Old Bawn House — Oldbawn

Now demolished but partially visible in parch marks in recorded on Google imagery in 2013, 2018 and 2020. Oldbawn House was erected in 1635 by William Bulkeley, Archdeacon of Dublin, son of Launcelot Bulkeley, the archbishop of Dublin, probably on the site of an earlier building (Leask 1913, 314-325). Of masonry construction, the building was 2 storeys high with a gabled and dormered attic level, following a H plan. The entrance front was in the cross-block between the vertical stems of the H and faced to the E. This façade was 3 bays wide with a pair of high fronted gables flanking a central projecting pedimented Gibbs porch. On one surviving illustration the windows are illustrated as two light mullioned opes, these are all shown as sash on later images. The NW and SE facing facades were 6 bays with massive chimneys topped by decorated stacks projecting forward from the façade. There were single windows at either end, beyond the chimneys and three central windows on both ground and first floor with a pair of attic dormers above. The late Tudor H plan building had a central hall and two chambers on to the left and on the right either side of stair wells and storage rooms. The first floor, which contained a great chamber over the hall and others over the left and right wing. The second storey contained several rooms within the attic. Within the house was a parlour mantelpiece which is held in the National Museum of Ireland. It is executed in stucco and bears a date of 1635, with a representation of the re-building of the walls of Jerusalem on the upper portion embellished with figures dressed in 17th century costume. The original staircase is also in the National Museum of Ireland. Old Bawn House was damaged in the rebellion of 1641. It was restored immediately at the great cost of £3,000 and was demolished to ground level finally in 1976. The house was set within a large defensive rectangular enclosure (DU021-057003-) defined by a wide broad fosse which may give the house, and townland its name 'Old Bawn'. Within that outer fosse, were a series of outbuildings, a long avenue to the house and various enclosures. Symmetrically laid out pleasure gardens ranged to the S of the house between a pair of orchards. These gardens included several fish ponds including one called The Giant Fish pond (DU021-057004-), pathways and planted beds. (Ball 1899, 93-108; Leask 1913, 315-325, Ball 1906, 31-36). Compiled by Geraldine Stout and Margaret Keane Uploaded on: 20 May 2020