House — 17th century in Graffan

Situated on top of a natural rise in undulating countryside with late medieval parish church (OF044-011002-) immediately to the E. Mid to late 17th-century gabled house two storeys high with attic and a protruding gable ended chimney stack at E gable. T-plan house (E-W dims. 17.6m; N- S 8.6m; wall T 0.9m) with the stairs being carried in a small square shaped tower (E-W 4.4m; N-S 3.75m ; wall T 0.9m) which has a two centred pointed door in its E wall, located along the centre of the N wall. The ground floor can be accessed from this tower although the ground floor main entrance is via a two centred pointed doorway with horizontal grooved dressing on the chamfered jambs at the S end of the W gable. The ground floor was divided by a wooden partition now destroyed, the W room at ground floor was heated by a large fireplace at the W end of the N wall and the E room was heated by a fireplace in the E gable. Both fireplaces have protruding chimney stacks. There are three windows on the S wall at each level with the attic having two small windows on either side of the chimney stack on the E and W gable. There are several other blocked up windows at ground floor level on the E gable and N wall. The first floor was also divided into two rooms with a fireplace in the E gable and W end of the N wall. The stone dressing and door type along with the protruding chimney stacks and external stairs all indicate a mid to late 17th-century date. This was probably the house of the priest who used the nearby church (OF044-011002-). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 23 May 2011