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. 284. “(Drought/LGI1958) A two storey three bay gable-ended C18 house with a one bay extension of the same height on the left and a slightly lower one bay extension on the right. Round-headed doorway. Gothic tower, probably late C18, on fornt of stables. Fine Classical gate piers with swag friezes.”
Detached four-bay two-storey over basement country house, built c.1760, with outbuildings to rear. Set within its own grounds. Pitched slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles, rendered chimneystack with terracotta pots, cast-iron rainwater goods and tooled stone coping to gables. Roughcast render to walls. Timber sash windows and stone sills to all elevations and oculi to front and rear elevations. Main entrance with round-headed door opening with timber panelled double doors flanked by tooled limestone engaged Doric columns surmounted by petal fanlight. Door accessed by flight of punch-dressed limestone steps flanked by with low sweeping walls. Wrought-iron bootscraper to base of steps. Round-headed door opening to rear site with fanlight and timber panelled door with stone threshold. Multiple-bay two-storey stables to rear site with pitched slate roof and random coursed stone walls. Timber lintels to square-headed door and window openings and timber battened doors. Main entrance with square-profile gate piers of channelled limestone with carved stone swags to frieze surmounted by cornice and capping stone with flanking quadrant walls and wrought-iron gates.
Whigsborough House overlooks a sloping lawn. In excellent condition, this house portrays some interesting architectural details. A round-headed doorway with a petal fanlight and six-over-six sash windows are two items of significance. Accompanying this house is a wide range of outbuildings, including stables, gardener’s sheds and a walled garden with thick buttressed walls and a tower or folly façade overlooking front lawn. Without a doubt, Whigsborough House makes a positive architectural impact on County Offaly.
Gothic style tower façade, erected c.1770, abutting outbuilding and walled garden to north, situated within the grounds of Whigsborough House. Random coursed stone wall to tower with crenellated parapet and pointed-arched window opening with tooled stone tracery. Wall much overgrown with ivy. Outbuilding to north with pitched slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles and cast-iron rainwater goods. Roughcast render to random coursed stone walls. Segmental-headed integral carriage arch opening leading through to walled garden, with cut stone voussoirs and cobbled flooring. Square-headed door openings with timber battened doors. Walled garden to north with random coursed stone walls with large buttresses supporting south-eastern wall. Gardener’s shed to south of garden with pitched slate roof and random coursed stone walls.
Appraisal
This folly to Whigsborough House, abuts the stable and gardener’s complex and is accessed through a large walled garden with thick buttressed walls. This folly is a façade overlooking the extensive grounds of the house. According to the house’s owner a stream with a cut stone bridge once lead to the tower, ferrying people directly to this unusual structure.
Originally Dowris House, the residence was added to over the years and the archaeological find known as the Dowris Hoard was unearthed on the grounds of the original estate. It’s said that the Dowris Hoard was found in either 1825 or 1833 by two men trenching potatoes.
History and romance fill the house; from the circular petal window in the library, where a maid would place a lighted candle to signal to her local lover, to the maple-floored ballroom and 1.5-acre walled garden outside.
Surrounded by London Plane trees, the interior of the house pays compliment to its rural setting. The kitchen cabinets and bookshelves in the library were made from trees which fell on the estate.
Outside, the yard has an array of outbuildings including six stables, a 325 sqm stone lofted barn and stone coach houses, one of which has already been converted into an apartment.
Whigsborough House stands on 13 acres in Fivealley, Birr, Co Offaly and is for sale by private treaty. Contact DNG Purcell Birr on 057 9120270. Asking price €1.8m
Whigsborough House is a beautiful Georgian house set in mature grounds, just five miles from the town of Birr.
Whigsborough House has a growing reputation for hospitality, good food and wine and is a unique and very special dining experience. Pre-booking essential.
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. 269. “Synge, Bt/PB) A mid-C18 house of two storeys over basement; originally of seven bays; with a Gothic-glazed Venetian window in both storeys of the two bay ends of the front, and another in the middle, above a Venetian doorway. Diocletian windows in the end bays of the basement; round-headed windows in the basement on either side of the balustraded entrance steps. After a fire, one of the end bays was removed, so that the front ceased to be symmetrical.”
Syngefield, County Offaly, courtesy of Mark Bence-Jones.
Detached former U-plan five-bay two-storey former country house, built c.1760, with single-bay added to west, with three-storey return perpendicular to rear house, three-storey lean-to extension to rear, three-storey flat-roofed extension to rear. Wings to rear have been demolished. Set within its own grounds. Now derelict. Pitched slate roof, hipped to west end with terracotta ridge tiles and rendered chimneystacks. Pitched slate roof to return with rendered chimneystack. Lean-to slate roof and flat roof to extensions. Roughcast rendered walls with wrought-iron balcony inserted to first floor of facade. Timber sash windows with tooled stone sills. Venetian window to central bay of façade and to extended western end bay. Blocked up Diocletian window opening to basement level of western end bay. Blocked up round-headed window opening to basement of façade. Round-headed entrance door opening having timber frame, timber panelled door and flanking square-headed sidelights. Stone entrance steps flanked by rendered balustrade. Demolished stone outbuilding and random coursed stone wall to rear site. Stone entrance gates to road, erected c.1710, with ashlar limestone square-profile gate piers surmounted by moulded capping and ball finials. Wrought-iron gates. Flanking blocked up square-headed pedestrian entrances stone surrounds.
Though derelict and uninhabited, this fine country house at Syngefield Demesne remains impressive in both design and stature. Palladian motifs including Venetian windows, entrance door and a blocked up Diocletian windows give this fine building a classically inspired character. The long avenue is accessed through tall and imposing dark limestone gate piers, which are a notable feature on the road heading south-east from Birr town.
Syngefield, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of Irish Aesthete.
In February 2001 the Irish Times reported that Syngefield, County Offaly was being offered for sale. The mid-18th century house had stood vacant for more than two decades, and inevitably was in poor repair as a result. Once surrounded by a substantial amount of land, it now stood on five acres, with factories on either side of the drive, and the outbuildings already sold off. Meanwhile much of the house’s original interior had been either vandalized or stolen – all the chimneypieces were gone, for example – but enough remained, as photographs taken at the time can demonstrate. Most of the main staircase was intact, along with windowcases, lugged architraves, floorboards and some plasterwork. Of particular interest in the Irish Times feature was the information that whoever purchased the property ‘will have to comply with the strict conditions of conservation. Birr Urban District Council sought the advice of the Heritage Council and the property has been assessed by an independent conservation service.’ Hence while the guide price was low – in the region of £150,000 – the costs of bringing Syngefield back to life would be considerably higher.
Syngefield, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of Irish Aesthete.
Syngefield, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of Irish Aesthete.
Syngefield, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of Irish Aesthete.
Syngefield, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of Irish Aesthete.
Syngefield, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of Irish Aesthete.
As is so often the case in Ireland, the origins of Syngefield are unclear. It belonged to a branch of the Synges, cousins of the playwright John Millington Synge, and the house appears to have been built in the middle of the 18th century, perhaps around 1752 when Edward Synge married Sophia Hutchinson. There were many Edward Synges during the Georgian period, almost all of them Anglican clergymen: this one was the grandson of Edward Synge, Archbishop of Tuam and nephew of Edward Synge, Bishop of Elphin and son of Nicholas Synge, Bishop of Killaloe. It was therefore almost inevitable that he too would join the church, becoming archdeacon of Killala, as well as rector of Birr, County Offaly, hence the construction of Syngefield. His eldest son, another Edward, followed the family example and became an Anglican clergyman but a younger son, Robert, became a baronet and it was his family that continued to live in the property. At the time the Synges owned land not just in Offaly but also Counties Meath and Cork. Descendants appear to have remained in residence at Syngefield until c.1870 after which the house was sporadically let, and then sold in the last century.
Syngefield, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of Irish Aesthete.
Syngefield, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of Irish Aesthete.
Syngefield, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of Irish Aesthete.
Syngefield, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of Irish Aesthete.
Syngefield, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of Irish Aesthete.
Syngefield was a curious house, owing to its lop-sided appearance. Of two storeys over a semi-raised basement, it had six bays, that to the furthest left featuring Venetian windows on both ground and first floors, aping one on the upper floor above the entrance doorcase (Another oddity were the Diocletian windows in the basement.) A number of writers have proposed that a matching bay at the other end of the house had been built, thereby completing the symmetry of the façade, but that this was lost in a fire at some unspecified date. However, just as possible is that the original mid-18th century house comprised the five centre bays. The left-hand bay is a later addition, with a match at the other end of the building intended but never built owing to shortage of funds, a not-unusual situation in Ireland. In any case, when a new owner acquired the property in 2002, he decided to finish the house as was once perhaps conceived by tacking a new bay to the right of the existing property. He also doubled the size of Syngefield thanks to a vast extension at the rear that was to include a basement swimming pool, home cinema, ballroom and more bedrooms: readers can judge for themselves whether this work complied, as the Irish Times had reported would be the case, ‘with the strict conditions of conservation.’ This job, said to have cost in the region of €1 million, was never completed, presumably owing to the onset of economic recession, and in October 2009 Syngefield was offered for sale again. There appear to have been no takers, because today the unfinished structure stands with exterior and interior alike bereft of every original feature. How is it that what was intended to be a model of correct conservation came to look like this?
Syngefield, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of Irish Aesthete.
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. 219. “A plain long and low C18 house with a range of similar height and style at right angles. Simple fanlighted doorway set in arched recess, flanked by two Wyatt windows. The seat of the Lawder family.”
