House in Tonduff, County Donegal

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Detached three-bay single-storey vernacular house, built c. 1850, with central windbreak porch and two-bay single-storey extension and byre to east gable. Pitched thatch roof with smooth rendered chimneystacks to gable ends; corrugated-metal roofs to extension and byre with rendered gable coping. Smooth rendered and whitewashed walls. Square-headed window openings with two-over-two timber top-hung windows. Square-headed door opening with timber panelled door. Set within own grounds with detached outbuilding with barrel shaped tarred canvas roof, whitewashed rubble stone walls and square-headed door opening with timber door to west; surrounded by low roughcast rendered wall with stepped rendered coping and double leaf wrought-iron gates mounted on rendered piers with rendered pyramidal coping.

A well preserved thatched vernacular house, and in the vernacular tradition extensions are a matter of adding an extra couple of bays on a linear plan. A significant named vernacular settlement is shown here on the Ordnance Survey first edition six-inch map of c. 1837, but it has largely disappeared by the Ordnance Survey first edition twenty-five inch map of c. 1905 and there is a slight change to the road layout. It is possible that this house dates to the early-nineteenth century, but the map evidence suggests the later date given here. It is a good example of a type that was once prevalent throughout the country but now becoming increasingly rare.

From the Buildings of Ireland (National Inventory of Architectural Heritage) record 40901818

Places near here

Picture notes

Computer-made picture. It does not show this monument.
Computer-made picture. It does not show this mountain top.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
N Chadwick, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Carroll Pierce, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Patrice78500, Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Computer-made picture. It does not show this walking route.
Rossographer, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Richard Webb, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Laghty Wedge TombWedge tomb · 610 ydComputer-made picture

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Cloghtogle Slab TombMegalithic tomb · 783 ydComputer-made picture

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MullnaskeaMountain / peak · 1319 ydComputer-made picture

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Dunree FortBattery · 1614 yd

Explorer Tom Dunree Fort is a coastal battery with a two-storey gatehouse and sunken magazines that look like they’re hiding secrets from Lough Swill. It’s got high cement walls and pillboxes that are ready for action, even if nobody’s been there in ages. Go check out this impressive redoubt and see if the gun emplacements are still pointing the right way!

Star of the Sea Catholic ChurchChurch/chapel · 1.1 mi

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Dunree HeadHeadland · 1.2 mi

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Urris HillsMountain / peak · 1.5 mi

Explorer Tom Urris Hills in County Donegal sounds like it's having a proper chat with the Gap of Mamore, judging by that caption. It’s a mountain that seems to know exactly where its boundaries are, even if the trail doesn't.

Doris Russo TrailOfficial walking route · 1.9 miComputer-made picture

Explorer Tom Doris Russo Trail is an out-and-back affair where you walk there, realise you forgot your keys, and walk back. It’s a four-kilometre excuse to feel active. Find a local, ask them the real story, then come back and tell me it was worth it.

Fox’s Rock Bullaba (Bulben) LoopOfficial walking route · 1.9 miComputer-made picture

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