House in Mauganstown

On summit of hill with ground sloping from front of house to S. According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) in 1640 'Sr. Richard Butler of Knocktofer in the County of Killkenny Knight Irish Papist' had in 'Mageonstowne' 'a stone house as yet not fully finished, the walls onely standing built by Sr. Rich : Butler little before ye. Rebellion' (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 277). The Down Survey also depicts a house in approxiamately the same location as the present house in Mauganstown. This consists of a two-storey, four-bay house with gable chimneys and a single-storey, one-bay wing on either side with a slightly lower two-storey extension to the rear at right-angles to the house. Where render is missing at the slightly battered NE angle cut limestone quoins are revealed. The main flat-headed doorway is off-centre. In the front façade, centrally placed between first and second-floor level there is an armorial plaque (TS078-051001-) with the inscription 'Sir Richard Butler his arms 1643'. There is a large walled garden (dims. 50m N-S; 76m E-W) c. 20m SW of the house with walls of randomly coursed limestone rubble (T 0.5m; H 2.2) with entrance (Wth 2.4m) in the E wall. If this is the original 17th-century house it was heavily altered in the 18th century, with typical fenestration and roof pitch of this later period. See attached photograph:] TS078-051----_01 Front façade Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011