Church / chapel · 1805–1825Catholic Church of the Blessed SacramentMain Street, Golden
Photo: P L Chadwick · CC BY-SA 2.09buildings on the National Inventory
History of Golden · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Golden: 9 buildings on the National Inventory, the oldest from 1450
Golden has kept more old homes than most towns: 11% were built before 1919, against 3.4% in the typical town. Inside the town, the Sites and Monuments Record lists 12 archaeological sites.
On the National Inventory
9
Of national importance
0
NIAH National or International, and national monuments
Archaeological sites
12
Sites and Monuments Record
Oldest building
1450
the first date on its record
Homes built before 1919
11%
typical town: 3.4%
In pictures
Golden in pictures
Athassel Priory is the one recorded place in Golden with a photo so far.
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.
How old
Most of Golden’s dated buildings come from the 19th century
Each building by the first date on its record.
Middle Ages 500–14991
1500–1799 three centuries1
19th century 1800–18997
1900 and later to today0
2 of the 9 dated ones were built before 1800.
The map
Where Golden’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 9, by rating
9 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
9 historic places in Golden
Buildings rated Regional, of significance in their region, and archaeological monuments with an encyclopedia article.
House · 1810–1830Golden Garda Síochána StationGolden
House · 1820–1840Springmount HouseSpringmount (Rel. & Athassel Pr)
Gates / railings / walls · 1840–1860Mantlehill HouseGolden
Bridge · 1450–1790Bridge, Golden
Worker's house · 1790–1810Worker's house, Golden
House · 1810–1830House, Golden
House · 1810–1830House, Golden
Mill (water) · 1810–1830Mill (water), Main Street, Golden
What’s recorded
More homes than anything else in and around Golden: 62%
By rating, 1 of the buildings in Golden are of national importance. Nationally, walls, gates and bridges are 8% of the record; in Golden they are 21%. Two of the highest-rated records are Thomastown Castle and Ballygriffin House.
Homes18
Walls, gates and bridges6
Churches and chapels2
Mills, stations and works1
Farm and estate buildings1
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.
Archaeology and around
Archaeology in Golden
The Sites and Monuments Record lists every known archaeological site; most are field monuments with little to see. By kind:
12 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.
| Castle - tower house2 records |
| Building2 records |
| Bawn1 record |
| Settlement cluster1 record |
| Bridge1 record |
| Water mill - unclassified1 record |
| House - 17th century1 record |
| Architectural fragment1 record |
| Metalworking site1 record |
| Graveslab1 record |
Just outside Golden: 21
| Thomastown CastleNational rating (NIAH) · 3 km outside the town |
| Athassel PrioryArchaeological monument (SMR) · 1.9 km outside the town |
| Ballygriffin HouseRegional rating (NIAH) · 800 m outside the town |
| Kilmore HouseRegional rating (NIAH) · 2.9 km outside the town |
| Rathcloheen HouseRegional rating (NIAH) · 2.1 km outside the town |
| Aughnagross BridgeRegional rating (NIAH) · 2.3 km outside the town |
| Athassel HouseRegional rating (NIAH) · 200 m outside the town |
| Golden Hills (farmyard complex)Regional rating (NIAH) · 700 m outside the town |
| Rock View (demesne walls / gates / railings)Regional rating (NIAH) · 1.5 km outside the town |
| Rock View (house)Regional rating (NIAH) · 1.8 km outside the town |
| Golden Church (Relickmurry and Athassel)Regional rating (NIAH) · 100 m outside the town |
| Ballinaclogh BridgeRegional rating (NIAH) · 2.5 km outside the town |
| Ballygriffin BridgeRegional rating (NIAH) · 800 m outside the town |
| Golden RectoryRegional rating (NIAH) · 500 m outside the town |
| Athasselabbey HouseRegional rating (NIAH) · 1.9 km outside the town |
| Cahervillehowe HouseRegional rating (NIAH) · 2.7 km outside the town |
| Golden Hills (house)Regional rating (NIAH) · 700 m outside the town |
| Building misc, CastlelakeRegional rating (NIAH) · 2.4 km outside the town |
| House, Ballinamona (Horeabbey Pr)Regional rating (NIAH) · 1.9 km outside the town |
| House, Ballynahinch (Ballygriffin Pr)Regional rating (NIAH) · 2.9 km outside the town |
Homes by age
Only 1.6% of Golden’s homes were built since 2011 (5.8% is typical)
Homes built between the wars make up 6.2% of Golden’s, against 3.9% in the typical town. Building in Golden peaked from 1946 to 1980: 35% of the homes now standing. Count back from today and half of Golden’s homes are older than 1981.
11%
Before 1919
6.2%
1919–45
35%
1946–80
23%
1981–2000
23%
2001–10
1.6%
Since 2011
GoldenTypical 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
Golden and its neighbours
In brief
Golden in brief
More of Golden’s homes are old than in most places: 11% were built before 1919, against 3.4% in the typical town. In all there are 9 places on the record. Of the 9 with a date, 7 come from the 19th century. The oldest is Catholic Church of the Blessed Sacrament, from 1805.
The archaeological record adds 12 sites. The rest is about typical: William Francis Butler (1838) was born here before 1900.
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 Golden’s history
How many historic buildings are recorded in Golden?
9 buildings on the National Inventory, from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
What is the oldest building in Golden?
Bridge, Golden: the first date on its record is 1450.
Are there archaeological sites in Golden?
Yes: the Sites and Monuments Record lists 12 archaeological sites inside Golden.
How old are the homes in Golden?
11% 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.
History is described here, not graded.
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 and English Wikipedia for people born here · 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).