Surgery or clinic in Rathmullan and Ballyboe

Attached mid-of-terrace corner-sited two-bay two-storey former dispensary, built c. 1855. Land slopes away to the rear having two-storey over basement level to the rear (north). Now in use as a private house. Pitched natural slate roof with projecting rendered brick eaves course, two rendered chimneystacks, and with surviving sections of cast-iron rainwater goods. Roughcast rendered walls over smooth rendered plinth, and having smooth rendered pilaster strips to corners of the front elevation. Square-headed window openings with smooth rendered reveals, stone sills, and six-over-three pane timber sliding sash windows. Square-headed window openings to the rear (north) having eight-over-four pane timber sliding sash window at ground floor level and fixed-pane six-pane timber window over at first floor level. Square-headed doorway to the east end of the front elevation having smooth rendered reveal, replacement battened timber door, and with concrete steps to entrance. Segmental-headed carriage-arch to the rear (north) having replacement battened timber double-doors. Road-fronted to the centre of Rathmullan. Laneway to the west gable end. Yard to rear (north).

This modest but well-proportioned former dispensary, originally dating to the mid nineteenth century, retains much of its early form and character. Its visual appeal is enhanced by the retention of the timber sliding sash windows to both the front and rear elevations, and the natural slate roof. Interestingly the site slopes away to the rear (north) having a basement level with carriage-arch. This building shares a roofline with the adjacent former courthouse (see 40819042), which suggests that it was probably built in conjunction with this building. This building is one of the better preserved traditional buildings along Kerrs Bay Road, Rathmullan, and makes a positive contribution to the streetscape to the centre of the town. Most dispensaries in rural Ireland were established following the Medical Charities Act of 1851 although there are numerous earlier examples. This Act granted the Poor Law Commission powers over the dispensary system in Ireland. The Poor Law Commission organised dispensary districts (718 dispensary districts were established across the country) and provided for the appointment of doctors to each as medical officers, and also provided for the provision of midwives. Dispensaries provided the first type of medical help that was widely available to the majority of the population on a local level. As a relatively intact surviving example of an early dispensary, this building at Rathmullan is an addition to the built heritage and social history of the local area. A Dr Loughnan was probably the Dispensary Officer here in 1881 and 1894 (Slater’s Directory. He was also the registrar for Births, Deaths and Marriages for Rathmullan in 1894.