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. 117. “(Graham-Toler, Norbury, E/PB; Slazenger, sub Powerscourt, V/PB) Originally a plain three storey 7 bay C18 house with a pillared porch; replaced ca 1837 by a Tudor-Gothic house built for 2nd Earl of Norbury, who was murdered here 1839. The house now consists of two two storey ranges at right angles to each other, one of them standing on slightly lower ground, with a small battlemented tower at their junction. The higher range has a central projecting porch-gable, with a corbelled oriel over the entrance door, and a slightly stepped gable at each end. There are tall Tudor-style chimneys and a few pinnacles. The house was rebuilt in the same style 1924. Nearby is the site of an ancient abbey, with a fine C10 High Cross. Durrow passed to the descendants of a younger son of 2nd Earl; it was sold ca 1950 and was afterwards the home of Mr and Mrs Ralph Slazenger; it is now the home of Mr and Mrs Michael Williams.”
The story of Durrow Abbey House is framed by two fires. One in 1843 when the house was under construction destroyed the adjacent Georgian mansion and all the furnishings stored there, the other in 1923 meant the total destruction of itself.
Construction was underway in 1837 when Lewis remarked “The principal seats are Durrow Abbey, that of the Earl of Norbury, situated in an ample and highly improved demesne, in which his lordship is erecting a spacious mansion in the ancient style”. After the murder of Lord Norbury in 1839, work had largely ceased on construction prior to the fire of 1843. A contemporary newspaper article described it: “This magnificent abbey is nearly destroyed. On Saturday evening last, it took fire, and before assistance could be procured to arrest the progress of the flames the abbey was almost reduced to ruin. This noble structure remained in an unfinished state as the entire works were stopped immediately after the murder of the late munificent proprietor, Lord Norbury. The new building which was not completed, joined the old one, which it was intended to adopt as a wing by facing it with stone; in this portion all the valuable furniture was stored and this part of the extensive building is totally destroyed.” After the fire, construction continued and the building was completed around 1860.
The house consisted of three storeys over a sunken basement, with an off-center three-storey entrance porch – a later porte cochere was added. Richly ornamented with gable end bay windows, tall chimney stacks and corner turrets, all of limestone. To the rear was a simple castellated service wing facing a sunken courtyard, two sides of which were bounded by a single storey range of stores.
In 1923, during the Irish Civil War, the house was gutted by fire, the roof collapsing, and the entire fixtures and fittings destroyed. It was rebuilt in the mid 1920s to designs by Ralph H. Byrne.
After the second Durrow Abbey House was gutted by fire during the Civil War in 1923. Ralph H. Byrne was commissioned to oversee reconstruction of Durrow Abbey House for Ottoway Graham Toler in 1926. As all that remained of the old house was the exterior walls, a complete redesign was in order. Byrne produced several designs, one with a strong Arts and Crafts style, and the other Tudor Gothic in keeping with the old house. The new house was to be a storey lower, while largely utilising the floor plan of the previous house. Interior designs show an elaborate Arts and Crafts interior, but this was scaled back to more basic interior finish. The house currently sits empty.
This building has been vacant for a number of years and does not appear to be maintained. Most of the external fabric remains, but there are obvious signs of deterioration, particularly water penetration, slipped slates, vegetation growth, broken windows and vandalism. There is no immediate danger of collapse but the condition is such that unless urgent remedial works are carried out the building will sharply deteriorate.
The structure is of significant historic importance and requires conservation works to prevent further deterioration. This building urgently requires new uses to be identified to prevent further deterioration of its character.
Detached L-plan multiple-bay two-storey over basement Jacobean Revival style house, built between 1837-43, with breakfront tower and gable to north elevation and canted bays to eastern projecting bay and southern bay, courtyard buildings to rear. Built on the site of the eighteenth-century house and set within grounds of Durrow Abbey demesne. Pitched slate roof with ashlar limestone chimneystacks, terracotta ridge tiles and some cast-iron rainwater goods. Ashlar limestone walls with string coursing and pinnacles to angles. Variety of square-headed fenestration with some hoodmouldings and limestone transoms and mullions. Pointed-arched door opening to eastern elevation with tooled limestone surround and timber door, square-headed door opening to rear with overlight chamfered surround and hoodmoulding. Courtyard to rear with single-storey buildings, open arcading and crenellations accessed through pointed-arched door opening to west. External access to eastern façade by limestone balustraded steps and piers supporting carved stone urns. Ashlar gate piers to west. Ranges of outbuildings, gates and gate lodge associated with house.
Built on the former site of Durrow Abbey, this grand house dominates the grounds of the demesne which it overlooks. Superbly executed cut stonework construction to the elevations, crenellations, canted bays, pointed arches, blind niches and chimneystacks is evident. Apparently largely rebuilt in the 1920s following a fire, the interior was designed by Ralph Byrne in the Queen Anne Art Nouveau style. Blind cross niches hint to the site’s history and urns to the steps are similar to those found in the eighteenth-century church doorway, suggesting these steps originate from the earlier site. When considered in conjunction with the demesne’s full history and related sites, the sixth-century abbey that became the birth place of the early Medieval script, the Book of Durrow, Durrow high cross, the site of the medieval motte and Saint Columbkille’s church and well, Durrow Abbey House is archaeologically and architecturally significant on a national scale.
Durrow Abbey, County Laois, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Durrow Abbey, County Laois, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Durrow Abbey, County Laois, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Durrow Abbey, County Laois, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Durrow Abbey, County Laois, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.
Durrow Abbey, County Laois, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.
Ranges of multiple-bay single- and two-storey outbuildings, built in 1833, and arranged around two courtyards with modern concrete additions. Set within grounds of Durrow Demesne. Now mostly disused. Hipped slate roofs with terracotta ridge tiles, ashlar chimneystacks and cast-iron rainwater goods. Tooled ashlar limestone walls. Timber sash windows to upper storey with tooled limestone sills. Segmental-headed door openings. Circular opening with date plaque to south-west elevation. Squared limestone turbine house to centre of north-west courtyard. Yellow brick workers’ accommodation to north-west of site. Walled garden and moat to rear of site, also associated with Durrow Demesne.
Appraisal
The high quality stone masonry, as the dominating feature of Durrow Demesne, is no less evident in its pair of courtyards. They may have been executed to a design by William Murray. Each piece of limestone has been skillfully cut and tooled to fit flawlessly into the design. Segmental-headed arches elegantly line the yards many stable fittings and some machinery survives. This sprawling group of outbuildings and associated workers’ housing stands as a further testament to the former vitality of this estate.
Durrow Abbey, County Laois, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Durrow Abbey, County Laois, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Durrow Abbey, County Laois, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Durrow Abbey, County Laois, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Durrow Abbey, County Laois, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Durrow Abbey, County Laois, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.
Durrow Abbey, County Laois, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.
Detached T-plan three-bay single-storey gate lodge, built c.1840 with return to rear. Not in use. Set within grounds of Durrow Demesne. Pitched slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles, ashlar chimneystacks, coping and cast-iron rainwater goods. Triple-light timber windows with limestone hoodmoulding. Square-headed door opening in north projection with timber panelled door and limestone hoodmoulding. Plaque with crown and fleur-de-lis on north projection gable wall and hoodmoulding. Yellow brick pitched roofed return to rear. Palladian style wrought-iron gateway to east, set on ashlar limestone plinth with carriage arch and pedestrian gates to centre.
Appraisal
Finely executed stone masonry and metal working are displayed at this site, testament to the skilled craftsmanship available at the time. This high quality construction of the lodge and gates indicate the importance of the house to which they belong; an outward display of sophistication and wealth to all who call to Durrow Abbey House.
Durrow Abbey, County Laois, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Durrow Abbey, County Laois, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Durrown Abbey, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Eglish Castle, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Durrow Abbey, County Laois, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.
Durrow Abbey House, a Tudor/Gothic building near Tullamore in county Offaly,was begun in 1837 (to replace an earlier 18th century plain house) by Hector Toler, (later Hector John Graham -Toler ), the 2nd Earl of Norbury. Unfortunately he never saw it finished as he was murdered in 1839. Originally (?at least after Church ownership) the lands had being acquired by the Herbert family (mid 16th century I believe), and were inherited by the Stepneys, who eventually sold it to John Toler. This John Toler had his origins in Co.Tipperary and eventually received a title and became a judge, although by all accounts he was exceedingly poor at his job and quite harsh. Add a fire in 1843 and the completion of the “ new” house wasn’t until the 1850s. In 1876 The Hon Otway Toler was in possession of the house, and about 4500 acres, although he gave his main address as Albermarle St ,Mayfair, in London (indeed his residence is recorded as Windsor House, Ryde in a separate document I’ve read).He also retained 8,789 acres in Co. Tipperary (although the estate in Tipperary had been larger in the past), it seems there was also just over 3,000 acres in Laois and 140 odd in Westmeath. In the 1911 census, another Otway Toler was in residence with 9 servants,there were 36 rooms used in the house. 1922 saw a malicious fire which necessitated the rebuilding of the house in the mid 1920s. It went from 3 storey over basement to 2 storey over basement , but retained its footprint and architectural style. It had of course originally somewhat mimicked Castle Bernard (Kinnitty Castle) in the same county. Within the estate lies the ancient abbey of Durrow with its 10th century high cross (now in situ within the abbey). The Toler family remained at Durrow until 1949 and in 1950 the house was purchased by the Slazenger (now of Powerscourt house) .The Williams family of Tullamore Dew fame bought it from them and eventually sold it to the O Brien family who I believe may have had commercial intentions for the estate, which obviously didn’t happen. It’s now in public/opw ownership, they ( the government) paid over €3m in 2003 for the house and abbey. It appears the property was then leased at a nominal rent to the Arts for Peace Foundation for 99 years,however there seems to have been a dispute between them and the OPW over I believe maintenance issues which has meant the building has been in essence disused for several years now. Unfortunately the stables/outhouse and gardens are a sad sight in their state of dereliction. The house, although it appears structurally sound, is now too starting to reflect its lack of recent habitation or use and is perhaps in need of at least some tender loving care. In fairness to the OPW, charged with looking after monuments, parks, houses, castles etc, they do an admirable job, the 1930 National Monuments Act has moved on, as have their minuscule budgets of the past.Harold Leask had a seemingly impossible task in his day,but they’ve come a long way thankfully, and hopefully a happy ending may be on the horizon for Durrow Abbey House, it would be a shame to see it wasted. (Incidentally I’ve since written a small feature about the abbey on my other Facebook page called Old Irish Buildings and Places which may be of interest to some readers, in March 2019).
