Honan Home

Detached five-bay three-storey former house, built c.1830, with full-height bows to east and west and single-storey flat-roofed entrance porch. Now in use as nursing home with single- and two-storey accommodation blocks to rear possibly incorporating fabric from earlier structures. Hipped slate roof, pitched to rear (north) section, with rendered chimneystacks and replacement aluminium gutters on overhanging moulded render corbelled eaves. Smooth rendered walls with platbands at sills levels and limestone plinth course. Square-headed window openings in moulded render surrounds with limestone sills and replacement windows throughout. Square-headed door opening to flat-roofed single-storey entrance porch having bracketed frieze and moulded cornice. Plain glazed overlight over timber panelled door accessed via three limestone steps with recent railings. Set in own large grounds with recent single-storey houses providing living accommodation in grounds. Bounded by rubble sandstone wall having square-profile red brick gate piers with limestone caps and cornice, flanked by square-headed pedestrian openings with relieving arch and limestone keystone, wrought-iron gates.

Originally the home of one of Cork’s wealthy merchant families, Honan Home retains much of its original classical form and fabric. The elegant full-height bows give a great distinction to the front elevation, and are a characteristic features of Cork city and county. Set on an elevated site overlooking the river and city, it forms parts of a group with the other imposing large scale houses which were built in this part of the city by the rising merchant class. The entrance gates, piers and sandstone walls add to its setting and context and also to the streetscape.