Portnason House

Complex of detached single- and two-storey outbuildings associated with Portnason House (see 40910764), built c. 1820, arranged around a gravel and tarmacadam courtyard to the north of the house. Possibly later in use or partial use as a military complex. Detached five-bay two-storey outbuilding to the west of complex having hipped natural slate roof; roughcast rendered rubble stone walls over smooth rendered plinth; square-headed window openings with smooth rendered reveals, stone sills and six-over-six-pane timber sliding sash windows; square-headed loading bay to the rear (west) at first floor level with smooth rendered reveal and battened timber door; square-headed doorways with battened timber doors; central segmental-headed archway having brick voussoirs and flush cut stone surround; and modern segmental-headed carriage-arch adjacent to the south side of central archway to main elevation (east) having modern metal garage door. Detached six-bay two-storey outbuilding to the north of complex (possibly formerly in use as a military mess) with advanced three-bay two-storey section to the east end having hipped natural slate roofs; roughcast rendered rubble stone walls over smooth rendered plinth course; square-headed window openings with smooth rendered reveals having keystone detail, stone sills and six-over-six-pane timber sliding sash windows; square-headed doorways and loading bays (first floor level) with battened timber doors (overlights to some doorways); and with segmental-headed carriage to the west end of the front elevation (south) having smooth rendered reveals and battened timber double doors. Detached five-bay single-storey outbuilding to the north-west corner of yard, built c. 1900, having steep mono-pitched natural slate roof, roughcast rendered walls over smooth rendered plinth, square-headed window opening with two-over-two pane timber sliding sash window, square-headed doorway with battened timber door, and square-headed carriage-arches with modern timber double doors. Detached four-bay two-storey building to the east, possibly formerly an estate worker’s or steward’s house, having pitched and hipped natural slate roof with rendered chimneystack having brick coping over, metal rooflights, projecting eaves course, raised cut stone coping to the north and south ends having pedestal to gable apexes, and with some surviving cast-iron rainwater goods; rubble stone walls, formerly rendered; square-headed window openings with stone sills and remains of two-over-two pane timber sliding sash windows; square-headed doorway with remains of battened timber door; square-headed doorway to the rear elevation (east) at first floor level, formerly giving access to walled garden (see 40910766), now out of use. Hooped wrought-iron gates adjacent to the west elevation of outbuilding to the east. Corrugated-metal shed to the south of yard having barrel-vaulted corrugated-metal roof over. Gateway into yard from the south comprising a pair of cut stone gate piers (on square-plan) having pyramidal coping over, and with a pair of modern gates. Set well back from road in mature grounds to the north of Portnason House and adjacent to the shores of the River Erne/Salt Pan Bay to the north. High rubble stone boundary walls to site. Some modern additions to site. Located to the south-west of Ballyshannon town centre.

This substantial and generally well-preserved complex of outbuildings and ancillary structures was originally built during the first decades of the nineteenth century to serve Portnason House (see 40910764). This complex retains much of its early character and form, particularly to the two main buildings to the west and to the north of site, while the retention of much of their early fabric, including timber sliding sash windows and natural slate roofs, adds a satisfying patina of age that adds to their integrity and visual appeal. The scale of these buildings provides an interesting historical insight into the resources required to run and maintain a middle-sized estate in Ireland during the nineteenth century. It was probably originally built by the Allingham family who owned the surrounding lands from the mid eighteenth century until the mid nineteenth century at the earliest. The largely domestic form of the now-ruinous two-storey structure to the east (having chimneystack etc.) suggests that it may have been originally built as an estate worker’ or gardener’s residence or, perhaps, as an estate manager’s or steward’s house. According to local information these outbuildings was later in use for military functions associated with the adjacent Finner Camp to the west, probably during the first decades of the twentieth century. The largest two-storey outbuilding to the north was apparently in use as a mess associated with this complex. This complex of outbuildings forms part of an interesting collection of structures associated with Portnason House (see 40910764), adding to the context and setting of this structure, and is an integral element of the built heritage of the local area. The rubble stone walls, gateway and wrought-iron fates etc. all add to this complex, and complete the setting.