Mount Hevey Hill, Hill of Down, County Meath 

Mark Bence-Jones. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.  

“A house of ca 1810; two storeys over basement, three bays. The seat of the Hevey Langan family.” 

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/14404101/mount-hevey-kilnagallagh-co-meath

Detached three-bay two-storey over basement house, built c.1850. Gabled projecting central bay with Ionic entrance portico, approached by flight of limestone steps. Single-storey over basement projecting bay to west elevation, and two-storey over basement return to rear. Hipped slate roof with dentils to eaves soffits, and a pair of rendered chimneystacks. Rock-faced ashlar to first floor, with limestone strings courses and quoins. Timber sash windows with limestone sills. Three-bay outbuilding with dormer windows to rear. Limestone ashlar entrance piers with cast-iron gates. 

Appraisal 

The architectural form of this house is enhanced by architectural detailing. Each floor of the house is articulated with varying treatment of masonry and render. The entrance level is of apparent significance, with the channelled render and quoins, and is clearly defined from the floors above and below by the string courses. Rock-faced quoins have been employed at basement level, with ashlar quoins at first floor level. The breakfront and recessed window surrounds are interesting architectural details. The entrance porch adds artistic interest to the house. The house forms a group with the related garden structures and outbuildings. 

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/14404102/mount-hevey-kilnagallagh-co-meath

Roughly dressed rubble limestone walled garden, built c.1890. Cast-iron railings and gates, limestone arch and glasshouse to south wall. Remains of garden building to north wall. Shell house inscribed ‘1912’. Limestone steps to south of walled garden. 

Appraisal 

The former walled garden, glass house and shell house, though now in poor condition, form an interesting group of related structures with Mount Hevey House and outbuildings. The cast-iron gates and railings of the walled garden are particularly elaborate. 

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/14404103/mount-hevey-kilnagallagh-co-meath

Roughly dressed rubble limestone farmyard complex, built c.1850. Comprising a multiple-bay range running east-west to south, a three-bay range running east-west to north, and three ranges running north-west between the east-west ranges. Former farm labourer’s house to north-east corner. Weight machine to site. Roughly dressed rubble stone pier and cobbles to entrance. 

Appraisal 

This farmyard complex forms a group of related structures with the house and garden structures. The survival of many original features and materials, such as the slate roofs, stone dressings and timber sash windows enhance the form of these modest buildings. 

Record of protected structures: 

Mount Hevey, townland: Kilnagallagh, town: Kinnegad 

Detached three-bay two-storey over basement house, built c.1850. Three-bay outbuilding with dormer windows to rear. Limestone ashlar entrance piers with cast-iron gates. 

http://meathhistoryhub.ie/houses-k-p/ 

Mount Hevey is located at Hill of Down, Clonard, Kinnegad. The name of the townland is Kilnagallagh. Casey and Rowan describe Mount Hevey as a square Italianite villa of a type popularised by William Caldbeck in the 1850s.  The house consists of two storeys over a basement. The house dates to about 1860 but there was an earlier house which was incorporated into the farmyard. The farmyard complex dates from about 1860, the same time as the house was erected. A walled garden dates from about 1890. There is a shell house bearing the date “1912”. 

There is a record of a John Hevey, merchant, in Kinnegad in 1746. In 1805 there is a record of Garrett Hevey of Mount Hevey. Patrick Langan married Mary Hevey of Mount Hevey. Their son, Frederick Hevey Langan, inherited Mount Hevey from John Hevey, Mary’s father. 

In 1835 it was leased to Mr. Heavy of Mount Heavy by the owner Mr. McManus. In 1854 the townland was in the ownership of James McManus and Frederick H. Langan was renting the major part of the townland and he in turn was renting a house offices and land to Michael Hevey. The major house was the residence of Frederick H. Langan. 

Frederick Hevey Langan was born in 1825. He was a magistrate. In 1876 Frederick H. Langan of Mount Hevey held 929 acres in County Meath and 2051 acres in County Galway. He died in 1890. In 1901 John H. Langan and his wife were residing at Mount Hevey. The house had nineteen rooms, twenty two windows to the front and twenty eight outbuildings. John Francis Hevey Langan was the only son of Frederick Hevey Langan and was born in 1871. In 1900 he married Rowena Martin of Dublin and they had three children, two daughters and a son, Frederick. John was High Sheriff of Meath in 1913. The family also had property in Dublin. John died in 1955. His eldest son, Frederick Hevey Langan, married Myrrha Jepson about 1940. Frederick Hevey Langan was involved in the R.D.S. and was nominated as a candidate in a Senate election in 1970. Frederick died in 1978, a year after Mount Hevey was sold.  His only son, Peter St. John Hevey Langan, became a barrister and was called to the English Bar in 1967. Princess Margaret attended the ceremony.