1878 – Court House, Sligo, Co. Sligo

Architect: Rawson Carroll

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Most large Irish towns have a fine classical courthouse (Carlow, Monaghan, Dundalk), but Sligo’s is a fine Gothic Revival ediface. The design is dominated by the octagonal tower which has a chimney stack erupting through its dormered spire. The building is strongly asymmetrical as a whole but the entrance block is symmetrical in itself. It has an arcade of gothic arches under a decorated gable with corner turrets. The ctagonal ventilation tower with its elaborate pointed roof and dormers rises to 110 foot above street level.

The building has simple carved details around the entrance arcade and lower windows – the main decorative elements of the design being the tower and the picturesque massing of the building. Inside, the interior ground floor is dominated by two courtrooms separated by a large public hall. Upstairs are a number of consultation rooms, offices and various chambers. The building cost £17,500.

Published December 30, 2009 | Last Updated March 1, 2021