House

According to Bence-Jones (1978, 184), Leyrath, 'Originally a Tobin castle, acquired by the Wheeler family C17'. The Tobin castle being referred to is Rathermore Castle (KK020-032----) which on the Down Survey (1655-6) parish map of Blackrath parish and part of St Martin's parish is depicted in Lyrath townland, though post-17th century boundary changes now place it just over the townland boundary, in Templemartin townland. There may be 17th-century fabric within the early 19th-century Leyrath house which consisted of, 'a simple 2 storey 5 bay pedimented front facing west, with 2 wings running back from it to enclose a small 3 sided office court; the entrance door being on the south side, under a Regency veranda...In the southern wing there are smaller and lower rooms surviving from before the rebuilding' (ibid.). In 1861 the main western block was rebuilt, leaving the two wings relatively untouched (ibid.). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 24 November 2020