Creagh House, County Mayo

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. 94. “[Knox] A house built 1875 for Capt C.H.C. Knox to the design of S.U. Roberts.” 

http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/property-list.jsp?letter=C 

The original house was situated beside the River Robe and was described in September 1836 by Robert Graham as a “nicely laid out cottage residence”. Earlier, in 1786, Wilson refers to it as the seat of Mr. Cuff. Mary Louisa Cuffe was leasing the property from Colonel Charles Knox at the time of Griffiths Valuation, when it was valued at £32. A new house was built by Colonel Charles Knox in 1875, which became a tuberculosis sanatorium and a centre for the Agricultural Institute in the 20th century. James Cuff (recorded as Duff), of Creagh, near Ballinrobe, is mentioned as the proprietor of townlands in the parish of Ballynacourty, barony of Dunkellin, county Galway, at the time of the first Ordnance Survey in the 1830s. 

https://archiseek.com/2014/1875-creagh-ballinrobe-co-mayo

1875 – Creagh, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo 

Architect: Samuel Ussher Roberts 

Creagh House was built by Colonel Knox in 1875, ‘beautiful manor house to the right of the French chateau lately occupied by his predecessor’ when the footprint of the house extended over one third of an acre, Reduced in size in the 1930s by fire, when part of it was demolished, there still remains today a sizeable period house of around 6000 square feet. In the old photographs at top, the structure to the right of the central tower has been demolished. The property occupies grounds of just under 2 acres, looking toward Lough Mask. Still in use as a residence, it is in need of some repair. 

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/31311708/creagh-house-creagh-demesne-co-mayo

Remains of country house, built 1874-6; extant 1894, including: Detached three-bay two-storey wing originally forming part of larger six-bay two-storey “Garden Front” centred on single-bay three-stage breakfront “tower” on a square plan. Occupied, 1901. In occasional use, 1911. For sale, 1921. Sold, 1927. Resold, 1928. Adapted to alternative use, 1929. Burnt, 1939. Truncated, 1940, producing present composition. Closed, 1954[?]. Adapted to alternative use, 1959. Vacant, 1991. For sale, 2011. Set in unkempt landscaped grounds with wrought iron “estate railings” to avenue. 

Appraisal 

The abbreviated “Garden Front” of a country house erected to a design by Samuel Ussher Roberts (1821-1900) of Burlington Road, Dublin (Irish Builder 1875, 5), representing an important component of the later nineteenth-century domestic built heritage of south County Mayo with the architectural value of the surviving portion, one succeeding a ‘nicely laid out cottage residence’ annotated as “Creagh [of] Cuff Esquire” by Taylor and Skinner (1778 pl. 213), confirmed by such attributes as the deliberate alignment maximising on scenic vistas overlooking a broad deer park with glimpses of Lough Mask and its mountainous backdrop in the distance; the multi-faceted rectilinear plan form originally centred on an imposing tower; and the slight diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a feint graduated visual impression with the principal “apartments” defined by Classically-detailed bay windows. Although dramatically reduced in size following a calamitous fire (1939), and more recently the subject of a prolonged period of unoccupancy, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior where contemporary joinery; restrained chimneypieces; and sleek plasterwork refinements, all highlight the artistic potential of the composition. Furthermore, a nearby farmyard complex (see 31311709); a farm steward’s house (see 31311710); a walled garden (see 31311711); and distant gate lodges (see 31311801; 31311802), all continue to contribute positively to the group and setting values of a much diminished estate having historic connections with Captain Charles Howe Cuff Knox JP DL (1841-1921), one-time High Sheriff of County Mayo (fl. 1873). 

see http://lordbelmontinnorthernireland.blogspot.com/2015/01/creagh-house.html

THE KNOXES WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY MAYO, WITH 24,374 ACRES 

ALEXANDER KNOX (son of William Knox, who died intestate, son of Alexander Knox), said to have sold Silvyland, Renfrewshire, settled in County Donegal, and is said to have had issue, two sons, 

William, of Ashmoyne; 
ALEXANDER, of Ballybofey. 

The younger son, 

ALEXANDER KNOX, of Ballybofey, County Donegal, whose will was proved in 1742, left issue by Mary his wife, 

WILLIAM, of Cloghan; 
Alexander, of Ballybofey; 
Oliver; 
a daughter; Margaret; Mary. 

The eldest son, 

WILLIAM KNOX, of Cloghan, County Donegal, died ca 1760, and left issue, by Margaret his wife, a son, 

 
JAMES KNOX, of Kilcaddan, County Donegal, who left, by Martha his wife, 

WILLIAM, of Kilcaddan; 
Carncross, of Ballybofey; 
Robert; 
Margaret; Elizabeth; Martha. 

The eldest son, 

WILLIAM KNOX, of Kilcaddan, County Donegal, High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1776, married, in 1778, Elizabeth, only child of Charles Nesbitt, of Scurmore, County Sligo, and had issue, a son, 

 
COLONEL CHARLES NESBITT KNOX (-1860), of Scurmore, County Sligo, and Castle Lacken, County Mayo, High Sheriff of County Sligo, 1810, Mayo, 1831, who married, in 1810, Jane Cuff, testamentary heiress of James, Lord Tyrawley, and had issue, 

CHARLES, his heir; 
Sarah. 

The only son, 

 
CHARLES KNOX (1817-67), of Cranmore, Ballinrobe, County Mayo, High Sheriff of County Mayo, 1860, Colonel, North Mayo Militia, wedded, in 1839, the Lady Louisa Catherine Browne, daughter of Howe Peter, 2nd Marquess of Sligo, and had issue, 

CHARLES HOWE CUFF, his heir; 
Howe James, Lieutenant-Colonel; 
Hubert; 
Philippa. 

Colonel Knox was succeeded by his eldest son, 

 
CHARLES HOWE CUFF KNOX JP DL (1840-1921), of Creagh, High Sheriff of County Mayo, 1873, Honorary Colonel, Connaught Rangers, who married, in 1869, Henrietta Elizabeth, daughter of the Rt Hon Sir William Gibson Craig Bt. 

There is a stained-glass window “In memory of Charles Howe Cuff Knox who died 27th Dec. 1921 aged 81 years” in the parish church (now the Library) in County Mayo. 

Colonel Knox had issue, 

Charles William Cuffe, dvp 1910; 
HENRY HOWE, his heir; 
Gerald Vivian Cuffe, Commander RN; 
Louisa Gertrude. 

The eldest surviving son, 

HENRY HOWE KNOX (1871-1954), of Creagh House, wedded, in 1906, Ada, only child of Sidney Bryan, of Kenilworth, Port Elizabeth, and had issue, a daughter. 

CREAGH HOUSE, near Ballinrobe, County Mayo, was built in 1875 for Captain Charles Howe Cuff Knox, to the design of S U Roberts. 

Sadly diminished drastically in size in the 1930s by fire (it appears to have been halved), there still remains today a sizeable period house of around 6,000 square feet. 

It is located in beautiful and secluded surroundings, habitable, and indeed inhabited, but needing further restoration. 

The property today occupies grounds of just under two acres, looking toward Lough Mask. 

The grounds are partially wooded with lawned areas around the house. 

The front of the house has magnificent views over the Tourmakeady mountains and from some aspects, to the lake.