Survey Data
Reg No
22105040
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Historical, Social
Original Use
Town/county hall
Historical Use
Market house
In Use As
Office
Date
1865 - 1870
Coordinates
207677, 140577
Date Recorded
13/06/2005
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached three-bay two-storey town hall, built 1866, now in use as tourist information office, and having two principal façades, southeast front and southwest gable, presenting arcading to front. Single-bay single-storey addition to northeast with cut limestone pediment. Pitched slate roof with dressed limestone chimneystacks, cast-iron rainwater goods, carved limestone cornices to front and rear elevations and carved limestone copings to gables. Painted lined-and-ruled rendered walls to first floor of front and south-west elevations and to rear. Ashlar limestone walls to ground floor of southeast and southwest elevations. Cut limestone quoins throughout. Front and southwest façades have cut limestone plat-band between floors, continuous carved limestone impost course and carved string course to cut limestone plinth. Snecked dressed limestone walls to addition with carved limestone dated armorial plaque of 1631 from earlier structure and having painted lined-and-ruled rendered walls to rear. Clock to upper southwest gable. Timber sliding sash one-over-one pane windows throughout. Square-headed openings to rear with cut limestone sills. Front elevation has square-headed windows to first floor with moulded limestone surrounds, keystones and sills. Ground floor windows are round-arched with carved limestone imposts, archivolts and triple keystones, cut limestone sills and double timber sash windows separated by half-height carved limestone mullions with timber spoked fanlights over and flanked by round-headed niches with cut limestone sills. Round-headed window openings to southwest gable with having carved limestone surrounds, imposts, voussoirs and keystones. First floor window of gable is tripled with cut limestone pilasters, imposts, archivolts, keystones and moulded limestone sill with carved brackets. Ground floor of gable has round-arch window with carved limestone archivolt and imposts set into round-arch recess with carved limestone archivolt, triple keystone and imposts and cut limestone sill and flanked by round-arched windows with cut limestone voussoirs and sills. Entrance doorway has carved limestone archivolt, imposts and triple keystone with timber panelled door, sidelights and spoked fanlight. Round-headed opening to addition with cut limestone voussoirs, fixed timber windows separated by timber pilaster and spoked fanlight. Square-headed openings to rear with replacement timber doors. Round-headed openings to rear of addition, one having cut limestone sill, fixed timber windows and spoked fanlight, one having timber panelled door, fanlight and concrete steps.
Appraisal
This high-status building, designed by J.E. Rogers, occupies a prominent site in the centre of what was the medieval market place of Cashel. Its regular form is enlivened by the varied openings and the gable-fronted addition. The three elevations incorporate myriad classical elements such as arcading, cornices, niches and pilasters, displaying evidence of fine stone-crafting. Further interest and context is provided by the clock and armorial date plaque. The contrast between the ornate limestone front and gable façades and the plain rendered rear façade is striking.