The house at Durrow Abbey, County Offaly has a long and frequently unhappy history. Asits name implies, this was originally a religious settlement (for more on which, see On the Plain of Oaks, February 2nd 2015). However in the 16th century and following the dissolution of the monasteries, the lands on which it stood were leased to Nicholas Herbert at a rent of £10 per annum payable to the Crown and military service when required. Herbert was granted a second lease in 1574 on condition that he built two stone fortresses on the site within four years. The Herberts remained in residence here until the death without male heirs of Sir George Herbert, third baronet, in 1712. The estate was then inherited by Sir George’s sister Frances, married to a Major Patrick Fox: it was Mrs Fox who rebuilt the old adjacent church that remains today. The Foxes having no direct heirs, Durrow was then inherited by Philip Rawson Stepney and eventually by Herbert Rawson Stepney who, three years before his death in 1818 sold the estate to John Toler, first Lord Norbury. It would appear that during the time of the Stepneys that a new residence was built at Durrow: a surviving drawing made by architect William Murray in September 1829 shows the building – then called Durrow Park – to have been a plain classical structure of three storeys and seven bays, centred on a groundfloor doorcase with portico. Already at that date plans were being made for something more distinctive to be constructed on the site, but ultimately it was Norbury’s son who embarked on this enterprise. Politician and lawyer, John Toler enjoyed a highly successful career at the bar despite being almost universally reviled for his ability to combine corruption with incompetence. He served as Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas for twenty-seven years (1800-1827) during which time he became known as the ‘Hanging Judge’ such was his propensity to prescribe the death sentence and only resigned at the age of 82 when offered an earldom and an annual pension of more than £3,000. Dying in 1831 he was succeeded by his son Hector John Graham-Toler, second Earl of Norbury who some years later decided to embark of a comprehensive redevelopment of the house: Samuel Lewis’ Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837) mentions that ‘his lordship is erecting a spacious mansion in the ancient style.’ Two years later, in January 1839, Lord Norbury was shot dead by an unknown assailant while out riding: no one was ever brought to court (despite a reward being offered of £5,000 and 100 acres) but it seems likely the person responsible was a tenant recently evicted from a holding on the estate. The widowed Lady Norbury pressed on with her late husband’s plans to rebuild Durrow and work continued there until 1843 when a fire broke out. A contemporary account in The Nation recorded that ‘The new building which was not completed, joined the old one, which it was intended to adopt as a wing by facing it with stone; in this portion all the valuable furniture was stored and this part of the extensive building is totally destroyed.’ At some later date the new building was completed, and thereafter owned by successive generations of the Graham-Toler family until the 1940s. Completed around 1860, Durrow Abbey House’s architect is unknown. Designed in the popular Jacobean Revival style, the building was originally of three storeys over a sunken basement with high gable-end windows, raised chimney stacks and corner turrets, the whole in cut limestone. Behind the main block runs a long service wing opening onto a sunken courtyard. At one stage, a large porte-cochere stood in front of the main entrance. This survived until April 1923 when the house was burnt during the Civil War. It was subsequently rebuilt three years later with the top storey and porte-cochere removed, and with simplified Arts and Crafts interiors designed by Dublin architect Ralph Henry Byrne. Following the sale of the property by the Graham-Tolers, Durrow was owned first by the Slazenger family (who later became owners of Powerscourt, County Wicklow) and then the Williams family (who owned the local whiskey distillery). Subsequent owners proposed to change use of the property from private residence to hotel and golf resort as part of a €170 million scheme that would also have included several hundred houses and apartments. This plan was comprehensively rejected by the planning authorities, not least because of the importance of the immediately adjacent medieval site. Durrow languished in uncertainty until 2003 when the Irish State paid in the region of €3.5 million to acquire the place and surrounding 80-odd acres. In May 2007 a 99-year lease on the main house was agreed by Dick Roche, then-Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and a charitable organisation called Arts for Peace Foundation. Incorporated in August 2004, Arts for Peace ‘provides therapeutic peace education programmes for children affected by conflict.’ Paying an annual peppercorn rent of €10, the organisation used the house as a respite centre for groups of young people from diverse places around the world. Meanwhile the Office of Public Works carried out necessary work on the old church and moved a mid-ninth century High Cross moved indoors. All seemed well for the future of the entire site until five years ago when Arts for Peace stopped using the main house for its projects. In December 2016 The Times reported that a month before the charity and its founder Elizabeth Garrahy had filed a High Court action against the Office of Public Works and the Irish State seeking damages for alleged breach of contract. The charity alleged the OPW had committed to providing €500,000 and then €250,000 for repair work, but then failed to provide the funding. The OPW in turn accused the charity of failing to carry out necessary repairs and maintenance of the property according to the terms of its lease. It transpires this is why the building has not been occupied or used since 2013: for the past five years the OPQ and Arts for Peace have been at war. Although this matter ought to be of widespread interest (not least because of the potential financial implications for the Irish taxpayer), it seems the only public representative to express concern has been Carlow-Kilkenny TD John McGuinness. He has regularly raised the question of Durrow Abbey in Dáil Éireann, and elsewhere. The last time Deputy McGuinness did so was two months ago on February 15th at a meeting of the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform (of which Mr McGuinness is chair) attended by Kevin Moran, current Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief. In the course of a discussion on the unresolved problems at Durrow Abbey, Mr McGuinness stated, ‘I firmly believe that with an effort, with both sides sitting down without being tied by legal process and without prejudice, they could reach a resolution, rather than spend unnecessary funds and scarce resources on a case when in my opinion the Arts for Peace Foundation has a good case. Going to court is a step beyond common sense in my opinion in this instance.’ The state, which is to say the Irish citizenry, has spent a considerable amount of money acquiring and restoring portions of the historic Durrow Abbey site and, as was announced at the end of last year, the state intends to spend more in the near future making the property more accessible to visitors. However at the same time a substantial group of buildings sits empty and neglected: tellingly, in May/June 2016, despite the ongoing dispute, the OPW undertook emergency remedial works to prevent water ingress to the house). This argument is surely capable of resolution, but the longer it takes to find agreement, the greater the cost. A speedy settlement is obviously advantageous. Until this happens the house at the centre of the estate and of the legal wrangle remains in a state of limbo. This is a situation that benefits no one.
Anne St. George née Stepney of Durrow Abbey County Offaly, and Child, 1971, by George Romney courtesy of August Heckscher Collection 1959.147. Her brother Herbert Rawson Stepney (1768-1818) inherited Durrow Abbey.
It would be nice to write that Durrow Abbey house, Tullamore is in course of restoration and that it, the High Cross and Church and the parklands adjoining will soon be properly open to the public. It’s possible but getting more difficult as the house continues to deteriorate. It has been vacant for a considerable time. Councillor Tommy McKeigue drew attention to it recently at Offaly County Council and Paul Moore has reminded us of it in his photographs that are too kind to its present sad condition. But there are hopeful signs. The footpath from Durrow Woods should be completed this year and will allow walkers to come close to the house and the old church at Durrow and High Cross. At least more people will see it and become aware of its potential to midlands/ Ireland East, or is it Lakelands Tourism.
There is growing pressure on the monastic site at Clonmacnoise of which the OPW is painfully aware. It has been suggested that Durrow should be ‘developed’ as a new monastic visitor facility to ease that pressure, much as happened at Newgrange. The management and councillors want it and Offaly tourism needs it. Recent figures indicate how poorly the Midlands performs relative to Dublin and the Atlantic Way.
The house needs attention.
What can be done?
The state needs to come to a satisfactory settlement with the current tenant but has not been in a hurry. It was the same with the right of way to the old church and graveyard – a saga that went on from its first being raised in 1974 to 2003 when these concerns were finally resolved by purchase. It needs one great push from our TDs and councillors to get the financial support that is needed to develop Durrow as a first class visitor attraction.
What’s special about the house? Has it a history?
The lands of Durrow formerly belonged to the monastery. After the Reformation the monastic lands were immediately regranted to the Prior of the now dissolved monastery, Contan O’Molloy, on a 21 year lease in the 1540s. According to the Obits of Kilcormac Contan O’Molloy, prior of Durrow, was slain in 1553. About 1561 the Durrow lands were leased for 21 years at a rent of £10 a year to Nicholas Herbert, a member of an old English family. Herbert received a full grant of the property in 1574.
Nicholas Herbert was succeeded by Richard and in turn by George, the third baronet. The latter died without issue in 1712. His sister Frances Herbert married Major Patrick Fox of Foxhall, County Longford but there were no children of the marriage and as a result Philip Rawson Stepney succeeded to the estates. It was Mrs Fox who rebuilt the abbey church in about 1730.
