Mooresfort House, Lattin, County 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. 211. “(Moore/IFR) Originally a three storey C18 house, seat of the Moores, which was sold ca 1850 to Charles Moore, MP, a member of a different branch of the family, who completely remodelled it; making it two storeys instead of three, in order to have higher rooms, and giving it a predominantly Victorian character. Five bay entrance front with pediment and porte-cochere; five bay adjoining garden front with single-storey bow. Hall with floor of encaustic tiles open to Victorian staircase of wood. Drawing room with elaborate and graceful plasterwork on flat of ceiling and on frieze; which stylistically seems to belong more to 1820s or 1830s than 1850s. Library with very large architectural bookcase which was probably in the house before it was remodelled, having on it the arms of the branch of the Moores who formerly owned the house. Charming little Victorian chapel, with altar supported by four Archangels. The house stands on one corner of a large and handsome office courtyard. The son of Charles Moore who remodelled the house was Count Arthur Moore, MP, who founded Mount St Joseph Cistercian Abby at Mount Heaton.”
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Detached country house, built 1725, having five-bay two-storey front and south-east elevations, five-bay three-storey rear elevation and multiple-bay three-storey north-east elevation. Pedimented breakfront and porte-cochere, canted-bays added c.1855 to south-east elevation and one-, two- and three-storey flat roof extensions added to rear. Hipped slate roof with red brick chimneystacks having carved limestone detailing, cast-iron rainwater goods, overhanging eaves with carved limestone brackets and moulded render band to eaves. Ruled-and-lined rendered walls with decorative render string courses. Front and south-east elevations have square-headed windows to ground and segmental-headed to first floor, all with decorative render surrounds with pilasters and replacement uPVC windows. North-east, yard, elevation has one traceried pointed arch window to centre of second floor with margined lights and square-headed elsewhere with two-over-two pane timber sliding sash windows and one six-over-three pane window to second floor, replacement uPVC elsewhere. with decorative render surrounds. Round-headed window to south-west elevation and pointed arch stained glass window to north-west elevation, all having tooled limestone sills. Doric render pilasters to canted-bays. Segmental-headed door opening with double-leaf timber and glazed door flanked by side lights and timber pilasters, having a fanlight and limestone steps set in a cut and carved limestone portico to entrance. Square-headed door opening with render surround and cornice to south-west elevation with timber panelled door. Ranges of outbuildings adjoining house to north-west, having pitched artificial slate roofs with rendered chimneystacks, cast-iron rainwater goods with bell and weathervane to south-west range. Painted roughcast rendered walls. Square-headed door and window openings with mixed timber sash, replacement metal and battened fittings to openings. Segmental-arched openings to north-west range with battened fittings. Round-headed entrance arch to south-west range, entrance gates to north-east of yard with dressed limestone gate piers. Freestanding cast-iron water pump to yard.
Appraisal
Built in 1725 as a three-storey structure the house was remodelled in the 1850s by Charles Moore M.P converting the house to a two-storey building in order to have higher rooms. The Italianate remodelling of the house included the addition of an ornate portico and pediment to the front elevation and canted-bay windows flanked by classically influenced pilasters giving the building an overall Victorian character. The decorative stained glass window is due to the addition of a chapel designed by George Ashlin also added about this time. The house retains notable interior features including timber shutters and graceful plasterwork to the drawing room depicting musical instruments. The extensive ranges of outbuildings adjoining the house are still used to serve a working farm, and contribute positively to the over all setting of the house.
Detached two-pile three-bay single-storey gate lodge, built c. 1855, rear pile being addition, with pedimented breakfront and having single-storey lean-to extension to rear. Pitched slate roof with cut limestone chimneystack to front block and rendered chimneystack to rear, with cast-iron rainwater goods. Ashlar limestone walls with plinth and having carved decorative detail set in recessed panels over windows. Roughcast rendered to gables and painted rubble limestone to rear wall. Square-headed window openings with tooled limestone surrounds and sills and replacement aluminium windows. Round-headed door opening with timber battened door and plain fanlight, set into ashlar walling flanked by Doric columns, all supporting entablature and portico. Dressed limestone gate piers and flanking walls with carved limestone capping stones to piers and walls.
Appraisal
The Doric columns and pediment creates an imposing entrance to this well-executed gate lodge. This fine gate lodge and gate piers form part of an interesting group of structures on Mooresfort Demesne.
http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/property-list.jsp?letter=M
The home of the Crosbie Moore family in the 18th and early 19th century, Wilson refers to Moore’s-fort as “the handsome seat of Edward Moore” in 1786. Lewis records Maurice Crosbie Moore as resident in 1837. At the time of Griffith’s Valuation Edward C. Moore was still in possession of Mooresfort. However it was advertised for sale in 1852 and sold to Charles Moore of county Antrim, who altered and remodelled the house, reducing it from a 3 storey to a 2 storey house. The house remained in the possession of this family into the 20th century. It is now the main residence on a working farm.
http://lordbelmontinnorthernireland.blogspot.com/2013/08/mooresfort-house.html
THE MOORES, OF MOORESFORT, WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY TIPPERARY, WITH 10,199 ACRES
CHARLES MOORE JP (1804-69), MP for Tipperary, 1865-9, son of Arthur Moore, of Crookedstone, County Antrim, by Mary O’Hara his wife, purchased Mooresfort, County Tipperary.
He married, in 1835, Marian Elizabeth, daughter of John Story, and had issue,
Charles Henry O’Hara, deceased;
ARTHUR JOHN, of Mooresfort;
Marian Edith;
Helena Blanche, a nun;
Laura Mary, m G A Vaughan, nephew of 3rd Earl of Lisburne.
Mr Moore’s younger son,
COUNT ARTHUR JOHN MOORE JP DL (1849-1904), of Mooresfort, MP for Clonmel, 1874-85, Londonderry, 1899-1900, High Sheriff of County Tipperary, 1877, wedded, in 1877, Mary Lucy, daughter of Sir Charles Clifford, 1st Baronet, of Hatherton Hall, Staffordshire, and had issue,
Arthur Joseph Clifford, 1878-1900;
CHARLES JOSEPH HENRY O’HARA, his heir;
Edith Mary.
Mr Moore, Commander of the Order of St Gregory, Chamberlain to Pope LEO XIII, was created a Count by His Holiness in 1879.
His younger son,
CHARLES JOSEPH HENRY O’HARA MOORE MC JP (1880-1965), of Mooresfort, and Aherlow Castle, Captain, Irish Guards, married, in 1917, the Lady Dorothie Mary Evelyn Feilding MM, daughter of 9th Earl of Denbigh.
MOORESFORT HOUSE, near Lattin, County Tipperary, was built in 1725 as a three-storey block.
The house was remodelled in the 1850s by Charles Moore MP, converting the house to a two-storey building in order to have higher rooms.
The Italianate remodelling of the house included the addition of an ornate portico and pediment to the front elevation and canted-bay windows flanked by classically influenced pilasters giving the building an overall Victorian character.
The decorative stained glass window is due to the addition of a chapel designed by George Ashlin also added about this time.
The house retains notable interior features including timber shutters and graceful plasterwork to the drawing room depicting musical instruments.
The extensive ranges of outbuildings adjoining the house are still used to serve a working farm, and contribute positively to the over all setting of the house.
AHERLOW CASTLE, near Bansha, County Tipperary, was also a seat of Arthur Moore MP.
This small castle stands in the Glen of Aherlow.
It has a polygonal tower with loops at one end; a square tower at the other.
Former town residences ~ 64 Prince’s Gate, London; 10 Grafton Street, Dublin.
First published in August, 2013.
Irish Historic Houses 