Annamakerrig (Tyrone Guthrie Centre, or Annaghmakerrig), Newbliss, Co Monaghan – artist accommodation
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.
p. 289. “(Power/LGI1912) A house of Victorian appearance, in watered-down Tudor-Jacobean. Entrance front with central porch-gable; adjoining front with two curvilinear gables, single-storey three sided bows, windows with blocked surrounds. Finials on gables. The seat of the Moorhead family; inherited by Martha (nee Moorhead), wife of Sir William James Tyrone Power – whose father was the early C19 Irish actor, Tyrone Power, ancestor of the film actor of the name – and in recent years the home of her grandson, Sir William Tyrone Guthrie, the producer, who bequested it to the Irish nation as a centre for artists and writers.”
Annaghmakerrig House (Tyrone Guthrie Centre), MULLAGHMORE, County Monaghan
Detached three-bay two-storey two-pile country house, built c.1805 and extended c.1860, having full-height projecting gable-fronted entrance bay, five-bay side elevation to west with canted bay windows and curvilinear gables to each pile, return to north end of east elevation with gabled two-storey projection to east, and adjoining four-bay two-storey block attached to north-east corner. Now in use as artists’ retreat. Pitched slate roof, with dressed sandstone chimneystacks and terracotta chimneypots, cast-iron rainwater goods, raised rendered curvilinear gables with moulded stone copings and finials to front, east and west elevations, raised stone parapet to front, raised rendered shouldered parapets to eastern projection. Dormer windows to east elevation of four-bay block, with stone parapets having decorative metal finials. Ruled-and-lined rendered walls, with dressed granite block-and-start quoins. Dressed coursed granite to lower half of entrance bay, having corner buttresses. Harl render to front, and to west elevation of return. Tripartite arrangements of square-headed window openings to ground floor to front and bipartite square-headed window openings to first floor to front and to ground floor of east elevation of four-bay block, with dressed chamfered granite surrounds and sills, having dressed label-mouldings to ground floor front windows with foliate stops and with pediment detail to middle lights. Bay windows have dressed granite surrounds and dressed sandstone detailing. Square-headed and round-headed window openings to first floor to east and west elevations, to south gable of four-bay block and to rear proper. Dressed granite surrounds and sills throughout, having one-over-one pane timber sliding sash windows, with six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows to rear. Plain glazed oculus to rear, with dressed granite surround. Pointed-arch former door opening to west elevation, dressed granite chamfered surround, with one-over-one pane timber sliding sash window, and having timber panelled riser over granite step. Tudor-arch doorway to front, with chamfered recessed surround and hood-moulding, and double-leaf half-glazed timber panelled door, opening onto tiled platform and seven nosed granite steps, flanked by dressed granite walls. Wider Tudor-arch doorway to south elevation of four-bay block, having dressed chamfered granite surround and hood-moulding, half-glazed timber panelled door, sidelights and over-light, opening onto flagged stone steps, with cast-iron bootscraper. Square-headed door opening to west of return to rear, having render surround, timber panelled door and over-light. Segmental-headed door openings to east and west of return, with render surrounds and replacement uPVC glazed doors. Gauged red-brick square-headed door openings to front of former stable block, with red brick surrounds, timber battened doors, one with cast-iron latticed sidelights. Original decorative coving to interior ceilings, timber architraves to doors and windows, timber shutters to windows. Multiple-bay two-storey former stables block at right angles to rear of four-bay block, now in use as accommodation, having hipped re-slated roof with rendered chimneystacks, rubble limestone walls, gauged red brick window and door openings with timber fittings to doorways and double-leaf casement windows with lattice glazing.
Appraisal
Built in the Gothic Revival style, to replace an earlier house on this site, Annaghmakerrig House was bequeathed to the State for use as an artists’ retreat by its last owner, Tyrone Guthrie. Accordingly it has been subtly remodelled to accommodate working and sleeping space for artists. Despite these alterations it retains much of its early form and character. Externally the façade is enlivened by dressed granite detailing to the window surrounds, copings and well-detailed doorways. Shaped gables and a range of window openings provide an element of variety. Prominently set within its own grounds, overlooking a lake and forestry, Annaghmakerrig makes an interesting and decorative impact on the landscape and the demesne is enhanced by the retention of features such as outbuildings, a pleasure garden, and various lodges and gateways.
