town/county hall

Detached three-bay single-storey former town hall, built c.1870, with yard to rear. Fronts directly onto street. Now used by Offaly County Council as a store. Hipped slate roof with red brick chimneystacks with terracotta pots. Tooled stone modillions to eaves. Ruled-and-lined render to walls. Segmental-headed window openings with tooled stone sills, supported by stone corbels. Rendered lugged surrounds with keystones. Replacement uPVC windows with wrought-iron bars. Segmental-headed door opening with lugged surround and keystone. Replacement timber door with replacement uPVC window to overlight and wrought-iron bars. Ashlar wall to side site with replacement timber battened door with tooled stone surround and keystone. Ruled-and-lined-rendered wall to north with replacement timber door.

This structure, possibly the original town hall for Clara, and now used as a store by the County Council, displays a fine architectural design with its large segmental-headed windows and door. The lugged surrounds to the windows are finely executed, and together with the corbel details to sills and modillions to eaves, enhance an otherwise plain façade. As a town hall, this building would have played an important role in Clara's past. With the passing of time, it has ceased in its original use, though it retains its shape and form and stands testament to Clara's rich architectural heritage.