At the top of a long, tree-lined laneway and adjacent to the very fragmentary remains of a sixth century monastery founded by a disciple of Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, this is Leitir or Letter House, County Offaly. A two-storey residence dating back to the 17th century, sadly it is now in an advanced state of dilapidation and at risk of being lost forever. The building’s most distinctive feature are the tall stone chimney stacks, located not at either gable end but on the rear wall.

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