The Durrow estate eventually passed to Herbert Rawson Stepney who was obliged to sell it to John Toler in 1815. His death is marked on a memorial tablet in the old church.
The Hanging Judge whose ‘scanty knowledge of law, his gross partiality, his callousness and his buffoonery, completely disqualified him from the position’.
John Toler was born at Beechwood, Co. Tipperary in 1745. and graduated BA in 1761, was called to the Irish Bar in 1770 and was elected MP for Tralee in 1776. He sat for the borough of Philipstown (Daingean) in 1783. For his constant support of the government he was well rewarded. For his support of the Union (1800) he was advanced to be Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and elevated to the peerage as Baron Norbury. He held his bench appointment for nearly twenty seven years, although his scanty knowledge of law, his gross partiality, his callousness and his buffoonery, completely disqualified him from the position. His presence on the bench was however, ultimately felt by all parties to be a scandal and an obstacle to the establishment of a better understanding with the Catholics. In 1825 O’Connell drew up a petition to parliament calling for his removal on the grounds that he had fallen asleep during a trial for murder and was unable to give any account of the evidence when called on for his notes by the lord-lieutenant. The petition was presented, but no motion was based upon it, as Peel gave an assurance that the matter would be inquired into. But it was not till the accession of Canning as Prime Minister in 1827, when Norbury was in his eighty-second year that he was induced to resign, or as O’Connell put it ‘bought off the bench by a most shameful traffic’ by his advancement in the peerage as Viscount Glandine and Earl of Norbury, with special remainder to his second son, together with a retiring pension of £3,046 (equivalent to €400,000 today). He died at Dublin on 27 July 1831, aged 85 (and is recalled in Norbury Woods, Tullamore). Toler married Grace, daughter of Hector Graham in 1778 and by her had two sons and two daughters. He was succeeded in his estates by his second son Hector as his eldest son was said to be of unsound mind.
Murder of Lord Norbury at Durrow
Hector Toler, the second Lord Norbury, was a man of quiet disposition, very little interested in politics and seemingly content to manage and develop his estates. According to a return of 1839 supplied by George Garvey, Lord Norbury’s agent, Norbury was possessed of 26,720 acres in six counties with 654 tenants. His largest estate was in Tipperary where he had 16,464 acres and his King’s County estate came next at 3,598 acres. The latter estate had 156 tenants. The murder of Hector Toler has to this day remained a mystery but it is thought that it had its origins in a dispute between the landlord and one or more of his tenants.
Norbury Eulogy by Lord Oxmantown of Birr
From the statement by Lord Oxmantown of Birr (later the third Earl of Rosse) on the one side and the parish priest of Tullamore, Fr. O’Rafferty, on the other we can take it that relations between landlord and tenant were generally good. Lord Oxmantown stated that:
When the late lamented nobleman became a permanent resident at Durrow Abbey, the tenantry on the estate were in the most wretched condition. It had been purchased by his father from a gentleman who had been in great difficulties and the tenantry, as usual exhibited the shocking evidences of the poverty of their former landlord. Lord Norbury, by a large expenditure, and repeated acts of profuse generosity raised their condition to a state of comfortable independence. He was in the act of building a splendid residence, to be permanent residence of his family, and consequently the centre of a great expenditure, he employed a large proportion of the surrounding peasantry, conferring upon them all the advantages which accrue from the residence of an extensive landed proprietor. Go where you may, you can hear but one opinion of him – all classes unite in conferring upon him this just tribute of praise – that a better landlord, a more charitable man, and a more excellent country gentleman could not have existed.
Lewis in his Topographical Dictionary of 1837 mentions that a new mansion house was being built at Durrow Abbey house in similar in style to Pain’s Castle Bernard (Kinnitty Castle) in the mid-1830s. No architectural plans are known to have survived. The present Durrow Abbey was built close to the site of the earlier house because in 1843 it was reported that:
The old house formerly the residence of Colonel Stepney was nearly all consumed to the vaults, nothing remains but the walls, Revd. Mr. O’Rafferty got a sod wall built between the old building and the new that was erected by the late Earl of Norbury and saved the latter from being consumed.
Durrow Abbey shared the same fate as many as 12 other country houses in Offaly in the early 1920s when it was destroyed by a band of armed men in May 1923 – as the Civil War was fizzling out. It was rebuilt about 1926.
The Toler family continued to reside at Durrow until the late 1940s. The house and contents were sold in 1950. Noel Terence Graham-Toler, the sixth earl of Norbury, succeeded on the death of his father in 1955 and lived in England. Durrow Abbey, during the 1950s and up to the mid-1960s was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Slazenger (later of Powerscourt). It was subsequently purchased by Mr and Mrs. M. M. Williams, of the local Tullamore distilling family. They in turn sold it to Mr and Mrs. Patrick O’Brien of Navan, Co. Meath who planned to build a hotel, golf course and generally have a small sporting estate. Nothing came of this and in 2003 the Office of Public Works purchased the house and about 70 acres inclusive of the old Abbey church, High Cross and graveyard.
he house was in constant occupation until 14 years ago and was rebuilt to a high standard in 1926. The Slazenger family kept it in excellent repair as is clear from the outbuildings. Uses come under Community or Private. Any such would have to get substantial support from the OPW for the restoration and work in with a plan for the monastic site and the OPW lands. More lands might be acquired in time for nature trails, forest walks and organic farming.
The example is there in the work done on the church and High Cross. The cross needed to brought indoors just as Clonmacnoise needs to be less busy today. High Cross on right courtesy of friend Paul Moore who has done so much to highlight the house.
The potential is there. These pictures of the interior in the early 1990s
Durrow Abbey before restoration. Durrow Abbey was originally constructed in approximately the 1830s. Restoration of the building after a fire was undertaken by G. & T. Crampton in 1926. The architect for these works was Ralph Henry Byrne.
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. 115. “A two storey C19 house with a front and side elevation of three bays, the centre bay of the front being recessed, and that of the side breaking forwards. Porch and arches and rusticated piers; single-storey curved bow in centre of side elevation; prominent quoins; entabaltures over ground floor windows; eaved roof on bracket cornice. The home of Mr Harry Read, who in 1911-12 had the unique distinction of playing for Ireland at cricket, rugby, and tennis. Some years ago, Mr and Mrs Read moved to a new house which they had built for themselves near an old castle in the grounds, and which is named the Old Castle House.”
Detached three-bay two-storey over raised basement country house in the Italianate style, built in 1839, by Thomas A. Cobden, architect, with portico to entrance and bow to south-facing side elevation. Two-storey five-bay range to north. Hipped slate roof with rendered chimneystacks, open eaves and cast-iron rainwater goods. Ruled and lined rendered walls with sandstone dressings including plinth, quoins and string courses. Square-headed window openings with sandstone architrave surrounds and timber sash windows. Rusticated ashlar portico with arched-openings contains round-headed door opening with sandstone surround, timber panelled double door and glazed fanlight. Door accessed up six sandstone steps. Walled garden to north-west of house.
Dungar House, County Offaly, courtesy of National Inventory.Dungar House, County Offaly, courtesy of National Inventory.Dungar House, County Offaly, courtesy of National Inventory.Dungar House, County Offaly, courtesy of National Inventory.Dungar House, County Offaly, courtesy of National Inventory.
Built in 1839 by the architect Thomas A. Cobden, Dungar House is an extraordinary mid nineteenth-century country house. Located east of Roscrea, the house displays a high degree of architectural detailing and embellishment in the bold ornate Italianate style. The former owners left this house and built a new home near the ruins of the old castle on the estate. The house was neglected but fortunately the present owners acquired the house before it fell into ruin and saved this valuable contributor to the architectural heritage of County Offaly. The walled garden is notable for its size.
Charlestown House, County Offaly, photograph by Robert French, (between ca. 1865-1914), Lawrence Photograph Collection, National Library of Ireland.
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. 81. “(Goodbody/IFR)A two storey near-symmetrical Victorian Italianate house with curved bows, entablatures on console brackets over the windows and a fancy pierced roof balustrade, standing near one of the family mills by a mill-race lined with yews and other trees, giving it the appearance of a garden canal.”
Detached four-bay two-storey over basement former country house, built c.1790, with full-height bows added to ends, return to rear and extension to south. Now divided into two apartments. Set within its own grounds. Hipped slate roof, hidden by pierced balustrade, with rendered chimneystacks with terracotta pots and cast-iron rainwater goods. Rendered walls with continuous sill course to first floor level, supported by corbels. Timber sash windows with moulded surrounds, console brackets supporting cornices with corbels supporting sills. Wyatt windows to garden elevation. Moulded surrounds to first floor windows. Square-headed door opening with moulded surround and console brackets surmounted by cornice to timber and glazed door with overlight, accessed by tooled limestone steps. Stone outbuildings with pitched and hipped slate roofs to north and south. Cast-iron gates set to ashlar gate piers with rendered sweeping walls to front.
Charlestown House, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Charlestown House, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.
Designed by J. S. Mulvany, Charlestown House, once the home of the Goodbody family, was originally built in the eighteenth-century as a square block. It was remodelled, by Mulvany, with the addition of the flanking full-height bows and decorative window surrounds, which increased the visual appeal of the building. Architectural design and detail are apparent in the form and execution of the ornate window and door surrounds, reflecting a high quality of craftsmanship applied in their finishing. The setting of the building is enhanced by its elevated position, the outbuildings and entrance, making a significant domestic group.
