durrow abbey co. offaly conservation plan - Offaly County Council

ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
Durrow Abbey House is of regional architectural
significance as an early-twentieth century remodeling
of a mid- nineteenth century mansion that was
destroyed by fire in 1923.
Neither the exterior nor interior of Durrow Abbey
House reflect the original architectural intentions
for the building. The house was reduced by a storey
after the fire in 1923 altering radically the mid-nineteenth
century design for the building. Internally
the full designs for the house by Ralph Byrne were
not implemented as originally intended, although
a scaled-down version of the architect’s proposals
was carried out. The quality of the original materials
used and the high standard of the craftsmanship
contribute to the significance of the building.
Stylistically the house is not an outstanding example
of its type. The choice of a Gothic Revival style
for the re-modelling of the house was popular with
Irish landlords at this time.
ar ts and crafts in Ireland in the 1920s and 1930s
seems to have once again, as it had been when the
society was founded, to some extent a matter of
quantity rather than quality. 39
The stable and service yards may have been executed
to the design of William Murray. The formal
layout and classical planning of this series of buildings
contribute to its significance.
The walled garden dates from the late eighteenth
century to early nineteenth century. Its simple
architectural treatment makes it of moderate significance.
The location of the eighteenth century church is
impor tant, being the site of an earlier church. It is
typical of the style and character of the Georgian
period in which it was remodeled.
The location of the house as a central feature in
the demesne contributes to its impor tance. Views
to and from the building are critical to the landscape
design and the house is integral to its setting.
This combined with the social significance of the
house outweigh its architectural merits.
The house is a relatively rare and interesting example
of a house rebuilt following its destruction in
the Irish Civil War. In total it is estimated that over
300 houses were burned during the revolutionary
period in Ireland following the first world war. The
compensation paid to victims was rarely enough
to enable them to re-build their houses to their
former splendor. It was the exception rather than
the rule that the houses were re-built. Approximately
one fifth of all houses destroyed by arson
attacks were re-built. 38
The Ar ts and Crafts interior is not of high quality.
The 1880s and 1890s saw the beginning of the
Ar ts and Crafts Movement in Ireland, and the early
1900s to 1920s represented its heyday, but the
1920s also saw the beginnings of the decline.
Beyond the work of the leading ar tists and studios,
37