Longfield, Goold’s Cross, Co Tipperary
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. 190. “(Long, sub Freese-Pennefather/LGI1958; O’Connell Bianconi, sub O’Connell/IFR) A three storey late C18 house, built by the Long family; with a curved bow in the centre of its front and rear elevation and a three sided bow at either end. One bay on either side of the bow in front; fanlighted rusticated doorway. Oval hall, curved staircase of wood, with slim balusters, extending into the real bow. Bought C19 by Charles Bianconi, “King of the Irish Roads,” an Italian who, having come to Ireland virtually penniless, made a fortune by running a fast and efficient system of horse drawn transport with his famous ‘long cars.’ Passed to a branch of the O’Connells by marriage of Bianconi’s daughter to a nephew of Daniel O’Connell. Bequeathed 1968 by Mrs Mary O’Connell Bianconi to the Irish Georgian society. Now run as a guest house by Mr Kevin Byrne, under the auspices of the society, in order to help meet the cost of upkeep.”
Longfield House, LONGFIELD, Tipperary South
Detached three-bay three-storey over half-basement country house, built c.1770, having bowed entrance bay, central bowed central staircase bay to rear and canted-bays to end elevations, all having three openings to each floor, except rear bow which has two. Interior has oval hall to ground floor, leading to stairs bow at rear. Hipped slate roof with eaves course and rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls. Square-headed window openings with timber sliding sash windows, three-over-six pane to top floor, six-over-six pane to first floor and nine-over-six pane to ground floor. Entrance door has round-headed block-and-start doorcase with cobweb fanlight and iron sheeted door.
http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/property-list.jsp?letter=L
The seat of the Long family, occupied by Richard Long in 1814 and in 1837. Bought by Charles Bianconi in the 1840s, he held it in fee in the early 1850s when the house was valued at £27+. By 1906 the house was valued at £37 and was occupied by Mary Anne O’Connell. The house remained in the ownership of Bianconi’s descendants until 1968 when it was bequeathed by Mrs Mary O’Connell Bianconi to the Irish Georgian Society.
https://www.thedicamillo.com/house/longfield/?search_ref=0b58ec8aeb500da11551158b552df1a1
Built / Designed For: Long family
House & Family History: Longfield is a late 18th century house of three stories with a curved bow in the center of the Entrance Facade. The Long family made their fortune in India; they purchased the estate of 1,000 acres and built the current house, to the designs of an unknown architect, in 1770. In 1846, after the potato famine had obliterated the rents and Captain Richard Long’s father had been murdered, the Estate was sold to Charles Bianconi for £22,000. Bianconi, called the “King of the Irish Roads,” came to Ireland penniless and made a fortune by operating an efficient and fast system of horse-drawn cars that transported mail and passengers over the whole of Ireland. Bianconi’s daughter married a nephew of Daniel O’Connell (“The Liberator”), from whence Longfield passed into the O’Connell family. The House is today part of Coolmore Stud Farms.
Garden & Outbuildings: Charles Bianconi (1786-1875) laid out a formal Italian garden with yew hedges and urns and statuary imported from Italy. [ when he purchased the house he sent to Italy for experts to lay out an Italian garden. He also planted a rose garden with white and yellow roses to represent the joyful mysteries of the Rosary and red roses for the sorrowful mysteries – p. 54 Tipperary Gentry.
Past Seat of: Long family. Charles Bianconi. O’Connell family.
Current Ownership Type: Corporation
Primary Current Ownership Use: Other
Ownership Details: Part of Coolmore Stud Farms
The Tipperary Gentry. Volume 1. By William Hayes and Art Kavanagh. Published by Irish Family Names, c/o Eneclann, Unit 1, The Trinity Enterprise Centre, Pearse St, Dublin 2, 11 Emerald Cottages, Grand Canal St, Dublin 4 and Market Square, Bunclody, Co Wexford, Ireland. 2003.
Bianconi
Irish Historic Houses 