Carrowmore House, Carrowmorelacken, Co Mayo – lost
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. 59. “(Palmer/LG1875; McCormick, sub Knox/IFR) A two storey three bay house of ca 1830 with a fanlighted doorway, incorporating a C18 house. Now the home of Mr and Mrs Niall McCormick.”
Listed in Vanishing Country Houses of Ireland by The Knight of Glin, David J. Griffin and Nicholas K. Robinson, published by The Irish Architectural Archive and The Irish Georgian Society, 1988.
p. 110. “Two storey late 18C house. Now a ruin.”
https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/31303902/carrowmore-house-carrowmore-carr-by-co-mayo
Carrowmore House, CARROWMORE [CARR. BY.], County Mayo
Detached three-bay two-storey over basement country house, built 1819, on a square plan with four-bay two-storey side elevations. Occupied, 1901. Vacant, 1911. Damaged, 1920. Damaged, 1939. Occupied, 1942. For sale, 1946. In ruins, 1978. Roof now missing with no rainwater goods surviving on overgrown drag edged tooled cut-limestone dentilated cornice. Overgrown fine roughcast coursed rubble limestone walls with concealed hammered limestone flush quoins to corners. Round-headed central door opening with overgrown cut-limestone platform threshold, and concealed red brick block-and-start surround with no fittings surviving. Round-headed flanking window openings in round-headed recesses with sills now missing, and concealed red brick block-and-start surrounds with no fittings surviving. Square-headed window openings (remainder) with some retaining cut-limestone sills, and concealed red brick block-and-start surrounds with no fitting surviving. Interior in ruins including (ground floor): central hall retaining timber panelled reveals to some door openings. Set in unkempt grounds.
Appraisal
A country house erected by Colonel George Jackson (d. 1836) representing an important component of the early nineteenth-century domestic built heritage of the rural environs of Ballina with the architectural value of the composition, one allegedly repurposing ‘an old house [showing] many traces of great age [including] “spit jacks” and wall ovens’ (ITA 1942), confirmed by such attributes as the deliberate alignment maximising on scenic vistas overlooking gently rolling grounds; the compact, near-square plan form centred on the outline of a ‘fanlighted doorway with sidelights’ (Bence-Jones 1978, 57); the diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a graduated visual impression with the principal “apartments” or reception rooms defined by “arcaded” openings recalling the contemporary Glenmore (1790), Attishane (see 31302907); and the monolithic stone work embellishing the roofline. Although reduced to ruins following a prolonged period of unoccupancy in the later twentieth century, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with remnants of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior where neo-Classical plasterwork refinements highlight the now-modest artistic potential of the composition. Furthermore, adjacent outbuildings (see 31303903); and a walled garden (see 31303904), all continue to contribute positively to the group and setting values of an estate having historic connections with the Jackson family including George Vaughan Jackson JP DL (1806-49); Sir James Jackson (1790-1871), ‘Knight [of the] Grand Cross of the Bath [and] Knight of the Guelphic Order of Hanover [and] a General in her Majesty’s Army late of Carramore [sic] House Ballina County Mayo and of the United Service Club Pall Mall County Middlesex’ (Calendar of Wills and Administrations 1872, 308); Oliver Vaughan Jackson JP DL (1811-87), one-time High Sheriff of County Mayo (fl. 1869); George James Vaughan Jackson (1860-98) of “The Font”, Ballina (see 31204025); and Percy Vaughan Jackson (1862-1943).
https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/31303903/carrowmore-house-carrowmore-carr-by-co-mayo
Farmyard complex, extant 1838, about a courtyard including (south): Detached five-bay single-storey coach house-cum-stable outbuilding with half-attic on an E-shaped plan with single-bay full-height projecting end bays centred on single-bay full-height pedimented breakfront. Now disused. Hipped slate roof on an E-shaped plan on collared timber construction centred on pitched (gabled) slate roof (breakfront) with roll moulded clay ridge tiles, and no rainwater goods surviving on rendered red brick chevron- or saw tooth-detailed cornice centred on rendered red brick chevron- or saw tooth-detailed pediment (breakfront). Part creeper- or ivy-covered limewashed lime rendered coursed or snecked limestone walls. Segmental-headed central carriageway with concealed red brick voussoirs centred on rusticated cut-limestone keystone. Camber-headed flanking window openings with cut-limestone sills, and concealed red brick block-and-start surrounds framing remains of timber casement windows. Interior including (ground floor): timber boarded stalls with cast-iron colonette newel posts. Set in unkempt grounds shared with Carrowmore House with opposing gateways to courtyard.
