Mullingar Market House — Market Place

Detached eight-bay two-storey former market house, built 1867 and possibly incorporating the fabric of an earlier market house onsite (c.1730), having an advanced two-bay pedimented breakfront to the centre of the main façade (north) with a louvered cupola/clock tower over (on square-plan). Formerly in use as a wool store, c.1890-1900, and now in use as a tourist office. Pitched natural slate roof with raised verges to either gable end (east and west), projecting eaves course (brought across central pediment as a string course) and with gablets over first floor windows/former loading bays to the entrance front (north). Randomly coursed rubble limestone walls, originally roughcast rendered, with raised quoins to the corners and chamfered cut stone plinth to the base. Cement rendered finish to west gable end. Carved stone coat of arms to pediment and a cut stone plaque above doorcase with incised lettering reading ‘MARKET HOUSE’. Round-headed arches to the ground floor of main body of building having dressed stone voussoirs and modern infilled doors and windows. Shallow segmental headed former loading bays to the first floor openings having cut stone dressings and now with modern windows. Shallow segmental-headed window openings to the end bays at both sides at both ground and first floor level having dressed limestone surrounds and six-over-six pane timber sash windows. Central round-headed doorway to the advanced breakfront having a spoke fanlight over. Doorway flanked to either side by round-headed sidelights with timber sliding sash windows. Set back from road on a former site with open square/former market square to the north. Located to the centre of Mullingar.