Church / chapel · 1720–1840Church of Saint John the Baptist (Killursa)Headford
Photo: Robert Bone · CC BY-SA 2.05buildings on the National Inventory
History of Headford · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Headford has 5 buildings on the National Inventory
History in Headford goes back at least to 1720, the date of its oldest recorded building. Inside the town, the Sites and Monuments Record lists 9 archaeological sites. 6.3% of its homes date from before 1919; the typical town has 3.4%.
On the National Inventory
5
Of national importance
0
NIAH National or International, and national monuments
Archaeological sites
9
Sites and Monuments Record
Oldest building
1720
the first date on its record
Homes built before 1919
6.3%
typical town: 3.4%
In pictures
Landmarks of Headford, in 2 photos
Killursa Church Ower and Ross Errilly Friary lead the set.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the place’s page. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
The map
Where Headford’s history is
Every building and site on the record inside the town, by its rating.
Regional and other sites
Hover a dot for its name; tap one to open its page.
The 5, by rating
5 Regional and other sites
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage is the State’s survey of buildings from 1700 to today, county by county; each record gives a rating, dates, a type and an appraisal. Being on it is not legal protection: that is each council’s Record of Protected Structures.
Points from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and the Sites and Monuments Record, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (CC BY 4.0).
Regional and other sites
5 historic places in Headford
Buildings rated Regional, of significance in their region, and archaeological monuments with an encyclopedia article.
Church / chapel · 1860–1870Saint Mary's Catholic Church (church / chapel)Headford
Convent / nunnery · 1900–1920Saint Mary's Catholic Church (convent / nunnery)Headford
Public house · 1780–1820Public house, The Square, Headford
Bank / financial institution · 1890–1910Bank, The Square, Headford
What’s recorded
The record in and around Headford: homes first, at 59%
In and around Headford, the earliest date on the record is 1700. Second on the record: churches and chapels, 4 of them. Two of the highest-rated records are Holly Cottage and Church of Saint John the Baptist (Killursa).
Homes17
Churches and chapels4
Walls, gates and bridges3
Farm and estate buildings2
Public buildings1
Street furniture1
Other buildings1
Types as the National Inventory records them, grouped, for the records inside the town and those just outside it that belong to it; a building keeps the type it was built as.
How old
Most of Headford’s dated buildings come from the 16th to 18th centuries
Each building by the first date on its record.
1500–1799 three centuries2
19th century 1800–18992
1900 and later to today1
2 of the 5 dated ones were built before 1800. The oldest is Church of Saint John the Baptist (Killursa), from 1720.
Archaeology and around
Archaeology in Headford
The Sites and Monuments Record lists every known archaeological site; most are field monuments with little to see. By kind:
9 archaeological sites inside the town
Sites on the Record of Monuments and Places, the statutory list drawn from this record, are protected by law: anyone planning work at or near one must give the National Monuments Service two months’ notice.
