On the upper section of Main Street, Kinsale, County Cork can be found this house dating from c.1780. Of two storeys and three bays, it retains sash windows, that at the centre of the first floor being tripartite. Evidently at a relatively early date part of the building was converted into retail premises which required the insertion of a second entrance as well as adjacent shop window and fascia, all achieved with unusual sensitivity. The property now houses a café and bakery called Janey Mac (an old Irish expression used to denote surprise).
A clever solution.
The decoration of the pilasters flanking the right-hand entrance remind me of the type of minimalist decoration Soane sometimes used. Presumably it was ‘in the air’ in the late eighteenth century.
Yes indeed, or even early 19th century which I suspect more likely (the slow filtering of decorative styles to provincial Ireland…)
I was led to believe that ‘Janey Mac’ was blasphemous! ‘Y’ does not feature in the Irish alphabet and ‘mac’ is son……………Jesus, son! very surprised to see this in a subject heading!