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Garda station or constabulary barracks in Rockfarm

Garda station/constabulary barracks

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Garda station or constabulary barracks in Rockfarm has a little castle tower, yet an early map calls it a schoolhouse. Four stages of tower and narrow defensive openings: a bold answer to the boy who says his daddy is coming down to speak to the teacher.
Detached two-bay two-storey police station, c.1830, on a rectangular plan with single-bay four-stage tower (south) on a square plan. Pitched slate roof with ridge tiles, coping, and cast-iron rainwater goods on cut-limestone eaves. Rubble limestone walls on battered base originally lime rendered. Square-headed window openings with hood mouldings framing two-over-two timber sash windows. Pointed-arch door opening (tower) with margined tooled cut-limestone surround framing tongue-and-groove timber panelled door. Square-headed loops (upper stages) with margined tooled cut-limestone surrounds having chamfered reveals. Set back from line of road.
This unusual building was originally intended as a constabulary barrack and it is described by Samuel Lewis (1837) as '[a] barrack with a small castellated tower' (Lewis 1837 I, 124). It may have served a dual purpose as it is labelled as "School House" on the first Ordnance Survey. It is well constructed, its tooled limestone dressings demonstrating good quality workmanship, and remains a picturesque landmark in its rural setting.

From the Buildings of Ireland (National Inventory of Architectural Heritage) record 21902320

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

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Photo credits
  • National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
  • Garry Dickinson, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
  • Graham Horn, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

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