Entrance gateway to Annaghmakerrig House, erected c.1850. Comprises double-leaf wrought-iron vehicular gate flanked by cast-iron columns with ball finials, having foundry insignia of Kennan and Sons of Dublin, flanked by pedestrian pass to north-west end and single-leaf wrought-iron gate to south-east, with matching section of railing to north-west of vehicular gate. Matching cast-iron columns to each side of gateway.
Appraisal
This simple but elegant gateway provides an entrance to Annaghmakerrig House, now also the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. Subtle, but well-composed, the wrought and cast-iron work is indicative of the high-quality craftsmanship and skill which was available at the time of their construction. They form a group with the adjacent gate lodge.
Range of former outbuildings of Annaghamakerrig House, built c.1850. Now in use as apartments and studios. Two-storey L-plan block around courtyard, having lean-to extension to rear (west) elevation, ten-bay two-storey block to west. Half-hipped slate roof to front block, with red brick chimneystacks, roof-lights, and dressed stone bell-cote having iron weather-vane. Hipped slate roof to block to east. Cast-iron rainwater goods throughout. Roughly coursed rubble stone walls, with red brick block-and-start quoins, and some cast-iron wall-ties. Recent oriel window to south gable of west block. Gauged red brick square-headed openings, with replacement timber fittings, including some timber sliding sash windows, with dressed stone sills. Gauged-brick segmental-headed vehicular entrances, now in use as pedestrian entrances, some infilled to provide windows, all with replacement timber fittings. Gravel and recent brick paths to yard.
Appraisal
This group of former outbuildings provides contextual interest for the adjacent country house, and stands as a reminder of the provision made for the stabling of horses and other livestock, as well as storage of machinery and crops grown on the land. Although it has been altered to a residential use, it retains much of its original form and character.
Detached three-bay single-storey gate lodge with attic floor, built c.1875, having projecting porch to front under catslide roof, canted bay window to west gable, slightly recessed addition catslide projection to rear, and recent flat-roof extension also to rear. Half-hipped slate roof with red brick chimneystack, terracotta ridge cresting with cast-iron finials, cast-iron rainwater goods, and timber eaves. Timber brackets to roof of porch. Red brick walls laid in English Garden Wall bond, with dressed sandstone block-and-start quoins, plat-band and plinth course. Rubble stone and rendered walls to rear additions. Bay window has rendered riser, timber mullions and hexagonal cast-iron latticed panes. Glazed oculus to apex of same elevation, with dressed sandstone surround. Triangular-headed window openings to front and upper east elevation, with dressed sandstone surrounds, chamfered sills and hexagonal cast-iron latticed windows. Pointed-arch window openings to side elevations of porch, with dressed sandstone sill and hood, and plain glazed windows. Square-headed timber battened door to porch, opening onto sandstone step. Double-leaf cast-iron gates flanked by square-plan squared sandstone piers having pointed stone caps, to south-east.
Appraisal
Designed by Henderson and Murray, this Gothic Revival gate lodge was built in the late nineteenth century to replace an earlier lodge which had stood at the site since 1835. It was placed at the main entrance to Annaghmakerrig House and as such was an integral component part of the demesne landscape. Its red brick façade is enlivened and enhanced by dressed stone detailing and terracotta ridge tiles. The lodge is similar in style to a number of workers’ houses, also associated with Annaghmakerrig House, and together they form an important component in the architectural heritage identity of this part of Monaghan.
Rectangular-plan knot garden, created c.1860, constituting plant beds arranged in floral pattern, emanating from central octagonal stone sun-dial, surrounded by rounded quadrant beds and rectangular beds. Original hedging replaced with concrete blocks c.1950. Box hedging enclosing site. Coursed rubble stone wall having red brick to interior face (south), and red brick walled lean-to shed, with glazed panels to roof, to south of knot beds. Three-stage square-plan recent water tower to east of lean-to. Segmental-headed concrete-covered reservoir to rear (north) of garden wall.
Appraisal
Knot gardens were established in England during the sixteenth century as a formal garden arrangement Decorative, as well as practical, they served as a statement of status and wealth. Although this example has been altered through the replacement of its box hedging with concrete blocks, it retains its original form and is an aesthetically-pleasing component part of the former Annaghkerrig House.
Irish Historic Houses 