Jigginstown House, Naas, 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. 161. “(Wentworth, Strafford, E/DEP; Fitzwilliam, E/PB) The palace which Thomas Wentworth, afterwards Earl of Stafford, built ca 1636 when Lord Deputy of Ireland, for his own use and also perhaps with a view to its being occupied by Charles I; though it was never a Royal Palace, but Strafford’s own property, and remained the property of his descendants. It is said to have been designed by John Allen, who came to Ireland from Holland, was “factor” for the Dutch and “being skilful in architecture was esteemed and consulted by the most eminent of the nobility in their buildings.” It appears to have consisted of one principal storey, of red brick, on a high, stone-faced basement; and with a high-pitched roof containing a dormer attic; it had a frontage of no less than 380 feet, consisting of a long central block flanked by two projecting pavilions or towers.  Part of the basement was vaulted, of very fine brickwork, wih panelled and moulded brick columns; there were brick fireplaces and massive brick chimneystacks. According to tradition, there was an elaborate formal lay-out with terraces and fishponds. Also according to tradition, the building was never completed; but this is not wholly true; Wentworth told Archbishop Laud 1637 that he had “in a manner finished it,” at a cost of £6000, and he seems to have been frequently in residence herere, for many of his letters were written from “The Naas.” It was here that the great Ormonde signed the “Cessation” with the Confederates 1643; after the Restoration, he removed some of the marble doorcases and chimneypieces to Kilkenny Castle, or Dunmore House. In C18, the building was allowed to fall into ruin, now all that remains are some of the walls and the vaulted basement.” 

And supplement: 

“As well as the extensive walls and vaulted basement of the main block, other buildings survive: notably the two corner pavilions.” 

https://www.thedicamillo.com/house/jigginstown/?search_ref=8afacb9bf34b85c21f9ff67d83667fbb

House & Family History: Jigginstown was to be a palace, a house appropriate for the ruler of Ireland in the 17th century; that ruler was Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, of Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire. Strafford was a loyal servant to Charles I and suffered for his devotion by losing his head, an event that precipitated the Civil War. Because of the Civil War the grand red brick house Strafford started to build was never completed and slipped into ruin during the years of civil strife. In the 1960s its half-buried cellars were still visible. 

Title: Thomas Wentworth: First Earl of Strafford, 1593-1641: A Revaluation 
Author: Wedgwood, C.V. 
Year Published: 2000 
Reference: pgs. 225-226 
Publisher: London: Phoenix Press 
ISBN: 1842120816 
Book Type: Softback 

https://archiseek.com/2016/jigginstown-house-co-kildare

1636 – Jigginstown House, Naas, Co. Kildare 

Architect: John Allen 

Jigginstown also known as Sigginstown House, or Strafford’s Folly was 380ft in length, making it one of the largest unfortified structures built in Ireland. It was also one of the earliest brick houses in Ireland – the bricks being imported from Holland. John Allen was a master builder who is presumed to have acquired his skills in Holland.  

The owner, Thomas Strafford, Lord Wentworth, had hoped to entertain the king in it. But it was not to be. During the 1630s, Wentworth served as Lord Deputy of Ireland before becoming a leading advisor to the king in London. However he was accused of treason, sentenced to death, and executed before a crowd of 200,000 on 12 May 1641. The house was destroyed in the 1640s. The house can be assumed to have been largely completed by his death, as Strafford wrote that “I have, in a manner finished it.” 

According to Maurice Craig, writing in Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 1970, it seems that Wentworth was working on three possible outcomes. One, the King would accept it as an Irish Palace; two, that it would be left on Wentworth’s hands; or the King would use it occasionally, leaving it in the Lord Deputy’s hands at other times. 

Described in 1656: “It’s plan was simple, a long three-storey building with two square wings; twenty-four large windows made up the first floor together with two entrances, each with a flight of twelve steps. The ground floor consisted of a row of windows designed to provide light for the large cellars. The brickwork, some of which still survives was excellent and there was also some marble columns and pavements. By the 1650s, however the house was in ruins and most of the lead and iron used in its construction had been removed for use as ammunition.”  

Later described at the end of the 17th century with slight exaggeration as “having a chimney for every day of the year.” The ruined building was surveyed by Edward Lovett Pearce in 1726. Some of his assumptions are disputed – his internal divisions and room usages. It has also been suggested that his reconstructed elevation of two storeys above basement may be incorrect. Either way the scale of the building was huge, the large cellars are still standing and can be appreciated today.  

In the late 1960s, a student project led to the removal of the ivy from the ruins, and a general cleanup of the site. In recent years, the Office of Public Works has been involved in stabilizing the ruins.