Kearney Village, Portaferry, Co Down, ** See General Comments **

Small village or ‘clachan’ situated on the south east coast of the Ards peninsula, (c.3 miles SE of Portaferry), consisting of single and two storey cottages and houses, mainly in the vernacular style and arranged in an informal layout. The village is of considerable age (certainly 18th century, and probably 17th century) and many of the houses are undoubtedly pre 1834, but a few are recent reconstructions or conversions of former farm buildings. The National Trust has acquired almost all of the properties within the village in 1965 and since then has repaired, renovated and reconstructed many of the houses, whilst converting some barns and stables to living accommodation and offices/visitor centre. Unfortunately some of the recent reconstructions (houses Nos.8C and 8D) have asbestos roofs and PVC windows, gutters and down spouts, whist the seemingly oldest house in the village, No.12, has a modern, but relatively harmonious, extension to its rear.