Maginstown Ho. — Maginstown

On broad, flat crest of hill. Farmyard located to N of house and windmill (TS076-012001-). The Civil Survey (1654-6) refers to 'an old Thatcht house with a ruined Wind Mill' on the land of 'Edmond Mocler of Maganstowne Irish Papist' (Simington 1931, vol.1, 213). A house (dims. 17.8m E-W; 6.9m N-S; S wall T 0.65m) formerly thatched, now slated, is still inhabited and runs E-W, with windmill incorporated in E end of house. The house has been raised in height by c. 1m, giving a new ground to eaves height of 3.5m. Front, S facade, consists of 4 bays. The front door is the second opening from E, however, it has an internally splaying embrasure which suggests that it may have been a window subsequently converted into a doorway. Internally the house is one room deep and divided into four rooms with a window in the back wall of each room, though the window in the rear wall of the present hall has been blocked up. The sill of this window is much cruder than the cut and reamed sills of the other windows. There is a blocked up doorway in the W gable. Each room is accessed from the next via a doorway at the S end of the partition walls. In the E room there is a doorway at the E end of the rear wall which gives access to a small room, formerly a pantry, now a bathroom. In the E gable, N end there is a doorway which now leads to a hallway giving access to the extension which projects northward from this hallway and also giving access to the windmill, on S side of hallway. There is a fireplace in the E gable, on S end. The house has a rough pebble dash render, however, the W gable is only partially rendered and reveals a randomly coursed rubble built wall. Some brick is evident in the upper portion of this gable, where the gable was heightened. According to owners when the roof was re-slated approx. two years ago the old timber were found to be in good condition and were left, also there were traces of thatch. It is probable that this is the thatched house referred to in the Civil Survey. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011