house

Terraced four-bay two-storey house, 1925, possibly incorporating fabric of earlier house, pre-1840, on site with shopfront to left ground floor. Refenestrated. Pitched slate roof with clay ridge tiles, red brick Running bond and rendered (shared) chimney stacks, and cast-iron rainwater goods on rendered eaves. Diamond-pointed rusticated textured concrete block wall to front (north-east) elevation with tooled diamond-pointed rusticated concrete block quoins to ends, and unpainted rendered walls to remainder. Square-headed window openings (in tripartite arrangement to right ground floor) with concrete sills, moulded rendered surrounds, and replacement two-over-two uPVC sash windows having one-over-one sidelights to tripartite opening. Segmental-headed door opening with moulded rendered surround, timber panelled door having sidelights on panelled risers, and overlight. Shopfront to left ground floor on a symmetrical plan with panelled pilasters, fixed-pane timber display windows on moulded risers, timber panelled double doors having overlight (leading to glazed timber internal door), and fascia over having moulded cornice. Road fronted with concrete flagged footpath to front.

A well-composed middle-size house forming an attractive feature enhancing the streetscape value of Upper Main Street. A contemporary of the Kilkenny City Carnegie Free Library (12000227/KK-19-33-227) the house represents a further example in the county of the early construction in textured concrete block simulating dressed limestone: however, such innovative practice is off-set by the comparatively antiquated Classical theme introduced by the robust rendered detailing throughout. Notwithstanding attempts to present an early aspect with the original composition attributes surviving in place the replacement fittings to the window openings have been manufactured employing inappropriate modern materials. An elegantly-appointed shopfront of artistic design distinction displaying good quality craftsmanship makes a valuable contribution to the external expression of the site at street level.