gardens throughout the site.

Site Data

Principal Building

1: Detached seven-bay three-storey convent, c.1850, four-bay three-storey side elevations, and ten-bay three-storey return to northwest. Eight-bay chapel, c.1900, on a T-shaped plan, attached to north. Fifteen-bay three-storey school with attic, c.1875, on a symmetrical plan, attached to south.

Ornamental Garden

3: Historic garden, c.1900, known as “Dutch Garden” now gone.

Ornamental Garden Building

Original late 19th century greenhouse attached to north side of convent replaced by recent greenhouse.

Ornamental Garden Structure

3: Ornamental pre-1906 garden, known as Dutch Garden, in front of school and convent with steps and sunken garden, much altered.

Plant Collection

Original perennial collections in Dutch Garden and Botany Garden gone (shown in historic photos).

Outbuilding

None

Productive Garden

4: Extensive pre-1843 productive gardens to north, west and south, all replaced later by buildings extensions and sports fields.

Productive Garden Building

None

Parkland

5: Small area of parkland, pre 1843, with mature trees and lawns remain on east or front side of convent east.

Woodland

6: Beech walk to south, c.1870.

Farmland

None

Water

None

Avenue, Drive or Walk

Access direct from Old Tramore Road to east

Gate Lodge or Gateway

2: Gateway, c.1900, to east with a pair of ashlar piers piers, recent steel double gates, recent metal railings on cement rendered plinth convex walls flank entrance and terminate in ashlar square piers. Pedestrian gate to south with stone block and start framing and ashlar pediment with cross stone finial. Lodge, pre 1843, south of current entrance, removed post in 20th century.

Boundary or Boundary Wall

Rubble-stone wall, pre 1843, on Old Tramore Road to east. Rubble-stone wall, c.1870 to south, east and north in extented grounds

Other

Two statues remaining in park to east: Our Lady by Seamus Murphy (1933), and Sedes Sapientiae, Seat of Wisdom

7: Graveyard, c.1850, for sisters with white cast-iron crosses, still in use. Surrounded by clipped hedges, wood fence, stone and concrete wall. It retains tall Irish Yews.

Historical/Cultural Association

"A schoool, also for the gratuitous instruction of poor females, has been established near the Ursuline convent on the road to Tramore". Since Lewis recorded this in 1837 the site has been massively developed, but with the loss of its early lodge. The gatescreen with its extensive semicircular forecourt survives, with a cut-stone pedestrian opening to the left-hand side. (Dean)

In 1994 the convent and sisters moved to recent building to the southwest corner of the property.
Other buildings sharing the same grounds are St. Annes’s School (pre-1906), pre-1843 St. John’s School now primary school) to the nort,h and a Kindergarden. Recent extensions into the grounds were made to the primary and secondary schools.

Overview
Site Footprint Visible Yes
Boundary Defined Yes
Significant Development Yes
General Comments A variety of modern buildings have constructed on this site.
Architectural Features
Principal Building Yes
Garden Building No
Buildings of Indeterminate Purpose No
Gateways and Gatehouses No
Avenues, Drives and Walks
Avenue No
Drive or Walk No
Garden Features
Ornamental Garden No
Walled Garden No
Orchard No
Parkland No
Woodland No
Natural Water Feature No
Artifical Water Features No
Allée No
Vista No
Other No
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