Charlestown house, on the edge of the town of Clara in county Offaly, was originally a rather plain rectangular house of the late 18th century. It was Robert Goodbody, a Quaker from Mountmellick who bought the property and crucially the adjoining mill circa 1825. He had married into the wealthy Pim family which seemed to be his catalyst to greater things. Firstly the house was extended to the rear to become L shaped, subsequently a bow fronted extension was added to the north side while the south side had a bow applied and the central part was carefully extended forward to match. A roof balustrade runs the length of the front and ties it all together. John Skipton Mulvany was the architect responsible for the alterations, his father was a friend of James Gandon .Mulvany also worked on other Goodbody houses in the locality.A mill race once ran between the house and mill, and must have extenuated the beauty of the setting.The town of Clara now runs up to the rear yards of Charlestown and only to the front does it fully look, maintain and indeed justify its country house origins and personality. The Goodbodys were the key to the prosperity of Clara and its environs.Their mills and factories created hundreds of jobs for the locals. Robert had 3 sons, Marcus,Johnathon and Lewis Frederick,who joined with their father,firstly in the milling business. A sack factory was established in 1853 and a jute one in 1864. A partnership formed in 1865, lasted 23 years until in 1888 it became a limited company, much to the shock and possibly disapproval of Bank of Ireland, who perhaps upon due diligence being exercised or just necessity were forsaken in favour of Ulster Bank by the Goodbodys .The initial capital of this “new ” company, wholly family owned ,was £48,000. This limited company continued until 1936 when it became a PLC, which lasted until 1984. In the 1870s Johnathon lived at Charlestown House. The Goodbody family also owned Drayton Villa, Kilcoursey House, Inchmore, Beechmount, Cork Hill and other fine but smaller homes in the area.Their wealth was considerable as demand surged for Their products.By the 1870s ,apart from their industrial wealth Johnathon had 2128 acres in Offaly and shared 1087 acres in Westmeath with Marcus. Marcus had 1608 acres in Offaly and 2309 acres in Galway too. Lewis Frederick had 484 acres in Offaly and indeed 106 in Galway .The history of the company is too extensive to record fully here, but it went on to have branches and businesses in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Slane as well as Clara. The descendants of the Clara Goodbody family have prospered well too since and the name is still well known in Ireland.Another later generation Robert Goodbody lived in the house up until the 1920s. In 1913, the phone number of the house was Clara 10.At some stage , Mary the widow of Harold ( actually Joseph Harold) Goodbody,who had ” rebuilt” Kilcoursey House in 1909 moved into Charlestown House, possibly in the 1940s/50s? .In fact she moved into part of it as it had been internally split into 2 huge apartments .My information suggests that Harry Galbraith, a director of J. & L.F. Goodbody Ltd (and perhaps others )shared the building with her.Apparently, as had been suggested to me ,the house, and indeed the other Goodbody houses too were in fact owned by the company.To the best of my knowledge the last of the very large and extended Goodbody family to live in Clara were Desmond and Douglas,sons of Joseph Harold and Mary. In the 1970s Fred Payne and his son Bill bought Charlestown from the company. The Paynes continue to live there and indeed showed me kind hospitality on my visit. My own grandfather had agreed to buy Drayton Villa in the late 1930s but at the request of the local Roman Catholic Church who wished to purchase it he bought elsewhere instead (hopefully for a heavenly and financial gain),Kilcoursey was sold to the Flynn family (since resold ) and Inchmore was sold many decades ago to a religious institution,later sold for private use to Derry Kilroy,was resold, and now lies sadly in danger of dereliction, hopefully with better days to come.
In 1786 Wilson refers to Charlestown as the “the fine seat of Mr. King, most delightfully situated on the Shannon”. The first Ordnance Survey map marks both Charlestown House and Charlestown Old House closeby at M984 976. Valued at £46 at the time of Griffith’s Valuation. In 1894 Charlestown was the residence of Sir Gilbert King. The house is no longer extant but extensive estate architecture survives.
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. 56. [Trench sub. Ashtown] “An elegant two storey villa, built for William Trench, brother of 1st Lord Ashtown, and completed by 1807. Conclusively attributed to Richard Morrison by Mr McPartland, who describes it as “full of spatial surprises, introduced by the extraordinarly funnelled entrance.” The latter is a deep arched recess, beneath which the entrance door is set; it has a wide concave surround and is the dominant feature of the three bay entrance front; a front identical to those of two other Morrison villas in Offaly, Ballylin and Bellair. The interior is ingeniously planned, with domed lobbies and rooms that are bowed or covered with trellis-work barrel vaults. The plasterwork is by James Talbot, who was associated with Morrison on other houses.”
Detached three-bay two-storey over basement country house, built in 1807, with bow to east-facing side elevation and recessed entrance porch. Hipped slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles, rendered chimneystacks, cast-iron rainwater goods and open eaves. Ruled-and-lined roughcast rendered walls with tooled limestone plinth course and quoins to basement. Timber sash windows with hammer dressed limestone surrounds and sills. Keystones to windows on ground floor. Windows to front elevation and bow with chamfered limestone surrounds. Continuous sill course to first floor windows on front and side elevations with shouldered arch detail above entrance. Ground floor windows flanking bow set within blind arches. Segmental-headed window openings to basement of east-facing side elevation with limestone block-and-start surrounds and horizontal sliding sash windows. Cambered-arch window openings to front and rear elevations with horizontal sliding sash windows. Recessed entrance porch consists of a segmental-headed arched opening with hammer dressed limestone architrave, deeply coved stucco surround leadings into the porch with a groin-vaulted ceiling. Segmental-headed arch with panelled soffit frames square-headed door opening with architrave surround flanked by pilasters with console brackets supporting dentil cornice and decorative foliate frieze. Glazed double doors with classical panel set within egg-and-dart frame above. Greek key skirting to porch. Door accessed up six limestone steps. Basement area enclosed by rendered plinth wall. Sundial set on a fluted limestone column to front site. Ruined summerhouse to rear site. Coursed rubble stone wall enclosed front site to west. Limestone piers and wrought-iron gates and railings to front site. Walled garden and stable yard to west of house.
Cangort Park, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Cangort Park, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Cangort Park, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Cangort Park, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Cangort Park, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.
Designed by Sir Richard Morrison for William Trench and completed 1807, Cangort Park in an important villa designed by one of the most prolific and successful villa architects practicing in the early nineteenth century. Almost identical to Bellair in north County Offaly, Cangort Park also shares many similar features with other Morrison designed villas. The deeply recessed entrance porch with a coved surround accessed up limestone steps and containing an ornate door surround with classical plaque above, is a striking entrance to the villa. The bowed side elevation, open eaves, limestone string courses and limestone chamfered window reveals and surrounds all contribute to the appealing design of the house and the significance of the structure. However it is the interior plan and decoration of the villa that is of most interest. The wonderful domed stair hall located in the centre of the building contains a sweeping cantilevered staircase and is decorated with the Greek key motif. Off the west side of the axial corridor lies a library with superb barrel-vaulted ceiling, reputed to be elegantly decorated by James Talbot. Although in poor condition now, the quality of the stonework, detail of design and elegant interior make Cangort Park an important part of the architectural heritage of County Offaly.
William Trench of Cangort Park, Shinrone, county Offaly, born 1760, was the fourth son of Frederic Trench of Woodlawn, county Galway. He married Sarah Moore a granddaughter of Edward 5th Earl of Drogheda and they had 2 sons and 2 daughters. At the time of Griffith’s Valuation the Trenches held some land in the parish of Croom, county Limerick. In 1836 Henry Trench, the second son of William and Sarah married a Bloomfield of Redwood, county Tipperary. In the 1870s Henry Trench of Cangort Park, Roscrea, owned 4,707 acres in county Tipperary, 2,113 acres in county Offaly, 1,926 acres in county Limerick, 1,581 acres in county Galway, 704 acres in county Clare and 432 acres in county Roscommon. His nephew the Reverend William Robert Trench of Liverpool owned 817 acres in 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. 51. “[Minchin] A partly castellated 2 storey house built on the site of an old castle originally called Bouchardstown, after the original owner, Bouchard de Marisco. Granted in C17 to Charles Minchin; an early C18 house being built on the site of the old castle by Humphrey Minchin, MP, and improved by his son, another Humphrey. The house was partly burnt 1764, having been set on fire by robbers; it was subsequently rebuilt and given a slightly castellated facade, rather similar to the nearby Mount Heaton. Round tower at one end; 3 bay centre, with Georgian sash windows; bow-ended square tower with segmental pointed windows at other end of front. Battlemented and machicolated parapet. The side of the house is not castellated but quite plain; of three bays, the centre bay breaking forward. Lower service wing with gable at other end of house. Painted ceiling decoration in reception rooms. Early C19 round tower on the summit of wooded hill behind the house. Sold 1973.
George Minchin wearing a red military jacket, 18C English school, from Loughton house sale, 2016, Shepphards.
Busherstown House is situated about 2km from Moneygall village. It is a partly castellated house of two stories and 3 bays with a round tower attached at one end. The house was reconstructed by Mr. Humphrey Minchin in the early 18th century on the site of the castle of Bouchardstown which was owned by Mr. John Carroll and his son Donough in the first half of the 17th century. Mr Minchin also built an ornamental round tower on a hill overlooking the house.
