Maiden Hall, Bennettsbridge, Co Kilkenny 

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. 198. “(sub Solly-Flood/LGI1912; Butler sub Dunboyne/B/PB) A house of ca 1745, remodelled 1830 with a veranda along its front in the Regency style. Originally owned by the Flood family; owned later in C18 by Richard Griffith, who, like his wife, was a talented novelist and letter-writer; owned later again by Rev Ambrose Smith; bought in C19 by John Butler [1815-1884], of the Dunboyne family. A wing was added 1910.” 

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/12402405/maiden-hall-house-maidenhall-co-kilkenny

Detached three-bay three-storey over part-raised basement country house, built 1740, with two-bay single-storey advanced end block to right, two-bay three-storey side elevations, and two-bay two-storey return to west having canted bay window to left ground floor. Renovated, pre-1902, with entrance reoriented to side (south) elevation having three-bay single-storey flat-roofed projecting entrance bay added. Part reroofed, 2000. Pitched slate roofs (replacement slate, 2000, to return) with clay ridge tiles, rendered chimney stacks, rooflights, and cast-iron rainwater goods on overhanging eaves (having consoles to return). Flat roof to entrance bay not visible behind parapet. Ivy-clad roughcast walls with painted rendered walls to entrance bay having frieze, moulded cornice, and blocking course to parapet. Square-headed window openings (including to canted bay window; in tripartite arrangement over) with cut-limestone sills, six-over-six and three-over-three (top floor) timber sash windows (two-over-two sidelights to tripartite opening with one-over-one timber sash windows to ground floor to return). Square-headed openings to entrance bay forming pedimented Tuscan portico in antis with paired columns having engaged outer columns, moulded entablature, frieze, and triangular pediment on paired consoles. Segmental-headed door opening with cut-limestone step, and timber panelled door having fanlight. Interior with timber panelled shutters to window openings. Set back from road in own grounds. 

Appraisal 

An elegantly-appointed substantial country house incorporating Classically-derived proportions with the diminishing in scale of the openings on each level forming a tiered visual effect enhancing the formal architectural design value of the composition. Subsequently reoriented the house is identified by the somewhat awkward off-centre appearance of the reconfigured entrance front incorporating a pleasant portico. Having historically been well maintained the house presents an early aspect with the original fabric surviving largely intact both to the exterior and to the interior. The house remains of additional importance in the locality for the connections with the Smith, the Hunt, and the Kingstown (Kingston) families as well as the Butler family including Hubert Butler (1900-91), essayist and historian. 

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/12402411/maiden-hall-house-maidenhall-co-kilkenny

Farmyard complex, established 1740, including: (i) Detached five-bay two-storey stable outbuilding. Pitched slate roof with clay ridge tiles, and cast-iron rainwater goods. Random rubble limestone walls. Camber-headed window openings with cut-limestone sills, yellow brick block-and-start surrounds, and timber casement windows. Square-headed door openings to ground floor with camber-headed door openings to first floor having timber lintels, yellow brick block-and-start surrounds, tongue-and-groove timber panelled half-doors to ground floor having overlights, and tongue-and-groove timber panelled doors to first floor. Set back from road in grounds shared with Maiden Hall (House) about a stone cobbled courtyard with random rubble limestone boundary wall to courtyard having rendered coping, and rubble limestone piers having rendered capping. (ii) Freestanding cast-iron waterpump, c.1900, comprising banded cylindrical shaft with spout, moulded necking supporting fluted cylindrical head having curvilinear ‘cow tail’ handle, and fluted ogee-domed capping on stringcourse having finial. 

Appraisal 

A middle-size outbuilding range together with a collection of related artefacts forming a modest-scale farmyard complex contributing positively to the group and setting values of the Maiden Hall (House) estate. 

The Landed Gentry & Aristocracy: Kilkenny. Volume 1. Art Kavanagh, 2004. 

Butler of Maidenhall 

p. 50. The family took up residence in the mid 1800s. Before that it was built and occupied by a Henry and Frances Griffith in the mid 18C. Henry was an intellectual and entrepreneur and his wife was a writer. [Henry got a grant from parliament for starting linen manufacturing on the Nore. He built a factory and his house, Maidenhall, c. 1745. An expected second grant did not materialise and as Henry was heavily mortgaged his business was ruined. The couple turned their hands to writing. She was the first English translator of Voltaire. ] Hubert Butler found them a most extraordinary couple and in his book Escape from the Anthill he devoted the first chapter to them under the title Henry and Frances. 

p. 54. The Butlers of Maidenhall descended from the Butlers of Dunboyne, who resided at Kiltynan Castle in County Tipperary until the time of Cromwell when the castle was battered by cannon and was later granted with part of the Dunboyne estate to Edward Cooke, an adventurer. 

The first Baron of Dunboyne was Edmund Butler… the Barony of Dunboyne was conferred on Edmund by Henry VIII in 1541. .. Edmund was given a further grant on lands in Tipperary in 1543.  

p. 55. Sir Edmund died in prison in 1567 and was succeeded by his son James 2^nd Baron of Dunboyne. [fn. 1^st Baron had taken part in a rebellion at that time which was led by the sons of the Earl of Ormonde. The Earl’s sons escaped the scaffold because of the Earl’s influence.] He married twice and the seventh son of the second marriage was the ancestor of the Butlers of Maidenhall. 

It is not clear when the main branch of the Butlers became Protestant but towards the close of the 17C the catholic Bishop of Cork, the Right Rev and Hon. John Butler succeeded to the Dunboyne title and estates at the age of 67. He promptly turned Protestant, in order that no obstacle could be put in the way of succession and took his cousin as a wife, hoping to produce a successor, but in this her failed. After his death the title went to his cousin james Butler who became 13^th Baron. The Bishop left a valuable endowment to Maynooth College still known today as Dunboyne House.