Appraisal
A farmyard complex contributing positively to the group and setting values of the Carrowmore House estate.
https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/31301413/carrowmore-house-carrowmore-tira-by-lack-ph-co-mayo
Carrowmore House, CARROWMORE [TIRA. BY. LACK. PH.], County Mayo
Detached three-bay two-storey farmhouse, extant 1838, on an L-shaped plan with three-bay (south-west) or two-bay (north-east) two-storey side elevations. Occupied, 1911. Hipped slate roof on an L-shaped plan with clay ridge tiles, rendered central chimney stack on axis with ridge having corbelled stepped stringcourse below capping supporting terracotta or yellow terracotta pots, and cast-iron rainwater goods on cut-limestone eaves having consoles retaining cast-iron octagonal or ogee hoppers and downpipes. Part creeper-covered lime rendered or fine roughcast walls over coursed rubble limestone construction. Segmental-headed central door opening approached by flight of four lichen-covered cut-limestone steps with dragged cut-limestone surround having chamfered or splayed reveals framing timber panelled door having fanlight. Square-headed window openings including square-headed window openings to rear (north-west) elevation centred on segmental-headed window opening (first floor) with drag edged dragged cut-limestone sills, and concealed dressings framing six-over-six timber sash windows including six-over-six timber sash windows to rear (north-west) elevation centred on sixteen-over-sixteen timber sash window having fanlight. Interior including (ground floor): central entrance hall retaining carved timber surrounds to door openings framing timber panelled doors; and carved timber surrounds to door openings to remainder framing timber panelled doors with carved timber surrounds to window openings framing timber panelled shutters. Set in landscaped grounds with fluted cast-iron colonette piers to forecourt supporting wrought iron “farm gate”.
Appraisal
A farmhouse erected for Roger Palmer (d. 1884) regarded as an important component of the early nineteenth-century domestic built heritage of north County Mayo with the architectural value of the composition, one succeeding an adjacent house annotated as “Keromore [of] Palmer Esquire” by Taylor and Skinner (1778 pl. 219), confirmed by such traits as the deliberate alignment maximising on scenic vistas overlooking landscaped grounds; the compact plan form centred on a handsome doorcase not only demonstrating good quality workmanship, but also showing a Georgian Gothic lace-like fanlight; the slight diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a feint graduated visual impression; and the monolithic stone work embellishing the roofline. Having been well maintained, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior, including some crown or cylinder glazing panels in hornless sash frames: meanwhile, contemporary joinery; chimneypieces; and plasterwork refinements, all highlight the artistic potential of the composition. Furthermore, adjoining outbuildings (extant 1896); and a wooded walled garden (extant 1838), all continue to contribute positively to the group and setting values of a self-contained ensemble having subsequent connections with the McCormick family including Samuel Crozier McCormick (1832-1911), ‘Farmer’ (NA 1911); and Nial McCormick (1888-1980).
WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2017
Carramore House
&
The Vaughan Jackson Memorial Fountain,
Ballina, Co. Mayo
The Font in Ballina, Co. Mayo is a well known landmark and is often mentioned when giving directions due to its distinctive appearance and location at the junction of Teeling Street and Bury Street. Now well in to its second century, having been erected in 1901, few may know of the tragic reasons for its construction or its associations with a local country house. The memorial is still emblazoned with the name George James Vaughan Jackson who once resided at Carramore House, a large Georgian mansion about two miles from the town. Today, Carramore is a forgotten ruin and few will know of the connection between this house and the memorial fountain in Ballina. It is interesting to note that the committee, in charge of commissioning the monument, discussed numerous designs and locations ranging from Crossmolina to Ardnaree. There was even the possibility of surrounding it with metal railings and accommodating drinking troughs for dogs.
