Constraints Report - South > Appendix D Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Menu > Table 2: Catalogue Of Sites Of Architectural Importance Menu > Site 5 - Site 8

Appendix D: Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

Table 2: Catalogue Of Sites Of Architectural Importance

DESCRIPTION
This site consists of an early 19th century three bay, two storey rendered house. It was built by Lt-Gen Sir James Kearney, KCH 1830.

DESCRIPTION
Bence-Jones (1988, 50) described this as "a two storey three bay late-Georgian house built for Rev. Richard Butler, Vicar of Burnchurch. Large drawing room. Remained in the Butler family until the third quarter of the 19th century, being occupied by succeeding vicars; then sold to the Mosse family, millers, of Bennettsbridge."

DESCRIPTION
There are documentary references to a castle that formerly stood in Banfield. Part of it was modernised into the south wing of the present dwelling house, as can be observed in the depth of the window jambs and the massiveness of the masonry. The castle stood on the brow of the ancient road, traces of which led to the back of Castle Bamford where it is open as an entrance to the farmyard.

DESCRIPTION
Bence-Jones (1988, 62-63) describes this as "a highly romantic mid 18th century house with water on both sides of it so that it seems to float; the water being two lakes probably formed out of the moat of the earlier house or castle here. It was built either for John Blunden, MP, or for his son Sir John Blunden, 1st Bt. Of three storeys over a vaulted basement; six bay front, central niche with statue below square armorial panel and above single-storey pedimented Doric portico. Quoins; rusticated surrounds to all the windows an in the niche. Slightly sprocketed roof. The back of the house consists of two gables with a projection between them containing the principal and secondary staircases. The decoration of the interior is late 18th century and was probably carried out by the 2nd Bt. after his marriage to a bride who, according to Dorothea Herbert, brought him 'a clear £8,000 a year.' Hall with a frieze of rams' heads. Drawing room with ceiling of Adamesque plasterwork."

There is a gothic ice-house in the grounds of Castle Blunden. According to Howley (1993, 206) this ice-house is the finest surviving example in Ireland. "This quaint little building is a most successful garden ornament, but, as most of its structure is above ground, it was probably not quite so successful at preventing ice from melting. The entrance is a pointed-arched doorway, above which there is a simple pediment adorned with three crude pinnacles and a blind circular reveal. It is flanked either side by slightly recessed wings with shallow pointed-arched reveals. Behind this façade is the more traditional arrangement of a vaulted passage, in this case with reveals halfway along on either side, which leads to the circular ice chamber. Externally the structure is all in rendered rubble stone, with a covering of slate to the vault and the conical roof of the ice chamber. The interior of the passage is finished with a stone-flagged floor and neat brick vaulting; and the ice chamber, which extends to a depth of about twelve feet below the level of the passage, is a splendid circular structure with a brick dome. It stands on the edge of an open field above a small stream, clearly visible from the main driveway when coming from the house."