Historic town property now on the market

One of Athlone's most historic houses is on the market.

The present-day Court Devenish House, built towards the end of the 18th century, boasts eleven bedrooms as part of a substantial residence spanning 5,000 square feet spread over three floors.

The current home was built in 1791, using stone from the ruins of the important early-seventeenth century Court Devenish house, which is located a short distance to the east in the front garden of the present home, according to the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.

The original Court Devenish House was built by Dublin merchant George Devenish in the 1620s, and is set within the original site of the Old Wall of Athlone.

He bought property in Athlone and elsewhere in the Midlands, having been penalised for recusancy, that is his refusal to attend services of the established Church in the capital, historian Harman Murtagh explains in his Irish Historic Towns Atlas (IHTA), no. 6, Athlone.

The facade of Court Devenish, a U-plan stone house stated to have “exceeded all the rest for politeness of architecture” at the time of its construction, the book adds, and it is still extant or still stands. The boundary wall around the property also incorporates sections of the seventeenth-century Athlone Town Walls.

Extensively renovated and added to over the years, the current Court Devenish House has a doorcase from the 1870s, and a Doric porch from 1970.

In 2014, The Priestly Society of St Pius X, an international society of almost 700 priests working in 70 countries worldwide, got planning approval to reroof the entire house, along with some additions including a one-bedroom ensuite on the second floor, the extension of an existing circular roof and conversion into a small conservatory.

Their main goal, according to their website, is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood.

“Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them,” it adds.

A protected structure, Court Devenish House stands on a one-acre site with mature gardens, lawns and landscaping, and is BER exempt.

Joe Naughton Auctioneers is the agent for the sale of the historic home. Price is available on application