County Wexford

The Deeps, Crossabeg, Co Wexford 

by jenjunebug

The Deeps, Crossabeg, Co Wexford 

The Deeps, County Wexford, photograph courtesy Savills Ireland 2018.
The Deeps, County Wexford, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.

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. 100. “(Redmond/IFR) A single-storey house of ca 1800, with a colonnaded verandah along most of its front, which gives it an air of a bungalow in India. The colonnade is not quite central, having one bay on one side of it and one bay and a somewhat narrower bay on the other, The bays on either side of the colonnade are adorned with pilasters, which, like the columns, support an entabalture with a modillion cornice. Somewhat incongruously, the windows on either side of the colonnade have Gothich tracery, though this adds to the exotic flavour of the house. The home of John Redmond, MP, great-uncle of the more famous John Redmond who led the Irish Party.” 

The Deeps, County Wexford, photograph courtesy Screenwexford.

Price: €850,000

What: currently owned by artist Peter Pearson and his wife, Phil Stewart, this imposing colonial-style Regency villa on the banks of the River Slaney spans 468 square metres.

It features three reception rooms, five bedrooms, (two en suite), a wine cellar, pantry, storage rooms, a study, a two-storey coach house, stables, a walled garden, barn and sheds, all set on 42 acres.

Period details include decorative plasterwork, marble fireplaces, timber parquet floors, sash windows, French doors, terraces and verandas and stained glass windows.

Agent: Savills Country Homes

The Deeps, County Wexford, photograph courtesy Screenwexford.
The Deeps, County Wexford, photograph courtesy Screenwexford.
The Deeps, County Wexford, photograph courtesy Screenwexford.
The Deeps, County Wexford, photograph courtesy Screenwexford.
The Deeps, Crossabeg, Co Wexford
The Deeps, Crossabeg, Co Wexford, photograph courtesy of Savills Country Homes.
The Deeps, County Wexford, photograph courtesy Savills Ireland 2018.
The Deeps, County Wexford, photograph courtesy Savills Ireland 2018.

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/15703742/the-deeps-newtown-lower-sh-e-by-co-wexford

Detached three-bay (eight-bay deep) single-storey over basement country house, built 1836, on a rectangular plan; five-bay full-height rear (south) elevation. Sold, 1865. “Improved”, 1880, producing present composition. Occupied, 1901; 1911. Sold, 1947. Resold, 1979. Resold, 1981, to accommodate alternative use. Resold, 2001. Undergoing restoration, 2007. Hipped slate roofs on a quadrangular plan with roll moulded terracotta ridge tiles, cement rendered chimney stacks having concrete capping supporting terracotta pots, and replacement uPVC rainwater goods on rendered eaves retaining cast-iron octagonal or ogee-hoppers and downpipes. Rendered walls on rendered “bas-relief” plinth with rendered pilasters to corners supporting “Cyma Recta”- or “Cyma Reversa”-detailed cornice on blind frieze below parapet having rendered coping. Round-headed window openings centred on square-headed door opening (north) with cut-granite step threshold, rendered doorcase with monolithic pilasters supporting “Cyma Recta”- or “Cyma Reversa”-detailed cornice on “Acanthus”-detailed fluted consoles, and concealed dressings framing margined fixed-pane fittings centred on timber panelled door. Square-headed flanking window openings with cut-granite sills, and concealed dressings framing two-over-two timber sash windows. Square-headed window openings to rear (south) elevation with cut-granite sills, and concealed dressings framing six-over-six (west) or nine-over-six (east) timber sash windows. Interior including (ground floor): hall (north) retaining “basket weave” timber parquet floor, carved timber surrounds to door openings framing timber panelled doors, and groin vaulted ceiling; square-headed door opening into corridor with carved timber surround framing timber panelled door; top-lit corridor retaining “basket weave” timber parquet floor, carved timber surrounds to door openings framing timber panelled doors, and pilasters supporting groin vaulted ceilings centred on “oeil-de-boeuf” lanterns; study (north-west) retaining carved timber surround to door opening framing timber panelled door with carved timber surrounds to window openings framing timber panelled shutters, and plasterwork cornice to ceiling; reception room (west) retaining carved timber surround to door opening framing timber panelled door with carved timber surrounds to opposing window openings framing timber panelled shutters, reclaimed inlaid cut-white marble Classical-style chimneypiece, and moulded plasterwork cornice to ceiling centred on plasterwork ceiling rose; reception room (south-west) retaining carved timber Classical-style surrounds to door openings framing timber panelled doors centred on reclaimed inlaid cut-white marble Classical-style chimneypiece with carved timber surrounds to opposing window openings framing timber panelled shutters, and picture railing below egg-and-dart-detailed decorative plasterwork cornice to ceiling; bow-ended reception room (south) retaining carved timber surround to door opening framing timber panelled door with carved timber surrounds to opposing window openings, and moulded plasterwork cornice to ceiling; and carved timber surrounds to door openings to remainder framing timber panelled doors with carved timber surrounds to window openings framing timber panelled shutters on panelled risers. Set in landscaped grounds.

