Brittas, Nobber, County Meath 

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. 48. “(Bligh, sub Barrington/IFR) A house of several periods. The long garden front consists of a plain C18 centre, of one bay on either side of a curved bow, prolonged to the right by a four bay wing of similar style and height, added soon post 1800 to the design of Francis Johnston; and with, on the left, an earlier wing which is lower and now has mullioned windows. The entrance front is C19 Tudor Revival, of cut stone, with mullioned windows and a doorway with latticed side-lights recessed under an arch below the central gable. Small entrance hall. Room in central bow with simple C19 cornice. Frieze with garlands in dining room. Ballroom in Johnston wing, with elaborate early C19 plasterwork frieze and straight entablatures over four doorcases.” 

Record of Protected Structures 

Brittas, townland: Brittas. Town: Nobber. 

It was the seat of the Bligh family since the 17th century. Built c. 1800. Francis Johnston is supposed to have worked on the house. A rectangular two -storey house with a wide hipped roof and a four bay ballroom to the East. 

https://www.facebook.com/stephenstown66/posts/2094246730894258?__tn__=K-R

Brittas is a beautiful, proper estate, nestling in the Co. Meath countryside, the river Dee flowing through its northern boundary towards Whitewood lake . 
At one time the land belonged to the Cruise family but in the 17th century a cadet branch of the Blighs settled here in what possibly began as a hunting lodge . The Blighs had many notable ancestors/relations ( some quite distant) , including Bloody Mary, Oliver Cromwell and of course Captain Bligh of the Bounty. 
The senior( Rathmore) branch of the family , Earls of Darnley, Barons Clifton , had their seat at Clifton Lodge near Athboy and had almost 22,000 acres in Meath during the 1870s. Cobham hall in Kent was their English seat and they had over 9,300 acres there in the 19th century, indeed they lived here until the 1950s. The 2nd Earl, Edward Bligh was grandmaster of the Freemasons, installed 1737, and it was on his “ watch” that the prince of Wales received his first degree in said fraternity. 
Ivo Bligh( later 8th Earl of Darnley) , a well known cricketer was associated with the pursuit of the newly termed ” Ashes” from the Australians after the ” death ” of English cricket in 1882. I have included a family tree amongst the photos. 
The Bligh house at Brittas is an amalgamation of periods. Viewing from the garden front the main 18th century block has 1 bay either side of a bow. To the right is an early 19th century ballroom of 4 bays added by Francis Johnston .On the opposite end is an earlier ” wing”, probably built just after the main block . 
Viewing the house from the entrance front the “central ” block is somewhat Tudor revival in appearance, with cut sandstone and mullioned windows. Internally, the older parts have lower ceilings while the  
” newer” parts have the more grand tall ceilings of the later Georgian period. The house does feel welcoming and comfortable. 
Some notable Blighs who lived here included  
General Thomas Bligh  (brother of the Earl of Darnley) , who built a mausoleum ( or perhaps just memorial )for himself in a splendid spot with a marvellous view down to his house. He is allegedly buried beneath the mausoleum with his horse, although it’s more likely he’s interred in the family tomb at Rathmore. He fought in the raid on Cherbourg and named the wood at Brittas Cherbourg wood,indeed Cherbourg was used as a middle name in the family latterly . He also planted the famous tree formation know as ” Battlefield ” which copies his troops positions in a battle during the 7 years war , most of the trees survive today .  
Frederick Arthur Bligh was a renowned photographer of the late Victorian/Edwardian period who won many awards. His favourite camera still sits in Brittas. In the 1911 census Frederick Arthur is in residence with his wife Mary (Wentworth Forbes) , their daughter Gwendolen and 6 servants including Gwendolen’s French governess. The house apparently had 31 rooms used by the family. 
The last of the Bligh family to live at Brittas was the aforementioned Gwendolen Bligh , who married Brigadier Croker Barrington .  
Mrs Barrington lived at Brittas until the 1990s.  
Following a period of extensive renovations, the current owners of the Brittas estate are Oinri Jackson and Neville Jessop who run this private estate as closely to authentic traditional ways as possible nowadays. Some extremely fine horses are to be found here today . I wish to thank them for their hospitality , old photos and informative conversation. 

