Carndonagh Courthouse

Detached five-bay two-storey over basement former courthouse, built 1873 and ‘reconstructed’ in 1925, having central shallow three-bay breakfront . Formerly with library to ground floor. Shallow hipped natural slate roof with grey clayware ridge tiles, projecting eaves course, and with yellow brick chimneystack to the south pitch having stepped brick coping over. Replacement rainwater goods. Smooth rendered ruled-and-lined walls at first floor level and channelled smooth rendered walls at ground floor level separated by smooth rendered stringcourse; projecting smooth rendered plinth; smooth rendered pilasters to either end of breakfront having recessed rectangular panels and with capital detailing over; smooth rendered stringcourse over first floor openings. Roughcast rendered walls to rear and side elevations. Square-headed window openings having timber casement windows with margin glazing bars, and with rendered surrounds comprising pilasters with consoles over supporting render entablatures. Square-headed window openings to the rear having timber casement windows with margin glazing bars, and two-over-two and four-over-four pane timber sliding sash windows. Square headed door openings to end bays of front elevation having timber panelled double-doors, plain overlights, and with render surrounds comprising pilasters with consoles over supporting render entablatures. Flight of steps to entrances. Set slightly back from road to the east of the centre of Carndonagh. Bounded on road-frontage to the south by low rubble stone boundary wall (added 1878) having chamfered cut stone coping over with wrought-iron railings over, and with cut stone piers at interval along length. Pedestrian gateways to site, serving each doorway, comprising a pair of tooled ashlar limestone gate piers (on square-plan) having chamfered capstones over, and with cast-iron fates with fleur-de-lys finials. Yard to rear having random rubble stone walls to north and west boundaries and high smooth rendered wall to the east boundary. Double-height courtroom having fixed bench seating, gallery with cast-iron supports, plaster ceiling cornice, reredos to judge's bench, cast-iron fireplaces, and timber stairs with turned balusters and newel posts.