![Picture](/uploads/4/5/7/7/45772233/8027421.jpg?325)
The Materials for Building
The accommodation block, which is now derelict, was originally a limestone building with a pitched slate roof and brick chimney stacks (Barrett, 2008). Cast iron was used, as was timber, for the windows and doors (Barrett, 2008). Limestone is eroded by chemical weathering, whereby the limestone is dissolved (“Limestone is an Organic”, n.d.) This suggests that the accommodation block is now derelict due to lack of repair and the natural elements.
The walls of the remainder of the workhouse were built using limestone, with square quoins, windows jambs and heads (Pennethorne, 1844). In order to reduce the cost, and to blend the building in with the locality, the stone, lime and sand was sourced locally, where possible. (Barrett, 2008; Pennethorne, 1844; R. Barrett, personal communication, January 21, 2015)
The walls were built using a type of stone masonry known as rubble work (Pennethorne, 1844), however it appears that the work was not to satisfaction. This can be inferred from several sources of information: The guardians of Dunshaughlin Workhouse were unhappy during the erection of the workhouse and consistently made official complaints regarding the materials and contractors used (Barrett, 2008; Pennethorne, 1844; R. Barrett, personal communication, January 21, 2015), and in James Pennethorne's report (1844) he states that the defects in the walls of the building and the wet penetrating through the walls was due to poor quality stones and bad mortar.
The accommodation block, which is now derelict, was originally a limestone building with a pitched slate roof and brick chimney stacks (Barrett, 2008). Cast iron was used, as was timber, for the windows and doors (Barrett, 2008). Limestone is eroded by chemical weathering, whereby the limestone is dissolved (“Limestone is an Organic”, n.d.) This suggests that the accommodation block is now derelict due to lack of repair and the natural elements.
The walls of the remainder of the workhouse were built using limestone, with square quoins, windows jambs and heads (Pennethorne, 1844). In order to reduce the cost, and to blend the building in with the locality, the stone, lime and sand was sourced locally, where possible. (Barrett, 2008; Pennethorne, 1844; R. Barrett, personal communication, January 21, 2015)
The walls were built using a type of stone masonry known as rubble work (Pennethorne, 1844), however it appears that the work was not to satisfaction. This can be inferred from several sources of information: The guardians of Dunshaughlin Workhouse were unhappy during the erection of the workhouse and consistently made official complaints regarding the materials and contractors used (Barrett, 2008; Pennethorne, 1844; R. Barrett, personal communication, January 21, 2015), and in James Pennethorne's report (1844) he states that the defects in the walls of the building and the wet penetrating through the walls was due to poor quality stones and bad mortar.