House in Kells

Detached three-bay single-storey thatched cottage with dormer attic, c.1800, with entrance windbreak to left, and single-bay single-storey lower outbuilding end bay to right. Extended, c.1900, comprising two-bay two-storey end bay to left. Part reroofed, c.1950. Pitched roof with water reed thatch having rope work to ridge, rendered chimney stack having red brick saw tooth-detailed course, rendered coping, and cast-iron rainwater goods. Pitched roof to outbuilding end bay with replacement corrugated-iron, c.1950, iron ridge, and no rainwater goods. Hipped and pitched slate roof to end bay with clay ridge tiles, and no rainwater goods on rendered eaves. Painted roughcast walls over random rubble stone construction with sections of mud wall construction, and painted rendered, ruled and lined walls to windbreak. Square-headed window openings with cut-stone sills, and two-over-two timber sash windows (some having wrought iron bars) having some three-over-three timber sash windows. Square-headed door opening with glazed timber panelled door. Interior with timber panelled shutters to window openings. Set back from line of road in own grounds on a wedge-shaped site with painted fine roughcast boundary wall to perimeter of site having rendered rounded coping.

Occupying a prominent position at the junction of three roads a modest-scale cottage representing an important element of the vernacular heritage of County Kilkenny forms an appealing landmark in the street scene on road leading out of Kells to the south-west. Having been well maintained the cottage presents an early aspect with the original composition attributes in place together with substantial quantities of the historic fabric both to the exterior and to the interior, thereby making a pleasing impression on the character of the locality.