Celbridge Abbey, Celbridge, Co Kildare 

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. 81. “(Marlay/LGI1912; Grattan/ LG1863 and IFR; Langdale, sub Mowbray, Segrave and Stourton, B/PB; Dease, sub Bland/IFR) The house of Esther Vanhomrigh, Swift’s “Vanessa”; a rustic seat by the River Liffey is said to have been favoured by Swift as a place to retire with his love. Dr Richard Marlay, Bishop of Waterford, uncle of the statesman, orator and patriot, Henry Grattan, rebuilt the house in Georgian Gothic towards end of C18; it is of two storeys over basement and has a front of six bays, the two centre bays breaking forward and rising above the parapet on either side to form a central battlemented attic; the parapet on either side being battlemented also, with small pinnacles at the corners. The windows on eitehr side of the centre are pointed, and have the most enchanting Georgian-Gothic astragals, in the form of delicate Gothic tracery. Attractive Georgian –Gothic entrance gates. Occupied ca 1837 by J. Ashworth, owner of the woollen manufactory in Celbridge. Passed to Henry Grattan, MP, son of the great Henry Grattan; then to his daughter, and co-heiress, Henrietta, wife of C.J.Langdale. Afterwards the seat of Viceregal Chamberlain Sir Gerald Dease and of his son.” 

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/11805074/celbridge-abbey-clane-road-celbridge-abbey-celbridge-ed-celbridge-co-kildare

Detached six-bay two-storey over basement Georgian Gothic-style house with dormer attic, c.1775, probably incorporating fabric of earlier house, 1697, with two-bay breakfront to front (south-east) elevation having three-bay single-storey over raised basement flat-roofed projecting porch to ground floor, three-bay two-storey side elevation to south-west and single-bay two-storey return to rear to north-west having single-bay three-storey engaged ‘tower’ to north and two-bay three-storey split-level projecting block to west. Renovated, c.1985. Now in use as monastery. Hipped roofs behind battlemented parapet walls with slate (gabled to dormer attic windows). Clay ridge tiles. Roughcast chimney stacks. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Flat-roofed to porch. Materials not visible behind battlemented parapet wall. Roughcast walls. Unpainted. Profiled section to side elevation to north-east continuing into chimney stack with advanced corner piers and ogee-headed and pointed-arch recessed panels. Two-storey pointed arch recessed panel to tower to north possibly originally window opening. Decorative shields to top floor to tower to north. Cut-stone stringcourses to top floors. Roughcast battlemented parapet walls with finials to corners. Roughcast stepped parapet wall to breakfront. Rendered walls to porch. Painted. Cut-stone string/sill courses. Rendered battlemented parapet wall with cut-stone coping. Pointed-arch window openings to flanking bays of front (south-east) elevation. Stone sills. Early multi-pane timber sash windows. Square-headed window openings to remainder (some in bipartite and tripartite arrangements). Stone sills. Moulded hood mouldings over. Early 1/1 and 2/2 timber sash windows. Pointed-arch door openings. Rendered chamfered reveals. Timber panelled double doors with diagonal tongue-and-groove timber panels. Set in own extensive landscaped grounds with rear (north-west) elevation fronting on to road. 

Appraisal 

Celbridge Abbey is of considerable significance to the architectural heritage of County Kildare. Built on the site of an earlier house dating to the late seventeenth century, and possibly incorporating fabric of that house, the building is of some archaeological importance. The present house is of social, historical and cultural significance for its associations with Richard Marlay, Bishop of Waterford (the original builder and occupier), Henry Grattan MP (a subsequent occupier), and Dean Jonathan Swift and Ester (‘Vanessa’) Van Homrigh. Now in use as a monastery for the Christian Brothers order, the house retains most of its original form and character. The front (south-east) elevation of the house is typical of the Georgian Gothic style, composed of graceful, balanced proportions on a symmetrical plan with Gothic-style motifs. The irregular massing of the remainder of the house, including a tower and a variety of chimney stacks, serves to distinguish and identify the composition in the surrounding landscape. Many early or original features and materials remain in situ, including timber sash fenestration (some multi-pane to the imposing pointed-arch openings to the south-east front), timber fittings to the door openings, and slate roofs. The retention of an early external aspect suggests that the house may retain original features and fittings of significance to the interior. Set in its own extensive landscaped grounds (complemented by a range of ancillary structures; 11805075-?/KD-11-05-75 – 7?), the house is an attractive landmark from the River Liffey to the south, while the rear (north-west) elevation forms an imposing feature on the streetscape of Clane Road. 

