College in Letterfrack, County Galway

This does not grant access. Most recorded buildings are privately owned; view them only from public ground unless the owner allows entry.

What is recorded here

Read the whole record

Detached L-plan two-storey industrial school, with basement, built 1887, with eleven-bay façade having slightly projecting gable-fronted two-bay ends, and projecting porch, and having eleven-bay elevation to south block. Recent flat-roof addition to east end of south elevation and monopitch to addition to rear of front block. Pitched slate roofs with decorative clay ridge-tiles, yellow brick chimneystacks, tooled stone copings and finials to gables and porch, and cast-iron rainwater goods. Sheet-metal covering to single-pitched roofs to additions. Painted lined and ruled rendered walls, painted tooled limestone quoins and rendered plinth. Square-headed window openings having tooled stone sills, rendered surrounds with recessed shamrock motif above openings, two-over-two pane timber sliding sash windows, and decorative cast-iron vent grills. Carved stone plaques to upper front gable elevations, bearing 'AD' in one gable and '1887' in other. Three-centred arch entrance to side of porch, having rendered chamfered surround with recessed shamrock motif to top, timber battened door with paned overlight. Triangular-headed entrances to south and north-east elevations having hood-mouldings with decorative foliate stops, chamfered architraves, and glazed timber panelled door, sidelights and overdoor, with limestone plinths. Outbuildings to perimeter of site.

This commanding building, situated within its own grounds in the town of Letterfrack, was built by the Christian Brothers as an industrial school for boys. The institution developed an appalling reputation for the mistreatment of many of the children in its care and was closed in 1973. The complex is now used for local community development purposes and as a third level furniture college. It retains nearly all of its historic fabric and is further enhanced by the gable-fronted end bays which extend the symmetry of the building. The simple architraves to the windows compliment the simplicity of the timber sash windows. Large entrances to the site add grandeur to the architecture of this complex.

From the Buildings of Ireland (National Inventory of Architectural Heritage) record 30329005

Places near here

Photo credits

Andreas F. Borchert, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Maker not stated on source page, www.igp-web.com
N Chadwick, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photographer not named by Diamond Hill Community Centre, diamondhillcommunitycentre.ie
Dr. Charles Nelson, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Maker not stated on source page, visionsofthepastblog.com
Maker not stated on source page, ru.pinterest.com
Maker not stated on source page, www.dreamstime.com

Saint Joseph's Catholic ChurchChurch/chapel · 115 yd

Explorer Tom Saint Joseph's Catholic Church in Letterfrack once saw a pigeon fly through the stained glass during a sermon. The…

The Old CourthouseMeeting house · 134 yd

Explorer Tom The Old Courthouse in Letterfrack is still deciding what to order at the chipper. It’s got sash windows that look like…

The MonasteryMonastery · 135 yd

Explorer Tom The Monastery suspects the postman is stealing its bread and butter, which is a bit rich for Quakers. The Ellis family…

graveyard/cemetery211 yd

Explorer Tom The graveyard in Letterfrack would win a county fair for best somber display, I reckon. Seventy-eight little ghosts are…

Saint Joseph's CemeteryCemetery · 214 yd

Explorer Tom Saint Joseph's Cemetery has a local superstition that says if you sneeze inside the gate, you’ll find a lost coin…

Connemara National Park Visitor CentreHeritage attraction · 262 yd

Explorer Tom Connemara National Park Visitor Centre says there’s a shortcut through the woods but it takes three hours longer than…

Letterfrack, Renvyle GAAGAA ground · 270 yd

Connemara National ParkNational park · 276 yd

Explorer Tom I came to Connemara National Park ready to admire the mountains and got distracted by plants that eat their dinner.…

hotel465 yd

Explorer Tom Hotel in Dawros More used to be a Temperance Hotel, which is basically a dance floor where nobody actually drank, but…

Court tomb in LetterfrackCourt tomb · 626 yd

Explorer Tom Court tomb in Letterfrack is a very ruined gallery that’s lost its court, like a house where the front door fell off.…

Standing stone in KeelkyleStanding stone · 1487 yd

Explorer Tom A standing stone in Keelkyle sits on a low hillock overlooking Bearna Dhearg Bay, looking like it's keeping watch for…

Graveyard in Baunoge (ballynahinch By.)Graveyard · 1550 yd

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Baunoge is currently being reviewed by the local sheep who think the headstones are just fancy rocks for…

More historic places in County Galway · All of County Galway

Add to this placeAdd a picture Add a detailed tip Add a story

Explore the map1,095,414 places to discover