Baronston House (or Baronstown), Ballinacargy, Co Westmeath
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. 33. “(Malone, Sunderlin, B/DEP; Malone/LGI1912) A late C18 house consisting of a three storey centre block joined to two storey wings by curved sweeps; largely built by Richard Malone, 1st and last Lord Sunderlin, who is immortalised in Sir John Betjeman’s poem, Sir John Piers:
“And from the North, lest you, Malone, should spy me
You, Sunderlin of Baronstown, the peer,
I’ll fill your eye with all the stone that’s by me
And live four-square protected in my fear.”
The centre block had a seven bay front with a pedimented breakfront; oeil de boeuf window in pediment; three bay projecting porch. The wings were of five bays. After suffering two successive fires, the centre block was replaced 1903 by a large gabled Edwardian villa to the design of James Franklin Fuller; The original eighteenth century curved sweeps and wings remaining on either side, to produce an effect of grotesque incongruity. Sold ca 1929, afterwards demolished.”
And from the Nonrth, lest you, Malone, should spy me,
You, Sunderlin of Baronstown, the peer,
I’ll fill your eye with all the stone that’s by me
And live four-square protected in my fear.
The centre block had a seven bay front with a pedimented breakfront, oeil de boeuf window in pediment; three bay projecting porch. The wings were of five bays. After suffering two successive fires, the centre block was replaced 1903 by a large gabled Edwardian villa to the design of James Franklin Fuller; the original C18 curved sweeps and wings remaining on either side, to produce an effect of grotesque incongruity. Sold ca 1929, afterwards demolished.”
Richard Malone (d. 1816) had no children. He had a brother, Edmond Malone (1741-1812) who was a barrister and Shakespearean scholar.
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. 141. A large three storey pedimented house built in 1755 for Richard Malone 1st Lord Sunderlin, with flanking pavilions joined to the main block by quadrants. The house was rebuilt in 1889, following a fire. Following another fire in 1903 the main block was completely rebuit to the design of James Franklin Fuller in the Tudor manor house style. Demolished.
https://archiseek.com/2012/1780s-baronston-house-ballynacargy-co-westmeath
Baronston also known as Baronstown, was a three-storey centre block joined to two-storey wings by curved sweeps. In 1903, a large, gabled, Edwardian villa was constructed on the site of the central block, with the sweeps and wings remaining on either side. This replacement was built twice by James Franklin Fuller, rebuilt first ‘for the late Col Malone’ and second on a smaller scale for ‘the present Col. Malone’ after successive fires. Baronston was sold in 1929.
1780s – Baronston House, Ballynacargy, Co. Westmeath
http://lordbelmontinnorthernireland.blogspot.com/2014/02/baronston-house.html
THE MALONES WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY WESTMEATH, WITH 13,715 ACRES
EDMOND MALONE, of Ballynahown, married, in 1569, Margaret, daughter of Richard Dalton, of Milltown, by whom he had issue, one son,
EDMOND MALONE, of Ballynahown, who wedded firstly, in 1599, Rose, daughter of John Coghlan (The Maw); and secondly, Catherine Pettyt.
By the latter he had a son, John, who was settled at Cartrons, County Westmeath, in the neighbourhood of his father, and a daughter, Mary; and by the former he was father of a son and heir,
EDMOND MALONE, of Ballynahown, who espoused, in 1617, a daughter of Garrett Byrne, and left a son and successor,
EDMOND MALONE, of Ballynahown, who married, in 1644, Mary, daughter of Brazel Fox, of Kilcoursy, and had two sons,
EDMOND, his heir;
ANTHONY, ancestor of BARON SUNDERLIN.
The younger son,
ANTHONY MALONE, of Baronston, married, in 1673, Mary, daughter of John Reilly, of Lismore, County Cavan, and granddaughter of the Earl of Roscommon, and was father of
RICHARD MALONE (1674-), of Baronston, the celebrated lawyer and orator, who wedded, in 1698, Marcella, daughter of Richard Molady, by Mary his wife, daughter of John Malone, of Cartrons, and had issue,
ANTHONY (Rt Hon), MP;
Edmond, MP; father of RICHARD, 1st BARON SUNDERLIN;
Richard, MP;
Anne Jane Frances; Mary; Margaret; Marcella.
The elder son of Edmond Malone and Mary Fox his wife,
EDMOND MALONE, of Ballynahown, High Sheriff of County Westmeath, 1756-7, wedded, in 1674, Anne, daughter of Henry L’Estrange, of Moystown, King’s County, and had (with a daughter) three sons,
RICHARD, of Ballynahown;
Henry;
Anthony (1700-76).
