Castlegarde, Cappamore, Limerick
The website https://www.castlegardecastle.ie/article-6-the-mystery-of-castlegarde-ownership-a-d-1764-to-a-d-1820/ tells us that:
“In 1764 Castlegarde was owned by Charles Moore [1712-1764] the Baron of Offaly (later 1st and last Earl of Charleville in the first creation) following his marriage to Hester Coghill. Lord Charleville died in 1764 without issue.”
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. 69. “(O’Grady, Guillamore, V/PB1953) A c16 tower-house, modernized ca 1820 and a lower castellated wing added to it by Waller O’Grady, son of the eminent lawyer Standish O’Grady, afterwards 1st Viscount Guillamore; probably to the design of James and George Richard Pain. At the same time the old castle bawn was restored and given battlements and a castellated gateway, incorporating C18 primitive garden statuary. Drawing room with C19 Gothic panelling in dark oak and slightly vaulted ceiling. Passed on death of 9th Viscount Guillamore 1953 to his cousin Mr H E.O’G. Thompson.”
https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/21901517/castle-garde-castlegarde-co-limerick
Attached four-bay one-and-half storey country house, c. 1840, having central projecting tower. House attached to five-storey square-plan tower house, built c. 1198. Attached bawn wall enclosing site, with limestone arch gateway and lodge to south-west corner. Pitched slate roofs with lead ridging, stepped crenellations to house with cut eaves course and dentils. Rubble limestone walls with roughly dressed quoins having battered base to tower. Dressed limestone walls to house with cut plinth, carved face to central tower. Square-headed openings with mixed timber sliding sash and fixed timber windows to tower, some having geometrical tracery. Round-headed windows to first floor of house under label mouldings having one-over-one pane timber sliding sash windows, four light opening to ground floor under hoodmoulding having replacement uPVC window. Square-headed openings to eastern end of front elevation having timber sliding sash windows. Pointed arch door opening to tower having cut limestone surround and timber and glazed door. Pointed arch opening to central projecting tower of house comprising double-leaf timber panelled door under hoodmoulding. Flight of limestone steps to front of house. Entrance arch and lodge comprising pointed arch within dressed limestone walls with cut stringcourse and capping to parapet. Cross loops to wall. Carved gargle to parapet on south-west elevation. Three carved limestone statues depicting three goddesses, Bacchus, Mars and goddess Athene entwined in a fish to north-east elevation. Adjoing gate lodge comprising circular-plan tower having dressed limestone walls with crenellated battlements supported on cut corbels. Square-headed window opening under label moulding to north-east elevation, loop windows to south-west elevation under hoodmouldings all having lattic glazing. Rubble limestone bawn walls with crenellations punctuated by carved towers enclosing site.
Appraisal
This complex, originally built by the O’Briens, is an unusual feature within the landscape and a significant architectural and archaeological site. The multiple-phase construction is evident in the differing stonework and design between the main house and the tower, both showing evidence of craftsmanship and fine construction. The castle was restored in the early 1800s by Waller O’Grady, to a design of the architects James and George Richard Pain. Waller O’Grady was the son of Standish O’Grady. Artistic interest is in evidence in the 1800s features which attempt to mirror the medieval origins of the earlier structure. The coherence of design of the complex contributes to the significance, and offers many notable features and forms such as the circular keep, square-plan tower, crenellated parapets, label mouldings and cross loop openings. The carved statues, inside the gate house, are particularly fine and unusual features, representing Bacchus, Venus and Athene. The stone head to the main door represents Brian Boru.
http://www.ihh.ie/index.cfm/houses/house/name/Castlegarde
Address &Contact
Castlegarde, Cappamore, Limerick
e: dandhthompson@gmail.com
Castlegarde, near Pallasgreen on the borders of Limerick and Tipperary, is a fine example of a tower house that has remained in continuous occupation since mediaeval times. Tower houses are ‘fortified private residences’ and were usually the precursors of the ‘classic Georgian house of the middle size.’ Most numerous in County Limerick, they were often enlarged to meet their owners’ changing requirements. Few tower houses were as sympathetically reordered as Castlegarde, which was adapted and enlarged by the Pain brothers, acolytes of the renowned architect John Nash, for Waller O’Grady, younger son of the first Viscount Guillamore.
http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/property-list.jsp?letter=C
The seat of Hugh M. O’Grady at the time of Griffith’s Valuation, held by him in fee. Powell writes in his list of Jurors that it was built by Hugh’s father the Honourable Waller O’Grady circa 1830. Valued at £38 in 1906. It is still extant.
En Garde
The facade of Castlegarde, County Limerick, the core of which is a five-storey tower house said to have been in continuous occupation since first constructed by the O’Brien family. After being confiscated by the crown and granted to Sir George Bourchier at the end of the 16th century, the building passed through various hands until 1820 when acquired by Waller O’Grady, a son of Standish O’Grady, future first Viscount Guillamore. Waller O’Grady commissioned the architect siblings James and George Pain to restore and enlarge the building, to which they added a castellated wing as well as restoring the bawn wall and adding a new gatehouse entrance to the site. The last of these has a most curious feature: inside and above the entrance on plinths are three stone figures, much worn but said to represent Bacchus, Pallas Athene and Aphrodite. Clearly these sculptures are of an earlier period, but what might have been their origin or how they came to be here looks to be unknown.
Irish Historic Houses 