Appraisal

A country house erected for John Edward Redmond MP (1806-65; Lewis 1837 II, 624) representing an important component of the domestic built heritage of County Wexford with the architectural value of the composition, one most likely repurposing an eighteenth-century house annotated as “Newtown [of] Redmond Esquire” by Taylor and Skinner (1778, pl. 149), confirmed by such attributes as the deliberate alignment maximising on scenic vistas overlooking gently sloping grounds and the meandering River Slaney; the compact plan form; the definition of the principal “apartments” or reception rooms by a Colonial-esque “loggia”; and the parapeted roofline: meanwhile, aspects of the composition clearly illustrate the continued development or “improvement” of the country house in the later nineteenth century. Having been well maintained, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior where contemporary joinery; reclaimed Classical-style chimneypieces; and decorative plasterwork enrichments, all highlight the artistic potential of the composition. Furthermore, adjacent outbuildings (extant 1840); a walled garden (see 15703743); an ivy-enveloped “rustic lodge” (see 15703744); and a nearby gate lodge (see 15703745), all continue to contribute positively to the group and setting values of an estate having historic connections with the Walker family of nearby Tykillen House including Colonel Charles Stephen Walker (1841-1916), ‘Magistrate [and] Retired Colonel of 3rd “King’s Own” Hussars’ (NA 1911; cf. 15703749); and the Lockington family including Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Esmé Lockington RNR (1889-1962) and Major Derrick Bruce Esmé Garry Lockington MBE (—-).

The Deeps, County Wexford, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.
The Deeps, County Wexford, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.
The Deeps, County Wexford, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.
The Deeps, County Wexford, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.
The Deeps, County Wexford, photograph courtesy of National Inventory.

Irish Independent article by Fran Power, Mon 30th April 2018.

When you’ve spent your life collecting, documenting and painting Dublin’s architectural history, the prospect of downsizing might be a little daunting. What do you do with the door knobs, finger plates, house numbers or fire grates that you have salvaged? How do you throw out that shard of Nelson’s pillar found on O’Connell Street after the IRA bomb in 1966, or the samples of fine plasterwork saved from the demolition of Frescati House in the 1980s?

But artist Peter Pearson, vendor of a lovely Regency house filled to the brim with fragments of Dublin’s architectural past, is upbeat. He has plans for his collection. What is needed, he says, is a museum.

“Long-term I’d like to see my collection displayed,” he says. “They are not just pretty objects. They’re all documented, where they came from and, in that sense, they’re interesting. And it is really a lot of Dublin material, so I’m hopeful that – not just my stuff but other people’s, too – that it should all be incorporated in a proper museum about the building of Dublin.”

He has his eye on a potential site and is in talks with a few interested groups, but he adds that nothing has been finalised yet and these things take time.

For the moment though, his collections fill the house he shares with his wife, Phil, a textile artist currently working with the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin. How many collections does he have? “I don’t know. I’m embarrassed to say.”

The Deeps is surrounded by trees and lawn and lies about 18km south of Enniscorthy in Co Wexford. It comes to market with 42 acres of woodland and pasture and has extensive river frontage along the Slaney. It’s a house, says Peter, that is like “something you discover”, discreetly tucked into the landscape of hills and trees. And naturally, it is an architecturally interesting building.

Viewed from the west side, The Deeps is a single storey villa with a colonnade of pillars punctuated with tall Georgian windows. There are plantation shutters that still work and Peter thinks it might have been originally intended as a summer house. It has a vaguely colonial air.

“It looks uncannily like the Dun Laoghaire yacht clubs,” says Peter, whose book on the history of Dun Laoghaire, Between the Mountains and the Sea, was a bestseller.

On the entrance floor, the hallway has sprung vaulting that finishes with three oval top lights. The walls are decorated with plasterwork salvaged from the demolition of some of Dublin’s fine Georgian buildings in the 1970s and 1980s.

