Work on building with long heritage

A good early spring sign this morning, to see serious work being prepared for on this building which was in danger of falling down, writes Brian Byrne.

The building is listed on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, from a survey carried out in 2000, when it still bore the name of the Moloney family. It is described there as an 'End-of-terrace three-bay two-storey house, c.1840, possibly originally two separate houses ... renovated, c.1900, with timber shopfront inserted to left ground floor ... a fine and substantial building that, although in fair condition, retains an early aspect and character'.

The appraisal notes that the shopfront emphasises 'the social and historic importance of the building as early evidence of the commercialisation of Kilcullen in the mid nineteenth century'.

At the end of the 19th century, when the building was photographed by Robert French for what became one of the Lawrence Collection of photos, it was owned by a Margaret Egan, a Grocer and Spirit Dealer. In September of 1881, Miss Egan's election as an 'associate druggist' was recorded in the Chemist and Druggist magazine.

Miss Egan remained the owner of the business through the turn of the century, and in 1901 at the age of 50 was listed in the house as a shopkeeper, along with her older brother George, listed as an optician. Also listed was a Richard Egan, a currier, aged 35 and who had been born in Co Cork, possibly a relation come to live with them?

By 1911, no Egans appeared in the town census. But Miss Egan was the vendor of the leasehold to Patrick A Moloney in 1018.

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