Hotel in Togher Beg

Detached six-bay one and a half-storey double-pile hotel, built c.1800 but slightly lower single-bay portion to the north end, front façade remodelled c.1890, and large double-pile rear extension added in the later 20th century. The original building is finished in painted render with moulded quoins and moulded surrounds to the openings. The gable-ended pitched roof is slated and has an overhang with exposed rafter ends and brick chimneystacks. There are two entrances each consisting of a timber door with large gabled hood with decorative bargeboards, finials and crested ridge tiles. The segmental-headed windows have replacement uPVC frames. The windows to the upper floor are set within gabled half dormers of similar style to the hoods over the entrances. Projecting lamp fittings and signage to the front. Mixture of cast-iron and uPVC rainwater goods. The building has a street frontage.

Despite the replacement window frames, the streetscape benefits from this hotel's elongated frontage and late Victorian trimmings. The hotel originally traded as the Royal Hotel and its proprietor, John Kean, placed an advertisement in Falconer's Railway, Coach, Car, and Steam Navigation Guide for Ireland giving the rates as 'Breakfast from 1s. to 1s. 6d.; Dinner from 1s. 6d. to 2s.; Beds 1s. per night' (Falconer 1864, 89). The hotel was photographed in its guise as the Royal Hotel by Robert French (1841-1917) of Dublin [NLI L_CAB_04419].