House in Moneymore

Corner-sited attached two-bay three-storey house, built c. 1800, now also in use as public house. Four-bays to north elevation, timber shopfront, c. 1890, to ground floor, render embellishments, c. 1890, to upper storeys. Hipped slate roof, clay ridge and hip tiles, painted smooth rendered corbelled chimneystack, moulded cast-iron gutters on corbelled eaves course, circular cast-iron downpipes. Painted smooth rendered ruled-and-lined walling, vermiculated block-and-start quoins, painted smooth rendered frieze and cornice to first floor sill levels, moulded continuous sill course to second floor windows, north and east elevations. Square-headed window openings, painted moulded smooth rendered architraves; scrolled brackets supporting triangular pediments to first floor, lugged-and-kneed to second floor, both highly ornamented with foliate and floral motifs; painted timber one-over-one sliding sash windows to north and east elevations, six-over-three sliding sash to west elevation. Painted timber shopfront comprising flat panelled pilasters supporting corniced fascia board, raised painted timber lettering, square-headed display windows on painted smooth rendered stall-risers; square-headed door opening to east elevation flanked by pilasters, plain-glazed overlight, vertical glazing bars, painted timber double doors with four flat panels to base surmounted by diagonal-sheeting to upper section, tooled limestone step to door; round-headed door opening to north elevation, flanked by pilasters, plain-glazed fanlight, painted timber door with four flat panels, limestone threshold. Building fronts directly onto street at busy crossroads site, enclosed yard to west bounded by painted smooth rendered wall.

This handsomely proportioned building displays a rich use of decoration and the elaborate window surrounds in particular are of artistic interest, being a fine example of the development in architectural decoration towards the end of the nineteenth century. An attractive timber shopfront is an important survival as such examples are becoming progressively rarer within the Irish townscape. This building stands out within a streetscape composed of less richly decorated buildings.