Item 3 - Specification of Work to be done on a Novitiate House at Rochestown

4 pp; manuscript

A document detailing the structural and material specifications for erecting a Novitiate House at Rochestown, County Cork, for the Capuchin Franciscan order. Commissioned by Father Cherubini Mazzini OFM Cap., the document is organized into trade-specific requirements compiled by Cork contractor Barry McMullen. The text dictates engineering standards for excavation and masonry, prescribing Douglas brick for wall partitions, stone-lined walls, and a dedicated kitchen scullery floor laid with hard brick paving. The carpentry clauses outline precise dimensions for floor joists and a post construction roof using spruce and red pine, along with requirements for a 200-gallon water closet cistern. Finishing instructions cover plumbing work using 4lb and 5lb lead sheets for gutters, plastering criteria for cell divisions and exterior walls, cast iron ironmongery, and glazing utilizing 15 oz. glass with four coats of oil paint. The specification concludes with a mandate for a ‘plain substantial and workmanlike’ execution, signed and dated by Barry McMullen.