House in Tirharon

Semi-detached three-bay two-storey house, built c. 1880, having two attached single-storey dwellings to the south-east. Pitched natural slate roof with projecting eaves course, surviving sections of cast-iron rainwater goods, and with rendered chimneystacks to the gable ends. Roughcast rendered walls over smooth rendered plinth course. Square-headed window openings with smooth rendered reveals, painted sills and with one-over-one pane timber sliding sash windows having margin glazing bars. Central square-headed doorway to the front elevation (north-east) having smooth rendered reveals, and with replacement glazed timber door. Located adjacent to road in the rural countryside to the north\north-east of Manorcunningham. Three-bay single-storey house attached to the south-east (now disused) having pitched natural slate roof, cast-iron rainwater goods, roughcast rendered walls, square-headed window openings with smooth rendered reveals and six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows, and with central square-headed doorway with timber door. Attached three-bay single-storey house (now disused) to the extreme south-east of group of buildings having central projecting windbreak porch, pitched artificial slate roof with raised rendered verge to the north-west end and with three rendered chimneystacks, smooth rendered eaves course, roughcast rendered walls with raised smooth rendered block-and-start quoins to the corners, square-headed window openings with painted sills, smooth rendered reveals and with two-over-two pane timber sliding sash windows, and with square-headed doorway to the front face of porch having timber panelled door with bolection mouldings, and with plain overlight. Detached five-bay single-storey outbuilding to the south-east of site having external flight of rubble stone stairs to the front elevation (north-east) having access to doorway at first floor level. Pitched natural slate roof with projecting eaves course and cast-iron rainwater goods. Limewashed rubble stone walls. Square-headed window openings with remains of timber fittings, and square-headed doorways and loading bays with battened timber doors. Range of single-storey outbuildings across the road to the north-east of two-storey outbuilding having pitched corrugated-metal and natural slate roofs, rubble stone walls, and square-headed openings with remains of timber windows, and with battened timber doors and double-doors. Detached single-storey outbuilding to the north of two-storey house having pitched corrugated-metal roof with raised rendered verges to gable ends, rubble stone walls, and with square-headed doorways with battened timber doors and metal double-doors. Detached two-bay two-storey outbuilding to the north-west of two-storey house having external flight of rubble stone stairs to the north-east gable end giving access to doorway at first floor level. Pitched corrugated-metal roof with raised rendered verges to gable ends, rubble stone walls, and square-headed doorways with battened timber doors.

This plain but attractive and well-proportioned two-storey house, dating to the second half of the nineteenth century, retains much of its original form and character. Its visual appeal and integrity are enhanced by the retention of salient fabric including natural slate roof and timber sliding sash windows with margin glazing bars. It represents an intact surviving example of its type and date, and is an attractive feature in the rural landscape to the north\north-east of Manorcunningham. The two attached single-storey former dwellings to the south-east also survive in good condition and retain salient fabric such as the natural slate roof to the house to the north-west and timber sliding sash windows. These buildings appear to predate the two-storey house (Ordnance Survey first edition six-inch map of c. 1837) and formerly formed part of a long terrace of vernacular dwellings. The two-storey house to the north-west was formerly part of this terrace but rebuilt around 1880. The substantial complex of single- and two-storey outbuildings to site also survive in good condition, particularly the two-storey structures. These are robustly built in local rubble stone masonry and have external flights of rubble stone steps giving access to doorways at first floor level, a feature of many outbuilding in this part of Donegal. These outbuilding add substantially to the context and setting, and complete this interesting complex of vernacular dwellings.