House — 17th century in Timoney

Around 1653, James Hutchinson, a captain in Cromwell’s army settled at Knockballymagher now Rockforest (Burke 1871, 679). In 1681 his son James Hutchinson of Knockballymagher and Timoney married Mary Bennet and had two sons (ibid.). His second son John inherited the lands of Timoney (ibid.). Present remains consist of a 17th century house belonging to the Hutchinson family who built Timoney Park 390m to the NNE in the 19th century. This house may have been used as the main residence prior to the construction of Timoney Park. Located on the landscaped demesne of Timoney Park with summer house located 150m to S and Garrabaun church (TN018-010001-) and graveyard (TN018-010003-) located 250m to NW. Only the S gable (ext. L 7.4m) survives of a 17th century single bay two storey house with attic and a central gable-ended chimney-stack (L 2.83m; D 1.1m) projecting outwards from the external face of the wall. This chimney stack serves a ground floor fireplace (Wth 2.25m; D 1.07m; H 1.35m) that has been rebuilt or modified with the insertion of a red brick chimney-arch of 18th / 19th century date. There is evidence of two flues serving this large ground floor fireplace which suggest the presence of a wall oven possibly located on the W side of the fireplace where there is evidence of an opening which has been subsequently filled in. At first floor level a smaller fireplace has been inserted into the centre of the S gable probably in the 18th/19th century. On the apex of the S gable there is a pair of diagonal stone chimney-shafts rising above the roof line of the house. The S gable of the house was built with random rubble covered with a well preserved gravel dash. There are no surface remains visible of the other walls and this gable now forms part of the enclosing wall of a farmyard. Immediately to the W of this house are the remains of a small tower built in the 18th/19th century with red-brick pointed arches. The gable stands on the S side of a rectangular walled area now used as a farmyard. The N wall of this enclosing area contained concrete pointed windows. The E gable of a building in the SE corner of this area contains a concrete twin-light pointed traceried window. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 13 February 2015