coastguard station

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.

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.