Drover's Cottage Mount Mill Glen Road Drummiller Newry Co.Down BT34 1QS

Drover's Cottage is a single-storey vernacular dwelling house with a hearth lobby plan (no jamb wall), located on the north side of the Mount Mills complex on the west side of Glen Road, approximately 3.5 miles north-west of Newry, County Down. The building dates from between 1859 and 1903, first appearing on the third edition Ordnance Survey map of 1903.

The cottage is built of random-coursed rock-faced stone with patches of lime render. It has a pitched natural slate roof (replaced with reclaimed Bangor Blue slates) with a rectangular section stone chimney to the centre, topped with a cement apron and black clay ridge tiles. Advanced stone eaves run beneath the slate and modern timber fascia. The building has no rainwater goods.

The south-east facing front elevation comprises a three-bay façade with a breakfront porch to the centre, featuring a lean-to slated roof and sheeted timber door with modern timber fascia. Single window openings flank the porch, each with three-pane metal-framed casement windows with original stone cills. A 20th-century tall concrete pier has been built against the wall to the right side of the porch with a metal gate attached.

The gable elevations (south-west and north-east) are blind façades with modern timber fascia. The rear (north-west) elevation is also blind, partially built into the land to rear with only the top section exposed.

The cottage is accessed off a laneway running from the Glen Road entrance towards the mill buildings (HB16/21/098A). A motte (SMR: DOW046:002) is located to the south-west.

The building's historical significance lies in its association with cattle export operations. After the corn mill fell into disuse following c.1880, the farm and mill were taken over by cattle exporter Patrick Rooney around 1901. The dwelling was used to provide refreshments and temporary shelter to men driving cattle for export towards Carlingford Lough, and was never permanently occupied. The Rooney family retained an interest in the property until at least the mid-20th century. The records do not clarify how long the cottage remained in active use for the cattle export trade.

Despite its connection with Mount Mills and good setting, this former dwelling has insufficient remaining original historic fabric to meet the legislative test for listing. It is recorded only and not formally listed.