Swinford Courthouse — Davitt Place

Detached five-bay (three-bay deep) two-storey courthouse, designed 1838; built 1838-9; opened 1840, on a symmetrical plan with single-bay full-height advanced end bays. Closed, 2013. Hipped slate roof with ridge tiles, rendered chimney stacks having moss-covered stepped capping supporting terracotta or yellow terracotta pots, and cast-iron rainwater goods on timber eaves boards on cut-limestone stepped cornice with cast-iron downpipes. Cement rendered wall (ground floor) on dragged cut-limestone chamfered plinth with cut-limestone stringcourse; roughcast surface finish (first floor) with drag edged tooled cut-limestone quoins to corners; rendered, ruled and lined surface finish (remainder). Square-headed door openings in square-headed recesses with channelled limestone ashlar surrounds framing replacement timber panelled double doors having overlights. Square-headed window openings (first floor) with drag edged dragged cut-limestone sills on monolithic consoles, and drag edged tooled cut-limestone surrounds framing six-over-six timber sash windows. Square-headed window openings (side elevations) with drag edged dragged cut-limestone sills, and drag edged tooled cut-limestone surrounds framing three-over-three (ground floor) or six-over-six (first floor) timber sash windows. Interior including (ground floor): halls retaining staircases on dog leg plans with timber "match stick" balusters supporting carved timber banisters terminating in turned timber newels; double-height courtroom retaining timber boarded fittings including timber boarded benches centred on pedimented judge's bench. Street fronted on a corner site with flagged footpath to front.