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/11805076/celbridge-abbey-clane-road-celbridge-abbey-celbridge-ed-celbridge-co-kildare

Section of rubble stone entrance screen wall, c.1775, with advanced section to centre having pointed-arch integral carriageway, cut-stone stringcourse and battlemented parapet over. Attached single-bay two-storey rubble stone flanking outbuilding, c.1775, to south-west with three-bay side elevation to north-east having battlemented parapet wall forming false fortified tower effect and four-bay single-storey wing to south-east with shallow segmental-headed integral carriageway. Reroofed and renovated, c.1985. Gable-ended roofs (partly behind battlemented parapet wall to north-west). Replacement artificial slate. Clay ridge tiles. Square rooflights, c.1985, to pitch to south-west. Replacement rainwater goods, c.1985. Random rubble stone walls. Random rubble stone battlemented parapet wall with red brick trefoil panels and cut-stone stringcourse. Square-headed window openings. Stone sills. Rubble stone dressings. Replacement timber casement windows, c.1985. Segmental-headed carriageway remodelled, c.1985. Rubble stone voussoirs. Replacement glazed timber fittings, c.1985, incorporating door. Shallow segmental-headed integral carriageway to wing. Rubble stone voussoirs. Pointed-arch blind opening to ground floor to elevation to north-west. Stone sill and surround. Attached single-bay two-storey rubble stone flanking outbuilding, c.1775, to north-east with three-bay side elevation to north-east having segmental-headed integral carriageway, battlemented parapet wall forming false fortified tower effect, screen wall to south-east with shallow segmental-headed door opening and two-bay single-storey wing to south-east. Reroofed and renovated, c.1985, to accommodate commercial use. Gable-ended roofs (partly behind battlemented parapet wall to north-west). Replacement artificial slate. Clay ridge tiles. Replacement rainwater goods, c.1985. Random rubble stone walls. Random rubble stone battlemented parapet wall with red brick trefoil panels and cut-stone stringcourse. Square-headed window openings. Stone sills. Rubble stone dressings. Replacement timber casement windows, c.1985. Segmental-headed carriageway remodelled, c.1985. Rubble stone voussoirs. Replacement glazed timber fittings, c.1985, incorporating door. Pointed-arch blind opening to ground floor to elevation to north-west. Stone sill and surround. Shallow segmental-headed door opening to screen wall. Rubble stone voussoirs. 

Appraisal 

This complex, comprising an entrance screen wall with flanking outbuildings arranged about a courtyard, is an integral component of the Celbridge Abbey estate. Presenting a symmetrical front on to Clane Road to north-west, the building is an attractive and imposing landmark in the locality, the battlemented parapet walls serving to articulate the skyline. The construction in rubble stone attests to the high quality of stone masonry practised in the locality and the fabric also incorporates early red brick. Renovated in the late twentieth century to accommodate a commercial use, the replacement materials have been installed in keeping with the original integrity of the design, while most of the original form remain intact. 

https://archiseek.com/2014/the-abbey-celbridge-co-kildare

1780s – The Abbey, Celbridge, Co. Kildare 

Celbridge Abbey was built by Bartholomew Van Homrigh, Lord Mayor of Dublin, in 1697. It was his daughter, Esther Van Homrigh who has been immortalised as ‘Vanessa’ by Jonathan Swift. Swift came regularly from his deanary to visit her. Chief Justice Marlay bought Celbridge Abbey in 1723. It was his son, Dr. Richard Marlay, the bishop of Waterford, who gave the abbey its present Gothic character towards the end of the 18th century. Also, his grandson, Henry Grattan, famous orator and parliamentarian lived here for a time. The house is of two storeys over basement, the centre bays breaking forward with a central battlemented attic. The windows have attractive Georgian-gothic tracery.