George James Vaughan Jackson was born in 1860 and was the son of Captain Oliver Vaughan Jackson of Carramore House, Ballina. He appears to have been a man who had interests in all things equine, as he was a member of the North Mayo Hunt but also appears to have owned a number of horses, one in particular Bedouin who had won the Cairo Jubilee race in Egypt. It was said that George had come in to the ownership of the Carramore Estate upon the death of his father in 1890. On the night of the 8th April 1898, George James Vaughan Jackson was returning home from Ballina where he had been doing business during the fair day. As turned his horse and trap off the main road at Rehins he encountered ‘a light from a travelling caravan’ which was drawn up near the side of the road close to the railway bridge. As he drew closer it appeared to be an ‘ encampment of peddlers’ who had a cart piled high with baskets beside which they had lit a fire. As his horse was a young animal, George alighted from the trap and intended to remove the horse from the shafts to lead it past the obstruction in the road. However the horse bolted and broke its reins resulting in the shafts of the trap breaking free and striking George on the side of his body, knocking him to the ground. Once he regained his feet and being unable to find his horse, he walked the two miles to his home, Carramore House. There he was met by his sister, whom he assured that nothing serious had happened to him but the following morning he was feeling extremely unwell. The local doctor was sent for and it was found that George had serious internal injuries from which he would die the next day. It is said that he passed away after ‘ bidding a most affectionate farewell to his mother and sisters’. His large funeral cortege extended to over 140 horse drawn vehicles which left Carramore House and made their way to the family burial plot in the Crossmolina Church yard. The probate of the will of George James Vaughan Jackson was granted to Dr. Percy V. Jackson also of Carramore House who was a surgeon and a brother of the deceased. His estate was valued at £2,177 7s 9d ( which is nearly €300,000 in today’s money).
One month after the passing of George it was proposed that a memorial would be erected in his honour. In May of 1898, a meeting was held in the Moy Hotel in Ballina town where gathered ‘ the friends and admirers of the deceased’. It was the members of the North Mayo Hunt who first intended to erect a memorial however with the volume of support from the people of Ballina for the project, the subscription for the memorial was opened to the public. Firstly it was proposed that a monument would be erected over his grave, however it was then considered that as ‘ he was buried in a remote place….that very few of his friends could have an opportunity to see it‘. Then it was suggested that the memorial should be placed in St. Michael’s Church in Ardnaree, Ballina, however there were a number of objections to that proposal. Eventually it was decided that a water fountain would be erected in the town and that the fountain should be of benefit to both people as well as horses. It was proposed that the fountain should have a statue or the likeness of George placed upon it, however it was agreed that until funds were accumulated, the design of the fountain could not be decided upon. As an illustration for the enthusiasm for the project, by the end of this initial meeting, £67 12s had already been collected. By September of that year £118 10s 6d had been gathered, however the committee were £20 short of what they required and £50 short for the iron railing that was to be placed around the fountain. By March 1899, the committee met again and discussed a design for the memorial fountain, proposed by Harrison & Co., Great Brunswick St.,Dublin which was to be made of limestone. The committee had earlier contemplated a design made of metal but due to budget implications but it was rejected. Also at this meeting it was proposed that as well as having a trough for horses that a trough should also be integrated for use by dogs. I had thought that this was something what wasn’t included in the final design, but if you look at the fountain today you will see the lower troughs for the use of dogs are found nearer the ground under the main troughs.
By June of 1901 a decision had been made on the final design of the fountain and Mr. E.E. Atkinson wrote on behalf of the Jackson Memorial Committee requesting the permission of the Urban Council to erect the memorial, which was given. In August 1901, the fountain was completed by the contractors opposite ‘Baxter’s Corner’ in the town of Ballina. It was made of Aberdeen granite, cost £184.00 and stood on a hexagonal concrete foundation. It was made by Scott & Rae, Bothwell St.,Glasgow and was erected in Ballina under the supervision of their very capable representative, Mr. Robert Taylor. The company of Scott and Rae were established in Glasgow in 1881, it appears they had completed a number of public drinking fountains in their native Scotland and usually worked in pink granite. The fountain is composed of three large drinking troughs for either ‘ cattle or horses‘, and rising from the centre is a red and grey granite column diagonally carved and topped by a grey granite ball. Above one of the troughs is a bronze shield having an engraving of a horse. Above another trough was a tablet with the inscription:
‘To the memory of
George James Vaughan Jackson
Carramore, Ballina,
Who died on the 10th day of April 1898′
On either side of this main plaque were smaller tablets with the inscriptions ‘ Erected by public subscription’ and ’He passed from among us in the prime of life, respected and beloved by all‘. However the fountain wasn’t fully completed at this time as the Memorial Committee did not have the funds to undertake a number of works themselves. The entire cost for the project came to £184 ( which is would be about €25,000 in today’s money) but the fund had only raised £179 however the contractors in an act of generosity remitted the difference. Now that the fountain was it in place, it was still necessary that guard stones should be erected around the monument to protect it from damage from cart wheels for which the committee had not the funds. Therefore the committee asked the Urban Council if they would be in a position to complete these works and in early photographs of the memorial we can see that these were indeed put in place.
