Main pic: The 19-21 Upper Main Street buildings captured in 2011 by Kenneth Allen.
Permission is being sought to demolish two more historic buildings in the centre of Letterkenny.
Glenview Catering Ltd has applied to Donegal County Council for the razing of 19-21 Upper Main Street.
The proposed works will include the ‘demolition and reinstatement’ of the existing front wall structure as well as the existing pitched roof.
However, due to the historic nature of the buildings, Donegal County Council has notified the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage as well as The Heritage Council.
The structures are believed to have been built of stone in the middle of the 19th century, include many original features and are part of the town’s historic streetscape.
The application comes just a month after the controversial demolition of the former Music Centre and Funland amusement arcade buildings on the main street, adjacent to market square. They were razed to the ground over safety concerns after they were allowed to fall into a state of disrepair in recent years.
According to the National Built Heritage Service (NBHS) website, the buildings were erected around 1865 as houses and each had three unique gable-fronted dormer windows.
When surveyed in 2008, the NBHS reported: “Buildings of this type were, until recent years, a ubiquitous feature of the streetscapes of Irish towns. However, it is now becoming sadly increasingly rare to find relatively intact examples. This building makes a positive contribution to the streetscape to the south of the centre of Letterkenny, and is an addition to the built heritage of the town.”
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