Detached three-bay two-storey castellated country house, rebuilt c.1815, following fire in 1812. Built on site of an O’Carroll castle. Round-profile tower to north end of facade, projecting square-profile bays with full-height bow to south end of facade. Pitched and hipped slate roofs, hidden to front by castellated parapet. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Rear porch with hipped slate roof. Ruled-and-lined rendered walls to façade and south wing. Random coursed stone and roughcast render to rear elevations. Timber sash window with tooled stone sills. Four-centre arched door opening to front with timber panelled door and Gothic style fanlight having intersecting glazing bars, accessed by tooled stone steps. Stone outbuildings to north and east enclosing central yard. Outbuilding to north with cut stone bellcote. Integral carriage arch opening to north-west outbuilding with wrought-iron gate, accessing central yard. Outbuildings to north of yard and to west of walled garden have been renovated and currently used as apartment and art studio, respectively. Wrought-iron gate to north of facade. Walled garden to east with random coursed stone walls. Square-profile ashlar limestone gate piers to road with cast-iron gates and railings, and rendered sweeping walls. Spearhead finials to gates and railings.
Appraisal
The castellated façade of Busherstown House camouflages a unique structure that incorporates various wings, returns and extensions. The eclectic character of the residence is owed to the fact that it was constructed during various phases, the most notable of which resulted in the addition of its fine early nineteenth-century Gothic Revival frontage with terminating towers and a crenelated parapet. Features of note include the symmetrical sash windows and an attractive entrance door, which boasts a decorative fanlight. The ranges of outbuildings, set to the rear around a central courtyard, enhance the country house. The entrance to the house’s avenue is well presented with flat panelled ashlar limestone gate piers, which are complimented by iron gates and railings.
Busherstown, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Busherstown, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Busherstown, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Busherstown, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Busherstown, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.Busherstown, County Offaly, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.
In The Beauties of Ireland (1826), James Norris Brewer explains the name of Busherstown, County Offaly as follows: ‘Busherstown, the seat of the Minchin family, was originally called Bouchardstown, and formerly belonged to the de Mariscos. Bouchard de Marisco, from whom the name of this place is derived, left a daughter and heir, who married O’Carroll, of Clonlisk and Couloge…’ The accuracy of this tale might be open to question, since it seems hard to find any de Marisco with the first name Bouchard. There certainly were members of the family prominent in this part of the country, not least Geoffrey de Marisco, an ally of King John who in the first half of the 13th century was Justiciar of Ireland on several occasions: through his wife, Eva de Bermingham, he came to hold large swathes of land in this part of the country.
Whatever the origins of its name, Busherstown appears to have originated as a tower house perhaps in the 16th century when it was held by the O’Carrolls: the space now serving as a dining room in the centre of the western side of the building was probably the tower house. For their part in the Confederate Wars of the 1640s, the O’Carrolls forfeited the property and in 1669 it was granted by the English government to Charles Minchin, a soldier who had risen to the rank of Colonel in the Parliamentary army. Shortly before his death in 1681, Colonel Minchin bought a second property not far away, Ballinakill Castle, County Tipperary which had also begun as a tower house, this time built by the Butlers. The Minchins sold Ballinakill in 1760 and it is now a ruin, but they remained at Busherstown until 1973.
As mentioned, Busherstown appears to have originated as a tower house and at some date in the 18th century, perhaps following a fire in 1764, a new residence was added to the south end of the older building. This plain, three-bay, two-storey extension is clearly visible, the centre breakfront presumably once serving as an entrance; the room behind is much smaller than those on either side, indicating it was a hallway giving access to reception rooms. In the early 19th century, when the property was owned by George Minchin, further alterations to the property were made, not least the addition of a castellated entrance front, which was now moved to the west side. This features a round tower with hood mouldings at one end, and a bow-ended square tower at the other, the latter containing a porch through which one enters the building. Internally, little effort was made to continue the facade’s pseudo-Gothic decoration. What had probably been a dining room in the 18th century house was turned into a large hall, with the room behind it (formerly the entrance hall) becoming an ante chamber for the drawing room beyond. Behind this space is a curious wedge, thinner at the west than the east end, into which was inserted a staircase leading to bedrooms upstairs; a further extension beyond to the west leads gives access to a splendid stableyard. The quirky, provincial character of Busherstown means the house possesses an exceptional charm, helped by the mature and well-planted parkland in which it sits. After being sold by Richard Minchin in 1973, the property was owned by the Rudd family until they in turn disposed of Busherstown in 2011 after which it sat empty for some years until being bought more recently by the present owner who is gradually, and sympathetically, restoring the house.
Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Egans.
Bellair, Ballycumber, Offaly
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. 37. “Homan-Mulock/LGI1912; Wingfield, Powerscourt, V?PB] A 2 storey early C19 villa by Richard Morrison, with three bay entrance front identical to those of two other Morrison villas in Offaly, Ballylin and Cangort Park; dominated by a remarkable deep arched recess with concave surround, beneath which the entrance door is set. Side elevation has curved bow. Single storey pilastered addition. Passed to the writer, Mrs. Claude Beddington, daughter of F.B. Homan-Mulock; then to Mrs. Beddington’s daughter, Sheila, Viscountess Powerscourt.”
Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Savills.
Detached three-bay two-storey over raised basement country house, built c.1807, based on the villa plan. Hipped slate roof with overhanging paired bracketed eaves. Central entrance with deep recessed concave surround and square-headed entrance doorcase having fluted pilasters and pulvinated frieze set within. Square-headed window openings to ground and upper floors with three-over-three timber sash windows on the upper floor and six-over-six on the ground floor. Limestone surrounds with keystone to window openings and segmental headed limestone surrounds to basement openings. String couse at first floor sill course level. Bowed side elevation. Single-storey pilastered addition.
Appraisal
Bellair House is almost identical in plan and external and internal detailing to Cangort Park House. It has thus been attributed to Richard Morrison with some certainty. It was built for Thomas Horman Mulock (1765-1843).
Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Savills.Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Savills.
Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Savills.Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Egans.
Beautifully situated residential and agricultural estate with amenity Bellair Estate is a superb agricultural and residential estate with amenity extending to about 345 acres (140 hectares) in total. Situated in the heart of Ireland and occupying a private, rural location, the estate is extremely accessible, with the M6 situated 10 kilometres to the north. Bellair Estate comprises a rare combination of assets, including a charming country house at its core. The house is set within historic parkland and includes well-balanced and beautifully proportioned accommodation. A key feature of the estate is the dairy farm which carries a highly productive herd of dairy cows. There is a modern dairy complex with a 32-unit rotary parlour and a single shed providing winter accommodation for the entire milking herd, including 350 cow cubicles. A 5-bedroom modern house provides secondary residential accommodation and is presently occupied by the Farm Manager, while an uninhabited gate lodge offers the potential to provide further accommodation.
There is a further range of historic outbuildings which are of traditional construction and are centred upon a former cheesemaking plant. A particular advantage of the estate is the extent and quality of the farmland which lies in a contiguous block. A notable feature of the farmland is the excellent infrastructure, including good access via the public roads and a network of internal tracks, fencing and water supply. There is an abundance of amenity at Bellair, which is surrounded by a diverse rural landscape. The estate is for sale as a whole by private treaty, with a preference for a sale on a lock, stock and barrel basis. Bellair Estate has an excellent situation on the Offaly/Westmeath county border in the heart of the Irish Midlands. County Offaly is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uì Failghe and was formerly known as King’s County while Westmeath originally formed part of the historic Kingdom of Meath. It was named Mide because the Kingdom was located in the geographical centre of Ireland but was split into two counties, Meath and Westmeath in 1541. The market town of Clara is just 9 kilometres distant from Bellair Estate. Set on the River Brosna it has an array of amenities including restaurants, pubs, schools, churches, shops and boutique stores. Tullamore (20 km) and Athlone (24 km) are two larger, vibrant neighbouring towns with an abundance of good restaurants, hotels, pubs, supermarkets and a variety of boutiques and retail stores. Tullamore is the capital town of the county of Offaly and arguably the most central town in Ireland, located halfway between Dublin and Galway. Tullamore is famous for its Tullamore Dew whiskey which is based on the banks of the Grand Canal and is a popular tourist attraction. Athlone is located on the banks of the River Shannon and is the second most populous town in the Midlands region with numerous boating and fishing opportunities. There are a number of retail stores here including Athlone Towncentre shopping centre which contains a large number of high street brands and stylish boutiques. Dublin city centre is about 114 kilometres to the east of the estate and offers the full range of amenities, services and culture expected of a capital city. Bellair Estate is surrounded by an excellent transportation system with bus and rail services available in Clara. Dublin’s International Airport is 120 kilometres to the east and can be conveniently accessed via the M6 (10 km) and M50. Dublin Port, situated to the northeast of Dublin city centre, is about 117 kilometres distant from Bellair Estate with regular ferry crossings to the UK. The area surrounding Bellair Estate is renowned for its productive dairy and stock-rearing farms and as such, has a well-developed agricultural infrastructure including a good selection of merchants, milk processors, livestock markets and abattoirs. The landscape in the county is diverse, ranging from fertile, level land to bog areas producing turf in the summer months. The nearby area offers a wide range of quality sporting and recreational activities including, rugby, GAA, soccer, swimming, horse riding and tennis. The keen huntsman has a choice of packs, notably the Brosna Foxhounds, Westmeath Foxhounds and The East Galway Foxhounds. Golfers are well catered for in the surrounding area. Mote Golf Course is a challenging 18-hole parkland course just 10 kilometres distant. Other courses include Tullmore Golf Club (21 km) which was rated as 21st in the Top 100 golf courses in Ireland in the 2019 Irish Golfer Magazine and Athlone Golf Club (30 km) situated on the banks of Lough Ree. There are a number of exciting driven pheasant shoots in the area, some of which offer let days. Local schooling is available in the area including Scoil Bhride (10 km) and St Francis Boys Nation School (10 km) in Clara. There are a number of secondary schools available in both Tullamore and Athlone, with Athlone also providing third level education at Technological University of the Shannon. Private schooling is available at Cistercian College, Roscrea (53 km), Wilson’s Hospital College (48 km) and Clongowes Wood College (86 km) to name a few.
Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Egansand Savills.Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Egans.Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Egans.
Features
Superb early 19th Century house
Modern 350-cow dairy complex
Farm manager’s house
Land in a contiguous block
Swimming pool complex
Walled garden
Former gate lodge
Historic range of outbuildings
BER Details
BER: Exempt BER No: Performance Indicator:
Negotiator Details
James Butler
Viewing Information
Strictly by appointment with Savills Dublin – Country on + 353 (0) 1 663 4350
Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Egans.
Built in 1807, Bellair has capacity for a range of leisure activities – and to generate income
about 7 hours ago
Elizabeth Birdthistle
Address: Bellair Estate, Ballycumber, Co Offaly
Price: € 5,000,000
Agent: Savills
It is difficult to describe the Bellair estate, about 4km from the village of Ballycumber in Co Offaly, as there is so much on offer that will appeal to a multitude. Horses for courses, as the saying goes, though in the case of Bellair it would currently be more suited to those with a preference for beasts of the bovine kind.
As it stands, the estate is run as a successful dairy farm with a 1,576sq m (16,968sq ft) barn with a rotary parlour, a former cheese-making plant and estate offices – which have to be some of the nicest in the country as they are in a now restored old castle that predates the house itself. Add to that a farm manager’s house (185sq m/1,992sq ft) and a gate lodge to the main residence, which has four marvellous reception rooms and seven bedrooms and extends to a whopping 940sq m (10,117sq ft). And that is before you add in the basement, which the current owners do not use.
Then there are the sporting and leisure facilities. The property has a large indoor pool and a tennis court, plus lots of park and woodland should you prefer to view the lands on horseback. For hunting there are a number of driven pheasant shoots locally, and there are three golf courses within a 20km drive.
The history of the estate dates from 1757, when the Mulock family acquired the lands, which are today noted for productive dairy and stock rearing farms with a good agricultural infrastructure including merchants, milk processors, abattoirs and livestock markets.
Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Egans.
Richard Morrison, a former pupil of the great architect James Gandon, is credited with the design of the house, which is believed to date from 1807. The most famous resident was Sheila Beddington-Wingfield, the poet who later became Viscountess Powerscourt. Although she had spent many summers in the grounds as a child, in the end her aunt Enid Mulock left the entire estate to her. The current owners of this remarkable Georgian pile are the Baars family, who purchased Bellair in 1976. “It was my late husband Cees’s dream to be a farmer since he was a boy,” recalls chatelaine Jeanne Baars. “He had come to Ireland from Holland as a child and travelled extensively here. He just fell in love with Ireland and he also knew that the climate and soil were just perfect for a dairy farm.”
The Baars family ran the dairy farm, while Cees also established a cheese-making plant on the lands in the late 1970s and produced a Dutch-style cheese, which was sold under the Monte Bellair brand. Sadly, Cees died at the age of 59 in 2005. “Though I knew nothing about farming I really wanted to continue his work as it was his dream and we have a great manager here so we kept the whole thing going,” says Jeanne, who was 49 and had young children when her husband died.
Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Egans.Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Savills.Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Savills.Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Savills.Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Savills.Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Savills.
As her now-grown-up children have moved on with their lives and their own families, she is taking the “very emotional and difficult decision” to put her home and the business her husband established on the market through Savills, which is seeking €5 million. What she loves about her home is “its very open character, its quietness and all the old trees” studded about the estate. She planted lots of apple and pear trees imported from the Netherlands in the walled garden, so now the property has a lovely orchard that will produce enough apple pies to feed any amount of farm workers and visitors.
“What is rare about Bellair is that it not only has a superb dairy farm, you also have an incredible house. But it is also the opportunities to diversify that are important here – and not just the outbuildings but also the lands, which could be used for conservation,” according to James Butler of Savills, who is handling the sale.
Whatever new owners decide to do with Bellair, which is BER-exempt, they will most certainly be spoiled for choice.
Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Savills.Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Savills.Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Savills.Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Savills.Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Savills.Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Savills.Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, County Offaly for sale, photograph courtesy Savills.
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Bellair House, Tullamore, Ballycumber, Co. Offaly
from €8,000 / month
R35 X2V8 7 beds 940 m2
Egan?s are delighted to present Bellair House to the open market to rent. This magnificent country house was built in c.1807. Set amid the rolling green countryside of County Offaly, this grand Georgian residence reflects the architectural ideals of symmetry, proportion, and understated elegance characteristic of the 18th and early 19th centuries throughout England & Ireland. This fine country house is two-storey over a raised basement, with a three-bay façade and a recessed central entrance doorcase. Constructed between 1805 and 1810, Bellair House was designed by the renowned architect Richard Morrison for Thomas Homan Mulock. Its design is reminiscent of Cangort Park House, c.1807, reflecting the villa style popular in the early 19th century. The house is noted for its architectural, artistic, and historical significance. Inside, you will find spacious, high-ceilinged rooms with ornate cornices, original fireplaces, and large sash windows that flood the interiors with natural light. The central hallway features a sweeping cantilever staircase, with the rooms arranged symmetrically around it. Many of the original period features of Bellair House, have been maintained to the highest order, including recent paint works, works to the sash-windows, newly fitted kitchen appliances & so on. Accommodation consists of a morning room, drawing room, dining room, kitchen & ancillary rooms. On the first floor there are seven bedrooms & five WCs, which make for ideal family living. Outbuildings to include, the large front and rear garden, stables, sheds and the avenue to the road are available with this letting. Bellair House is steeped in history, with its most notable residence being, Anglo-Jewish heiress & poet, Sheila Wingfield. Sheila married the 9th Viscount of Powerscourt, Richard Wingfield, however, on the breakdown of their marriage, Powerscourt was sold to the sporting Slazenger family in 1961. Thus, making Sheila the last Viscountess Powerscourt. If you are interested in finding out more about this fine Georgian country house, please contact Egan Auctioneers. Viewing of this property is strictly by appointment only.
FOR SALE COURTESY SAVILLS
Beautifully situated residential and agricultural estate with amenity Bellair Estate is a superb agricultural and residential estate with amenity extending to about 345 acres (140 hectares) in total. Situated in the heart of Ireland and occupying a private, rural location, the estate is extremely accessible, with the M6 situated 10 kilometres to the north. Bellair Estate comprises a rare combination of assets, including a charming country house at its core. The house is set within historic parkland and includes well-balanced and beautifully proportioned accommodation. A key feature of the estate is the dairy farm which carries a highly productive herd of dairy cows. There is a modern dairy complex with a 32-unit rotary parlour and a single shed providing winter accommodation for the entire milking herd, including 350 cow cubicles. A 5-bedroom modern house provides secondary residential accommodation and is presently occupied by the Farm Manager, while an uninhabited gate lodge offers the potential to provide further accommodation. There is a further range of historic outbuildings which are of traditional construction and are centred upon a former cheesemaking plant. A particular advantage of the estate is the extent and quality of the farmland which lies in a contiguous block. A notable feature of the farmland is the excellent infrastructure, including good access via the public roads and a network of internal tracks, fencing and water supply. There is an abundance of amenity at Bellair, which is surrounded by a diverse rural landscape. The estate is for sale as a whole by private treaty, with a preference for a sale on a lock, stock and barrel basis.
Specially contributed to mark the Decade of Centenaries in Offaly #DecadeofCentenaries @DeptCultureIRL @DepartmentofCultureIRL Tourism-Culture-Gaeltacht @offalyheritage @offalylibraries
Bellair or Ballyard is in the Parish of Lemanaghan, in the Barony of Garrycastle and has an area of 1,198 acres and borders Hall, Westmeath in the north, Cappanalosset in the west, Moorock to the east and Springpark to the south. The dominant feature is the Hill of Bellair, which is visible from adjoining counties. The most striking feature of the Hill is the wonderful plantation of Beech and Fir trees which were planted on the instructions of Rev. Doctor Mulock. The Mulock or Mullock family were not planters, but were Irish landowners, who originated in the North of Ireland in the lands of Dal Araide.
The branch of the Mulock family that lived in Bellair and Kilnagarna originated near Ballynakill, Meelick [Miloc] in East Galway. During Cromwell’s time in Ireland the Mulock family were encouraged to convert from Catholicism to the English Church to secure large farms in Westmeath. As a result the Chapel in Bellair House was removed and the Altar Rails were donated to the Catholic Church in Millane. They were lost in the fire in the Church but, fortunately, St Manchan’s Shrine was saved.
Thomas Mulock from Ballynakill, Galway married Elizabeth Mulock from Cheshire in 1650 approximately and their son Thomas [1655 – ] married first Frances Meares and had one son Jeremiah, secondly Margaret Conran. Their son Robert Mulock practised as a doctor in Moate before moving to Banagher. He married Katherine Homan and their son Rev. John Mulock inherited Bellair Estate from his uncle John Mulock [John of Liss].
Rev. John was born in 1729 and obtained a B.A. Degree from Trinity College. He married Frances Wetherall and had four children Hurd Augustus, John, Sarah and Frances Amilia. He later married his first cousin Anne Homan from Surrock, Westmeath and had three children, Thomas Homan, Mary and Elizabeth. He acquired lands in Surrock, Westmeath with this marriage. He is credited with improving large tracts of land and with planting the trees on Bellair Hill. He also sponsored a dispensary and a school in Bellair to cater for the children of the families who were engaged in the Flax growing and linen weaving industry.
