Kilcullen's architectural heritage revisited - Part 1

Fifteen years can be a long time these days in the streetscape of a one-street town like Kilcullen, writes Brian Byrne. What would in earlier times have taken maybe dozens of years for change can now happen in a much shorter period of time.

Around 2000, as part of a National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, 36 properties and structures in Kilcullen were listed in a Building Survey by the NIAH, which is a service of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

The Kilcullen list was published in 2003, and since then some of the properties have changed, in small and larger ways depending on their position, use and ownership.

Bardons (top) is one which stands out, built around 1800 and described in 2003 as 'a fine and imposing pair of houses' with a 'dramatic impact' on the streetscape. The appraisal notes the renovations and remodelling over the years — key dates were 1900 and 1980 — which reflected the evolution of the houses, including use as a hotel. The 'canted entrance bay' distinguishes the structure. Since the 2003 picture, another 'evolution of use' is the insertion of the takeaway food business into what was a dining room during the building's hotel days up to the early 1950s.

Across the road is the Credit Union building, the original part of it dating back to around 1840 according to the NIAH, which describes it as an 'attractive middle-sized building' which has retained 'some of its early character. In this writer's memory it was a teachers' residence in what had even then the remains of a shop frontage, possibly a pub at one stage. Since the survey, the building has been cleverly incorporated into the modern credit union facility, and from the original photo's perspective, a cleaner frontage arguably shows off the original much better than in 2003.

Just up the street from there is the three-storey building that is today used as part of a Medical Centre. In 2003 it was a secondhand clothing store, but in the revision which externally concentrated on the ground floor, today's version is a definite improvement. The NIAH set the date of the building at c1830, with 'graceful proportions' and important for continuing the 'established streetline and roofline' of the streetscape. The appraisal notes it was built as a pair with the house directly down from it.

We'll continue with this series of comparisons over coming weeks. Any feedback and comment would be welcome. The smaller photographs are from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.

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