Aghada House, Aghada, Co Cork – gone
Mark Bence-Jones. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.
p. 2. A late Georgian house by the elder Abraham Hargrave, built for John Roche between 1791 and ca. 1808.
This house played host to one of the most talked about weddings in the Cork area…is it possible that this house is completely obliterated and no trace of it remains…?
Aghada Hall house was designed by the well know Cork architect of his day, Abraham Hargrave (1755-1808).
All trace of Aghada Hall House had disappeared, all that is left is a walled garden, half an entrance and a small gatehouse that looks so out-of-place. (The old sheds and stables) have been converted into homes.
Aghada Hall House was a large late Georgian residence built by John Roche (from the Trabolgan- Roche family) and was completed in 1808. John Roche was also responsible for the start of the Aghada National School in 1819. At John’s death he left the house to his nephew William Roche who sold much of the land and left Aghada Hall House to Maria and Eleonor Roche. Maria Audriah Roche then married her cousin Major General Sir Joseph Lucas Thackwell. And lived in the house with grounds in 1853 (873 acres) Major General Sir Joseph Thackwell was the son of John Thackwell of Wilton Place, Gloucester. Major General Sir Joseph Thackwell and Maria had 5 sons (one son died young) and 3 daughters.
Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell had a remarkable military career, he lost his left arm at Waterloo and had it amputated close to the shoulder joint. Two horses were shot underneath him during this battle. He spent the greatest part of his last quiet years, shooting and carrying out improvements on the property.
The property was left to his son Major William de Wilton Roche Thackwell (1834-1910) and he married Charlotte (daughter of Rev. Tomkinson) William R. Thackwell resided in Aghada Hall house untill 1894.Their eldest daughter Katherine Harriet Thackwell married Col. Edward Rawdon Penrose who in 1891 by Royal Licence changed his surname to Thackwell. Aghada Hall House played host to a very important wedding and all the manor house owners of the area were invited.
Irish Historic Houses 