The current owners purchased the house in 2008 and their view was to return the house back to its original 18th century style whilst respecting the 19th and 20th century alterations and upholding it as a family home.
Ballynaclough House is a four-bay, two storey house built circa 1702 with a rear cobblestoned courtyard, fronted by the Nenagh River. Original timber trefoil-headed and round-headed windows and square-headed sash windows have survived with some modern aluminium windows being incorporated into the house. The house has a pitched slate roof with a pair of rendered chimney stacks with clay pots and roughcast render finish to all of the external walls.
The site of Ballynaclough House also encompasses many other elements of historical archaeological importance such as the ruins of a castle, a medieval hall and later outbuildings. Sir William Rowan Hamilton, the Irish physicist, astronomer and mathematician was at one time a resident of the house.
A planning application was prepared and a good working relationship was established with NTCC Planning Dept who supported this significant project which has resulted in Ballynaclough House being given a new lease of life for at least another 150 years.
Works
The roofs were re-slated with natural slate and a bat brick was inserted to re-accommodate the resident bats in a designated closed-off section of the roof.
The external cementitious plaster, which was up to 50mm thick in some areas, was stripped by methods which we approved to minimise damage to the underlying fabric. A 4 coat of historic harling finish was supplied to the external walls.
The timber-framed windows were discovered to be rotting behind the plasterwork. They had also been damaged by the use of aluminium insert casement windows. In many cases, the bottom of the windows was completely disintegrated and was packed with plastic filler and insulation board. The windows were numbered and removed and sent to a local craftsman’s workshop to be repaired. Windowsills were reinstated with cut-stone sills to historic details.
Original ceilings were pinned back and repaired by a specialist craftsman. Covings and cornices which were damaged by water ingress were also restored and the original staircase was remodelled to be properly aligned.
The fitting out of the house was undertaken to reflect the historic importance of the house and its 18th century origin. A detailed historic interior fitout strategy was developed in consultation with our client to guide this aspect of the project.
The layout of the grounds was also addressed. The grounds were redesigned to be more in keeping with the period of the House with influences of historic landscape gardeners such as Capability Brown and Humphrey Repton. The approach to the House was redesigned and the adjacent woodland replanted. The entrance gates and piers were repaired and incorporated into the upgraded entrance.