Friars Mill Road, Mullingar, birthplace of author Jospehine Hart (jnset)
The town of Mullingar has very few literary landmarks deserving international recognition, but unfortunately, this week it lost its most important one – chiefly because it was not a protected structure.
Westmeath Topic has learned that Westmeath County Council placed no value whatsoever on the building. When we asked a Council official about the demolition, they said the developer was fully within his rights in demolishing the house.
Home of world- famous author demolished – with Council approval (Westmeath Topic)
Pic montage: Westmeath Topic.
Thanks Séamus Kiernan.
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Who? Oh, OK.
Everyone is an icon
Not to sound completely heartless, but why should the building be kept? She’s hardly a pivotal figure in Irish history, was she?
I once wrote a letter into Hot Press.
Better not try to knock down my gaff.
who??
It was a 1930s derelict bungalow, and they’re rather stretching ‘world famous’ there. Not deserving of a preservation order.
Josephine Hart, Baroness Saatchi (1 March 1942 – 2 June 2011), was an Irish writer, theatrical producer and television presenter who lived in London.
Are you serious???
Here a photo of the the “cottage” before its demolition http://topic.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/before_house.png
I’m all for conservation but bloody hell, it’s an ugly Bungalow blitz style house. And surely a “world famous” authour would have more than a few lines on their Wikipedia page.
“Local historian and writer, Ruth Illingworth, expressed her “disbelief” this week at the destruction of the iconic Mullingar house. She felt it was a great pity that its value was not realised as a visitor attraction.”
Iconic? Visitor attraction? Mullingar? Those three words/terms have never, and should never, be used in the same sentence.
Their ‘lot’ has already been allocated as Joe Dolan and persons of a unique heritage.
Why? Have you been?
There is clearly a misinterpretation here of the historical resident / blue plaque thing. If the building has cultural potential and is in good standing with proper maintenance, then publicising a resident of notoriety is an enhancement. Keeping it in standing but in disrepair ONLY because of a famous ex-resident is not practical. An author may have lived in a old caravan in a remote field; slapping a blue plaque on it is not going to keep it in good nick. The best way to honour a deceased author is to read their work.
If this is the Josephine Hart I recall, honour her memory by wearing out the part of the Damage VHS where Juliette Binoche gets shtupped by Lord Jeremy Irons.
Baroness Saatchi? Shame she wasn’t in it at the time.