The beloved “Tin Shop” near Barnesmore Gap in Donegal is undergoing restoration.
Plans to demolish the landmark building, located near Donegal town, were abandoned last summer following the owner’s decision to preserve it.
Constructed around 1915 and closed in 2006, the former shop is recognized as being of regional significance by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH).
Its future was secured earlier this year when it received a grant allocation under the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS).
A 2007 NIAH report described the “charming and quite picturesque” shop as retaining its original form, character, and much of its original material.
“It was probably initially built as a temporary structure, hence the use of a cheap material such as corrugated-metal, but it has survived in good condition,” the report noted.
However, the building’s condition has deteriorated in recent years.
Local sources suggest the structure may have initially served as a meeting house or an Orange Hall, potentially relocated from another site. A “Wesleyan Methodist Meeting House” is marked on a 1907 map just south of the building’s current location.
Restoration work begins on Donegal’s much-loved ‘Tin Shop’ was last modified: July 18th, 2025 by
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