https://theirishaesthete.com/2017/05/17/hopes-of-a-happy-immortality/

The memorial shown here is situated on rising ground at Brittas, County Meath and is inscribed as follows: ‘Beneath this Monument Are interred the remains of Thomas BLIGH, Lieutenant General of his Majesty’s  forces. General of horse at the battles of Dettinggen, Val, Fontenoy and Melle. And the commander in chief of British Troops at Cherburg, Who after spending many years In the service of his country with unwearied application Retired to a private life Therein toprepare his old age For a change to a better state And to enjoy with unspeakable comfort Thehopes of a happy immortality. Born A.D. 1695 Died Aug. the 17th, 1775 Aged 80 years.’ To one side of the monument are planted a series of trees ranked in the same formation as were the general’s troops during one of his campaigns. To the other the land drops away to offer a view of the house where he retired to enjoy the aforementioned private life and to prepare for ‘a happy immortality.’ 

https://meathhistoryhub.ie/houses-a-d/

Brittas House is located 2km west of Nobber village. It was the home of the Bligh family for over 200 years until 1998. 

Brittas House is a rectangular two-storey house with a wide hipped roof and a four bay ballroom to the east. It is simply decorated and resembles Galtrim House, outside Trim. When I visited the house I remember stepping through the long eighteen pane sash windows extending to the ground which were in the ballroom at the garden front. Casey and Rowan described it as ‘overblown picturesque in appearance now” 

The main section of the house was built in 1732 and incorporates an earlier residence which dates from 1672. In 1826 it was described as “a handsome villa, recently enlarged and much improved, after the designs of Mr. Francis Johnston”. The noted Irish architect, Francis Johnson, designed the later section of the house in 1803. In 1837 Samuel Lewis agreed with the previous account and described Brittas as “the handsome villa of Thos. Bligh, Esq., whose demesne, containing about 400 acres, is well planted.” Today the demesne amounts to 280 acres. The rolling countryside of the drumlins provide a backdrop to Brittas House and the landscape was designed in the eighteenth century to compliment the house. 

The mature woodlands within the demesne were laid out by the house builder, Thomas Bligh, to represent the battle formation of the army at his battles on the continent. 

The builder of Brittas House was Thomas Bligh, younger brother of John Bligh, first Earl of Darnley. Thomas was Member of Parliament for Athboy in 1715 and joining the army he reached the rank of Lieutenant General. He was commander in chief of the British forces when they fought the French at Cherbourg in 1758. His taking of the deserted Cherbourg was one of the actions of the Seven Year War. His attack on St. Malo resulted in a retreat by the English forces with a loss of 1000 men. A mausoleum commemorates Thomas at Brittas but he is buried in Rathmore where a plaque commemorates his victories.  

When Thomas Bligh died the estate passed to his nephew, Thomas Cherburg Bligh. Thomas Cherburg Bligh married his cousin, Lady Theodosia Bligh, daughter of John, 3rd Earl of Darnley. Thomas Cherburgh Bligh was made MP for Athboy and later MP for Meath by his cousin and father in law, the Earl of Darnley, but he fell out with him and challenged him to a duel on a number of occasions. In 1820 he was bound over to the peace to prevent him annoying the Earl and his family. 

Major Frederick Arthur Bligh lived at Brittas in the late nineteenth century. He held the rank of Major in the service of the Royal Artillery and also the office of Justice of the Peace. He was appointed to the office of High Sheriff of Meath in 1904. He fought in the First World War. 

His daughter, Gwendoline Bligh, married Brigadier Croker Edmund (Edward) Barrington who was killed in Burma in 1944 during the Second World War. Mrs. Barrington, a noted dog breeder in particular Alsatians, continued to live in the house until her death in 1990. The house together with 280 acres was sold in 1998 prior to auction.