The eldest son,
RICHARD MALONE (1706-59), of Ballynahown, espoused, in 1717, Anne, daughter of Sir Thomas Crosbie, of Ballyheigue, County Kerry, and had issue,
Edmond, MP for Ardfert; dsp 1759;
HENRY, his heir;
Anthony (Rev);
Elizabeth.
The second son,
HENRY MALONE, of Ballynahown, married Anne, daughter of Henry Morres Jones, of Moneyglass, County Antrim, and had a son,
EDMOND MALONE, of Ballynahown, who wedded, in 1774, his cousin Mary, eldest daughter of John O’Connor, of Mount Pleasant, King’s County, and had issue,
EDMOND, of whom presently;
John;
Henry;
Maria; Anne.
His eldest son,
EDMOND MALONE, of Ballynahown, Captain, Black Horse Regiment, espoused, in 1813, Henrietta, daughter of John Chomley, of Belcamp, County Dublin.
He died in 1818, and left issue,
Edmond, died unmarried, 1836;
JOHN RICHARD, of whom hereafter;
Harriette.
The only surviving son,
JOHN RICHARD MALONE JP DL (1817-94), of Baronston, High Sheriff of County Westmeath, 1852, married firstly, in 1844, Elizabeth, daughter of Colonel Henry Peisley L’Estrange, of Moystown, King’s County, and by her had issue,
JOHN RICHARD, his successor;
Henry L’Estrange.
He wedded secondly, in 1868, Anna Jane, youngest daughter of Robert William Lowry DL, of Pomeroy, County Tyrone, and Belmore, County Westmeath.
His eldest son,
JOHN RICHARD MALONE JP DL (1846-), High Sheriff of County Westmeath, 1896, Colonel Commanding 6th Battalion, Rifle Brigade, espoused firstly, in 1872, Charlotte Mildred, daughter of the Hon John Yarde Buller, and sister of John, 2nd Baron Churston, and had issue,
JOHN RICHARD MORDRED HENRY L’ESTRANGE;
Roderick O’Connor Vivian Henry Vere;
Victor Mildred Charles.
Colonel Malone wedded secondly, in 1893, Catherine Cecil, daughter of Major J W Percy, and had further issue,
Henry Anthony Percy;
Richard Maurice Fitzgerald;
Barbara Grace Maria Patricia.BARONSTON HOUSE, Ballynacargy, County Westmeath, was a late 18th century house consisting of a three-storey centre block joined to two-storey wings by curved sweeps.
The centre block had a seven-bay front with a pedimented breakfront; a three-bay projecting porch; wings of five bays.
Having suffered a series of fires, the centre block was replaced, in 1903, by a large, gabled, Edwardian villa, with the sweeps and wings remaining on either side.Baronston was sold in 1929 and subsequently demolished.
Sunderlin arms courtesy of European Heraldry. First published in January, 2012.
https://theirishaesthete.com/2025/07/25/kilbixy-church/
Death is the Door of Life
The Malone Mausoleum in the graveyard of Kilbixy, County Westmeath was erected in the late 18th century, its design attributed to James Wyatt who is thought also to have been responsible for the adjacent St Bigseach’ church. The building was commissioned by Richard Malone, first (and last) Baron Sunderlin who lived nearby in the long-lost Baronston House. Faced with ashlar limestone, it takes the form of a weighty square block on a stepped base plinth above which rises a pyramidal roof. Comparisons have been made with the mausolea of Halicarnassus and Knidos, and, with regard to the north-east elevation, the fourth century BC Choragic Monument of Thrasyllos on the south face of Athens’ Acropolis. The building’s Greek cross interior contains three sarcophagi, one for Malone, one for his late uncle Anthony Malone (whose extensive estates he had inherited) and one for his brother Edmond, a well-known Shakespearean scholar of the period. Access to the interior is via double doors, above which is an inscription reading ‘Mors Janua Vitae’ (Death is the Door of Life) while on the south-west can be seen the Malone coat of arms with the inscription ‘Fidelis at Urnam’ (Faithful until Death). Thanks to the Follies Trust, the mausoleum underwent extensive restoration in 2023 but recently a tree in the graveyard came down beside it and while this does not appear to have damaged the main structure, the cast-iron railings may have suffered.
Irish Historic Houses 