 |
| This grainy newspaper photo from 1957 is one of the few images I can find of Carramore before the removal of its roof. |
The family home of the Vaughan Jackson family was Carramore situated about two miles from Ballina town. It was a two storey over basement Georgian house built around 1819. The house is surrounded by a large walled garden and an impressive coach house which is still in relatively good condition today. After the death of George for whom the memorial was erected, Carramore House passed to his brother Percy and in later years in October 1920, £75 was claimed by him for malicious damage to Carramore House. Whether this was the reason or not, Percy left Carramore to live in England in 1926 having previously resided at Carramore for 27 years. Percy Vaughan Jackson died in Herts, England in 1943. The house then came in to the ownership of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Reid and in 1935 it was reported that their son Ivan, of the Indian Medical Service, was to be married in Rawalpindi, India. By this time, Miss Beryl Reid, a daughter of the owners of Carramore, was visited by a a reporter who was covering her various enterprises at the house. They were amazed at her achievements in the garden and the intricate planted beds in the area to the front of the house that she had created. Miss Reid appears to have been an enterprising woman for her time, she had constructed three large glass houses, one alone measured 125 x 30 foot and was in addition to the two older smaller glasshouses that already existed on the site. In July 1935, she had over 2,000 tomato plants growing and 10,000 chrysanthemums plants waiting to go to market. In the 1930’s Carramore was also advertised as a guest house, so its appears Miss Reid was doing everything possible to make an income from the property. In 1936, Thomas Reid died, leaving his wife and their two unmarried daughters responsible for Carramore. In 1939 the house suffered a fire and one bedroom was burnt out, it was reported that two sisters Phyllis and Beryl Reid and their invalid mother, Florence, were present in the house at the time. The fire was started by a wireless set which the sisters fought for three hours on their own with buckets of water. In April 1944, Beryl’s and Phyllis’s mother died and she was buried in St. Michael’s Church in Ballina.
 |
| This map illustrates the extensive house that Carramore once was with extensive outbuildings and a walled garden Picture ( above) Copyright : OSI |
As a result of this, in August 1946, Carramore House was advertised in the national press for auction under the instruction of the representatives of the late Mrs. Florence Eleanor Reid, in the advertisement the house is described as ‘a Magnificent Gentleman’s Residence’. The accommodation of the house extended to four reception rooms, lounge, front hall, kitchen and twelve apartments ( which must mean bedrooms). The grounds included a walled garden, coach house and tomato houses with room for 3,000 plants. A person who visited the house in the 1940’s recorded that the family had only retained forty acres around the house and that the library of Carramore contained over 3,000 books. In November 1957, it was reported that Carramore was to be demolished as it had recently been purchased with its land by two local farmers.
 |
Today (shown above) the walls of Carramore still stand, shrouded in ivy but this house like the history of its occupants is forgotten. The font that now stands in Ballina is one of the few tangible connections we have with Carramore House and the Vaughan Jackson family. As the town of Ballinahas changed around the font, it became necessary in 1968 to move it 12 feet further back from the edge of the road and it was moved again in 1983 to its current location.
While the Vaughan Jackson memorial is one of the few attractive pieces of sculpture that we have in Ballina, the area around this memorial has never been designed or landscaped in such away to show off its true beauty. It might be something to be considered by Mayo County Council, as next year will mark 120 years since the death of the man the fountain commemorates.
Irish Historic Houses 