| Forge1 record |
| Castle - unclassified1 record |
| Country house1 record |
| Bawn1 record |
| Building1 record |
| Church1 record |
| Graveyard1 record |
| Designed landscape feature1 record |
| Road - road/trackway1 record |
Just outside Headford: 26
| Killursa Church OwerArchaeological monument (SMR) · 2 km outside the town |
| Ross Errilly FriaryArchaeological monument (SMR) · 1.4 km outside the town |
| Holly CottageRegional rating (NIAH) · 2.9 km outside the town |
| Lisdonagh HouseRegional rating (NIAH) · 2.4 km outside the town |
| Abbey ViewRegional rating (NIAH) · 400 m outside the town |
| Windfort CottageRegional rating (NIAH) · 2 km outside the town |
| The RectoryRegional rating (NIAH) · 100 m outside the town |
| Moyne Hill (outbuilding)Regional rating (NIAH) · 1.3 km outside the town |
| Saint Patrick's Catholic ChurchRegional rating (NIAH) · 1 km outside the town |
| Moyne Hill (demesne walls / gates / railings)Regional rating (NIAH) · 1.1 km outside the town |
| Aurora CottageRegional rating (NIAH) · 2.2 km outside the town |
| Moyne BridgeRegional rating (NIAH) · 1.5 km outside the town |
| Bell tower, Saint Patrick's Catholic ChurchRegional rating (NIAH) · 1 km outside the town |
| Farm house, KinloughRegional rating (NIAH) · 1.7 km outside the town |
| Farm house, Moyne [Kilm. By.]Regional rating (NIAH) · 2.5 km outside the town |
| Farm house, Toorard [Kilm. By.]Regional rating (NIAH) · 3 km outside the town |
| Farm house, Toorard [Kilm. By.]Regional rating (NIAH) · 2.8 km outside the town |
| House, BallyconloughtRegional rating (NIAH) · 2 km outside the town |
| House, BallyconloughtRegional rating (NIAH) · 1.8 km outside the town |
| House, ClooneenRegional rating (NIAH) · 1.6 km outside the town |
Homes by age
14% of Headford’s homes are newer than 2011 (5.8% is typical)
Building in Headford peaked in the 2000s: 36% of the homes now standing. Against a typical 24%, only 15% of Headford’s homes went up from 1946 to 1980. About as many of Headford’s homes as usual date between the wars: 3.7%, against 3.9%.
6.3%
Before 1919
3.7%
1919–45
15%
1946–80
25%
1981–2000
36%
2001–10
14%
Since 2011
HeadfordTypical town
Census 2022, households by the year their home was built (CSO, Small Area Population Statistics, CC BY 4.0); the typical town is the middle Irish town of 2,500 or more.
Neighbours
Headford and its neighbours
| Town | People | National Inventory | National | Archaeological sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headford | 1,235 | 5 | 0 | 9 |
| Oughterard | 1,846 | 18 | 0 | 21 |
| Maigh Cuilinn | 2,279 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Tuam | 9,647 | 56 | 2 | 52 |
| Baile Chláir | 1,632 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Ballinrobe | 3,148 | 48 | 2 | 21 |
In brief
Headford in brief
Old houses are part of Headford’s character: 6.3% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3.4% in the typical town. All told, the list holds 5 places on the record. It also has 9 archaeological sites on the record. The oldest, Church of Saint John the Baptist (Killursa), dates from 1720.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The National Inventory. The State’s survey of post-1700 buildings, made county by county since 1990 (NIAH); a few records are older. It records; it does not protect.
- Ratings. International and National: of significance across Ireland or beyond. Regional: in its region. Local and record-only buildings get no page here.
- Archaeology. The Sites and Monuments Record (National Monuments Service) lists known archaeological sites; the national monuments to visit and the sites with an encyclopedia article get pages here.
- Protection. Both registers are surveys, not protection: a building is protected by its council’s Record of Protected Structures, and no national open list joins the 31 councils’ records.
- The grade. Ireland’s History grade is not built yet: the page describes, and gives no grade.
Questions about Headford’s history
How many historic buildings are recorded in Headford?
5 buildings on the National Inventory, from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
What is the oldest building in Headford?
Church of Saint John the Baptist (Killursa): the first date on its record is 1720.
Are there archaeological sites in Headford?
Yes: the Sites and Monuments Record lists 9 archaeological sites inside Headford.
How old are the homes in Headford?
6.3% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3.4% in the typical town.
Are the buildings on this page protected?
Being on the National Inventory or the Sites and Monuments Record is a record, not protection by itself: buildings are protected by their council’s Record of Protected Structures, which each council keeps and no national open list gathers, so this page can’t say which are on it.
This page describes its history; it gives no grade.
Source: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and Sites and Monuments Record, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (CC BY 4.0); Wikidata (CC0).
Sources: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (buildingsofireland.ie) · Sites and Monuments Record and the National Monuments Service’s monuments to visit · CSO Census 2022 (homes by the year built) · Photos: Wikimedia Commons, including the National Library of Ireland’s collections, each credited with its licence and copied to our own server · Wikidata (CC0) for other names and articles. Under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).
Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).