Ballygiblin House — Ballygiblin (duhallow By.)

Near brow of hill, with commanding views to S. House now a roofless ruins (see photograph in Knight of Glin et al. 1988, 48). Built c. 1836 in Tudor Baronial style, designed by William Vitruvius Morrison (Bence-Jones 1978, 22) on site of, and possibly incorporating part of, an 'elegant mansion of some antiquity' (Lewis 1837, vol. 1, 303). Front section (E) 2-storey and built of coursed limestone ashlar; rear 3-storey and mostly of random-rubble limestone with brick detail. Entrance front (E) has 2-storey tower at S end topped by ornate octagonal belfry-like turret; pointed entrance door covered by hood moulding, with coat of arms overhead (see photograph Grove White 1905 - 25, vol. 1, opp. 184). Photograph (ibid.) shows N end of front elevation with 2-bay gabled projections topped with chimney stacks (gables now fallen) on either side of central 1-bay recess. Windows have stone mullion and transom divisions and hood mouldings in Tudor style. View front (S) has 2-storey bay window topped with embattled parapet. Roofline features shouldered gables and gablets, topped by pinnacles. Roof now entirely fallen as have most of the panelled Tudor chimney stacks. Rear elevation (N) of 3-storeys, 6-bays wide; gable-ended; fenestration symmetrical with round-headed and Venetian stairway windows. This is possibly remodeled section of the earlier house. Three-bay, 2-storey addition on W side of rear elevation. Court yard to rear enclosed by ornate 2-storey farm buildings to N and W, and by 6-bay, 2-storey stone-built building to E, now residence of present owner. Immediately to W of house is 7-bay, 1-storey orangery, built in similar Tudor style to house: rectangular (long axis E-W), slim pointed window opes with intervening pinnacled buttresses; modern opes in E end and in N wall. Now covered by corrugated-iron roof supported on iron trusses. Remains of walled garden to W. Ice house (14960) to N. Imposing classical tripartite entrance gateway into demesne, to SE. Site of C of I church (14699) on demesne. Bowman (1934, 52) refers to field names on demesne, including 'brick field' and 'kennel field'. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009