Patrick Comerford
I wrote last week of how Askeaton has not one but two squares, and about the delight of the colourful houses in East Square, which is surrounded by tall shops and houses in bright yellows, reds, creams, greens and pinks.
At the time, I said that in Trastevere or the backstreets of a town in Tuscany, these colours would attract the attention of tourists’ cameras and feature in photographic blogs.
But while Askeaton’s other square, West Square, does not have the same fading gentility, it still has a colourful collection of interesting shopfronts and houses.
Sheahan’s Korner Shop, which was once the post office in Askeaton, is a fine example of a provincial townhouse. This end-of-terrace, three-bay, two-storey house and shop, was built around 1840, with shopfronts to the front (north) and side (east) elevations. Despite alterations to the ground floor, the proportion and form of the building have been maintained, adding to the character of this corner and square.
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The butcher shop next door is a terraced, three-bay, two-storey house and shop, built at the same time in the early 1840s, forms part of a terrace of three and presents an attractive façade to the streetscape of Askeaton.
This building has a shopfront to the front or north elevation. Despite a loss of fabric to the ground floor, the rendered walls have render strip quoins and the other features, including timber sash windows, a slate roof and a brick chimneystack that help to preserve the original character of the building.
The house next door to the butcher shop is a terraced, three-bay, two-storey house, also built ca 1840. This modest house has slightly irregular windows, and it retains interesting features such as its pitched slate roof, brick chimneystack and timber sash windows.
This house makes a positive contribution to the architectural heritage of Askeaton, and together these three buildings help to make West Square an interesting part of the cultural legacy of this town.
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