Rev. John Mulock died in 1803 after leaving his estates to his son Thomas Homan Mulock.
Thomas Homan Mulock (1765–1843) was educated in Ballitore School. He married Catherine Frances daughter of Thomas Berry, Eglish Castle and Elizabeth Bury, Charleville Castle and a direct descendent of King Edward. They had no children. He demolished the old Bellair House which stood close to the present house. The new Bellair House was designed by Richard Morrison, with a three-bay entrance front, dominated by a deep arched recess with a concave surround beneath which the entrance door is set. It includes a single storey extension. The design is said to be similar to Cangort House, Shinrone.
Thomas was given permission by his father Rev. John Mulock to build 50 slated houses in Bellair to accommodate the workers who were engaged in the Flax and Linen industry. The Agriculture and Manufactures Survey of the Kings County in 1801 by Sir Charles Coote described the plan for the village of slated houses to be very correct and not inferior to small manufacturing English Villages. More than 30 of the houses, including a Public House were built in Bellair Village and were known as “ Slate Row “.
Flax was grown extensively and land was acquired on “con acre” for this purpose. Thomas Lowe, an experienced flax grower was brought to Bellair by the Mulock family to teach the locals about flax growing and the processes involved in creating linen. He was initially accommodated in the Gate Lodge, but apparently impressed his masters to the extent that he was given the tenancy to a farm of adjoining land. Here he experimented in the production of flax.
People who planted an acre of Flax were awarded four Spinning Wheels and those who planted five acres were awarded a Loom. The industry provided full employment for the residents of Bellair and met its first recession in the 1770s and was recovering when the 1798 Rebellion broke out. The arrival of steam driven mechanical machinery finished the hand loom industry and the Famine left many families with no option but to emigrate to America. The population of Bellair dropped from 414 in 1841 to 266 in 1851.
Thomas Homan Mulock died in 1843 and is buried in Liss. He left his estate to his nephew Thomas Homan Mulock Molloy [1798 – 1889], a son of his sister Elizabeth and Laurence Bomford Molloy from Clonbela near Kilcormac.
Thomas Homan Mulock Molloy, later known as Thomas Homan Mulock [1798–1889] B.A., M.A., M.B., M.D., J.P., He was educated in Trinity College and he assumed, by Royal Licence, dated 14th February 1843 the name and arms of Homan Mulock. He married on 5th February 1828 in Liss Church, Frances Sophia Berry, daughter of John Berry, Cloneen, Kings County, a granddaughter of the Earl of Charleville and a lineal descendent of Oliver Cromwell. They had fifteen children. Thomas Homan Mulock was J.P. for King’s County and he served as High Sheriff for the County in 1849. Following the Famine years, many of the tenants had emigrated to America or died, the estate was in poor condition. At this time also, the family started to move away from Bellair, with many of the boys travelling to Australia. The remaining family left Bellair in 1854 and went to live on he continent.
Bellair House was rented to Robert Holmes, Captain Henry Ward, Rev. R.H. Dunne, Richard Goodbody for his honeymoon in the Summer of 1871 and to Robert Mooney. During this time Joseph Revington was Land Steward on Bellair Estate.
Thomas Homan Mulock died aged 92 on 25th June 1889 and is buried in Liss. His wife Frances Sophia died on 12th August 1863 and is buried in Leghorn, Italy.
Their son, William Bury Homan Mulock J.P., D.L., I.C.S., 1841–1921. Educated in Trinity College and was appointed to the Indian Civil Service. He served in Bombay in various roles including Inspector of Education and Senior Collector and Magistrate. He retired in 1889 and succeeded to his father’s estates.
The estates were in poor condition, and he carried out many improvements. According to his diaries, he had the farm buildings rebuilt, all the fields cleared of rocks, fern and brambles. He replaced the old hedges with stone walls and tilled the land. He employed 16 labourers at 7 shillings a week. He also had three farms in Westmeath, Knockdomney 100 acres, Killenboylegan 40 acres and Balnagarbary 30 acres which were the source of much agitation regarding the distribution of the land locally. A force of 30 to 40 Police Officers had to be stationed in Moate to protect the land and the elderly Herd. The movement of cattle and machinery between the three farms and Bellair had to be escorted by Police Officers.
William Bury Homan Mulock made an agreement with the Land Commission in 1910 to dispose of the farms under the Land Acts of 1908/9. His Bellair tenants also acquired their holdings under the same Land Acts. In 1918, ten years after becoming a Landlord without tenants, he described himself as living like an English squire, without fear of malicious injuries, cattle drives and burnings. He also explains that the Corn Production Act 1917 compelled occupiers to cultivate 10% more of their land than they cultivated in 1916 and in 1918 they were compelled to till a further 5%. The Agricultural Wages Board raised the Farm Labourers wages to 22 shillings and 6 pence per week and the Government doubled the Valuation of the land and increased the Income Tax assessment, making it difficult to make a profit.
Mulock was High Sheriff for King’s County and he died in 1921. In his will he left Bellair House and remainder of the Estate to his niece, Lady Hester Nina Nutting, but she refused it and gave it to her niece Sheila Claude Beddington Wingfield, Viscountess Powerscourt.
William’s brother, Francis Berry Homan Mulock was educated at Portora Royal School, Enniskillen and Trinity College. He entered the Indian Civil Service after passing an exam in 1869 and arrived in India in November 1871. He served in the North West Province and retired in 1898. He married Ethel Annie Braddon, daughter of Edward Nicholas Braddon, Premier of Tasmania, 1887 -1894, and author of the Australian Constitution in Bangalore, Bengal, India on 14th August 1878 and they had three children, Frances Ethel, Edward and Nina Hester.
Francis and Ethel purchased Ballycumber House and Estate in 1898. Their son Edward was born in Tregarth, Tasmania on 20th October 1881. He worked for the Diplomatic Service and married Elsie Mabel Hume Henderson on 5th June 1910 in London. He died in Kensington, London in 1946. Their daughter Nina Hester Homan Mulock was born in Aligurth, North West Province, India on 27th November 1882. She married Harold Stansmore Nutting in London on 6th August 1913. They had three sons, John Victor, Edward Christin and Harold Anthony. John and Edward were killed on active service in World War 2 and Anthony, later Sir Anthony Nutting is credited with negotiating the withdrawal of British Soldiers from Suez with President Gamal Abdel Nassar of Egypt in 1954. Nina Hester died in 1961 and her husband Harold passed away in 1972.
Her sister Frances Ethel was born in 1878 and died in 1963, she married Claude Beddington on the 16th October 1900 and they had three children. Frances Ethel had two books published, Book of Reminiscences and All that I have met. On a visit to her parents in Ballycumber in 1905, Frances Ethel, or as she was known in London society, Mrs Claude Beddington, learned that a son of a foreman in the Athlone Woollen Mills, had a wonderful tenor voice. It was arranged that the young John McCormack would come to Ballycumber and sing for Mrs Beddington and her mother. So impressed was she with him that she arranged with others for him to travel to Milan to train with the great singing teacher, Sabatini. John McCormack quickly made his fortune, but he never forgot the help Mrs Beddington gave him.
Claude Beddington, served with the Westmoreland and Cumbria Yeomanry in World War 1 and died aged 72 in World War 11 when his boat The Orca was machine gunned from the air off the coast of Wales.
Their sons Guy Claude born in 1902 in Middlesex, London, died of Tuberculosis in Munich in 1925 and Niall born in 1912 in St Marylebone, London, died in Switzerland on 16th January 1935.
Their daughter Sheila Claude was born 23rd May 1906 in Lymington, Hampshire and died in 1992. She married Mervyn Patrick Wingfield, 9th Viscount Powerscourt, from Enniskerry, Wicklow. He was High Commissioner of the Boy Scouts and Sheila was High Commissioner of the Girl Guides. Sheila was a writer and poet and had many literary works published including Beat Drum, Beat Heart. Her books, Real People and Sun Too Fast won her literary acclaim. They had three children; Grania Sybil Wingfield was born in1934 and married Hercules Ralph Hume Langrishe and lives in Co Meath.
Mervyn Niall Wingfield was born in 1935 and married Wendy Ann Pauline Slazenger in 1962. He succeeded to the titles, 10th Viscount Powerscourt, 4th Baron Powerscourt and 10th Baron Wingfield. He later married Pauline Van from San Francisco in London in 1978. Mervyn died in Thailand on 25th July 2015.
Guy Claude Patrick Wingfield was born in 1940 in Valdamere, Paget, Bermuda and died in Applegate, Placer County, California in 2017.
Because of Sheila’s poor health, and the effects of being captured by the Germans during World War II on Patrick’s health, they sold their estates. Powerscourt in Wicklow was sold in 1963 to the Slazenger family and Bellair to Patrick and Elise Dunne- Cullinan.
Patrick Dunne Cullinan had lived in Knockdrin Castle, near Mullingar from 1946 to 1961, when he sold the castle and land to a German couple. He was a noted horse man and owned a number of successful racehorses. The most successful was Royal Day, Galway Plate winner in 1967and 1969. He also served as President of the Royal Dublin Society from 1970 to 1972. In his younger days he acquired some fame as an actor and played the part of Denis O’Hara in the Irish produced film, Irish Destiny. He sold Bellair Estate in 1976 to Cornelius Barrs. The estate is currently for sale.
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. 17. C18 house of three storeys over basement. 5 bay front, doorcase with baseless pediment on console brackets, round headed window over. Wall carried up to be roof parapet. In 1814 the residence of George Marsh.
Irish Historic Houses 
