Dunree Lighthouse

Attached three-bay single-storey lighthouse keeper’s house, built 1875, with single-bay lean-to wings to both gables, single-bay entrance porch to front, canted bay to west with polygonal lighthouse (40901801). Pitched slate roof with whitewashed brick chimneystacks with stepped ashlar coping and terracotta pots to gables, ashlar gable copings, ashlar projecting skew-putts and cast-iron guttering on ashlar corbels; flat-roofs with ashlar coping to entrance porch and canted bay. Whitewashed squared rubble walls with ashlar block-and-start quoins, and projecting ashlar plinth. Square-headed window openings with ashlar surrounds and six-over-six and six-over-one horned timber sash windows, three-over-three horned timber sash windows to canted bay, painted stone sills. Square-headed door openings with battened timber doors. Detached outbuilding to north with lean-to slate roof, ashlar gable-coping and cast-iron rainwater goods. Whitewashed squared rubble walls with ashlar block-and-start quoins and projecting ashlar plinth. Square-headed door opening with brick surround and battened timber doors. Whitewashed rubble stone boundary wall.

This attractive lighthouse keeper's house associated with Dunree Lighthouse (see 40901829), which connects to this dwelling to the west. Robustly constructed of local rubble stone masonry, this building retains its early form and character. Its visual appeal and expression is enhanced by the retention of much of its original fabric including timber sliding sash windows. The dwelling and lantern were built by McClelland & Co. of Derry. This building forms part of a pair of related structures along with the associated lighthouse, and is an important element of the built heritage and maritime history of Donegal. The simple outbuilding and boundary walls add considerably to the setting and context of this building, which is spectacularly located close to Fort Dunree on a cliff top to the east side of Lough Swilly.