Survey Data
Reg No
14804022
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Historical, Social, Technical
Previous Name
Edenderry Market House
Original Use
Market house
Historical Use
Museum/gallery
In Use As
Court house
Date
1825 - 1830
Coordinates
263393, 232961
Date Recorded
10/08/2004
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached T-plan five-bay two-storey former market house, built in 1826 by Lord Downshire to a design by Thomas Duff, with three-bay pedimented breakfronts to front and rear. Formerly used as a ballroom and museum. Now occupied by a courthouse to first floor and county council offices to ground and first floors. Located in the centre of O'Connell Square. Hipped and pitched slate and tiled roof hidden behind a parapet wall with a central four-faced clock. V-jointed limestone rustication to ground floor walls with ashlar limestone to upper floor. Random coursed limestone and sandstone to north façade. Ashlar bands. Square-headed openings to first floor timber sash windows. Ashlar stone surrounds and sill string course to south, east and west elevations. Tooled stone window surrounds to north upper floor. Round-headed recessed openings to ground floor which was originally open. Round-headed sash windows set within tooled stone surrounds with limestone sills. Replacement doors to south, east and west elevation with fanlights and tooled stone surrounds. Limestone steps to doors. Date of 1826 to keystone above main entrance. Random coursed limestone and sandstone surround wall to north with cast-iron railings.
Appraisal
Prominently positioned in the centre of Edenderry, this former market house is of evident architectural design. With elongated first floor windows and a combination of finely crafted rustication, this handsome stone building has a sense of importance and authority, which compliments its current use as a courthouse. It has remained an important part of Edenderry's community. In 1939 it was renamed after Father Paul Murphy, the parish priest of Edenderry from 1910 to 1933. In 1945 the building was severely damaged by fire and was restored in 1951. Following this restoration, the former market house remains as impressive as it did in its heyday, and continues to serve the local community.