“At the time I was very active in trying to stop them knocking them down. And very often we weren’t successful so I’d then go along and talk to the builders at the demolition and they’d usually say take what you want.”

The floors throughout most of the entrance are parquet – sadly, the original floors were replaced sometime in the 1960s. The roof and all the major works, including replacing most of the modern windows with original sashes, rewiring and plumbing, were done when Peter and Phil brought the property back in 2001.

All the reception rooms and bedrooms lead off this corridor and most retain their original features. The music room is a beautiful book-filled space with a row of floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto the west-facing terrace. It has an elegant marble mantelpiece that predates the house. The double-aspect drawing room adjoining it has a similarly distinguished chimney piece, as well as unusual doors with relief classical figures that are original to the house.

Another more informal sitting room is where the couple tend to spend evenings with their two dogs, books and TV. It has a large west-facing bay that opens onto a spacious balcony with views over the grounds.

Off the hallway to the left are two large bedrooms, linked by a joint dressing room or perhaps a baby’s room. One is the guest room, with dusky pink walls inspired, Peter says, “by the clematis that comes out in May”. There’s a beautiful Victorian cast-iron fireplace that came out of a house in Bolton Street.

The master bedroom has a curved sash window with shutters and a curved radiator to match. Each bedroom has a generous en suite with marble mosaic floors and one still has a wonderful 1960s cast-iron bathroom suite in green.

A hot press, a gallery room, two further bedrooms and another bathroom complete this floor.

The land to the rear of the house falls away steeply enough to accommodate a lower storey that houses the working rooms – a warren that includes a scullery, pantry, office (the former plate room to house the silver) and wine cellar.

The kitchen is a warm and cosy room, with a Waterford Stanley and tiled floor installed by Peter. Off it is a delightful panelled dining room with a central French chandelier, a wood-burning stove and Gothic windows rescued from a bonfire in Dundrum. “It’s nice to use these pieces of history,” says Peter.

Outside there is a pretty stable yard. A central staircase divides one building and leads up to a walled garden with rare curved corners. The original hothouse walls still stand here, and Peter and Phil have cleared the beds and planted box hedging, fruit trees and vegetables. A wrought iron gate on one side leads to an ancient yew walk.

There is a haybarn and henhouses – the hens cluck around the walled garden – and all sorts of store rooms. The stables have been partially converted and now house huge studios for Peter’s painting and Phil’s textile work. A second building has been converted into a living space with bathroom, kitchen and bedroom. Work remains to be completed on these buildings to bring them up to scratch, but much of the heavy lifting has been done.

The Deeps is a magical spot. The house could easily accommodate a family, but could also be run as a small-scale eco-tourism venture – the land has been organic for many years – or as rental or guest accommodation.

A prospective buyer needs to keep in mind that the house is a protected structure and so any renovations would need to be respectfully carried out.

However, it also qualifies for Section 482, which means that repair, maintenance or restoration costs can be written off against the owner’s tax liability as long as the property is open to the public for 60 days a year.

The M11 extension to Oilgate, the nearby village, is due to be completed by the end of the year and will bypass the bottle-neck at Enniscorthy, reducing the drive-time to Dublin to an hour and 15 minutes or so.

As for the custodians of The Deeps, they are planning to move back to Dublin where their two grown-up sons now live, one an artist, the other working in Adam’s auction house, proving that the apples haven’t fallen too far from the tree.

Meanwhile Peter is culling his collections: “I think you need to deal with these things in your lifetime. It’s not really fair to leave it,” he says. “And, it’s better to deal with it in your own time and make sure that things are the way you want them.”

https://screenwexford.com/location/period-houses/the-deeps/

The Deeps is a 19th century period house in south County Wexford, Ireland.

The house may be an ideal filming location for scenes that need a rural period house or for ones that need unorthodox country house. The main house is compact, one storey tall, and has a unique colonnaded entrance way. Unlike larger period houses that dominate the landscape, the location fits in naturally with its rural setting. The farm buildings to the rear of the main house, and the extensive grounds further add to the rustic feel of the location.

The main house was built around 1840. It may have been originally built as a summer lodge, which may explain its small size and unusual facade. Behind the main house there is a main courtyard surrounded by farm buildings. The property also has many acres of forest and farmland. As well as the garden immediately behind the main house, there is also a late 18th century walled garden on the property. In the gardens, there are ponds, walkways, sculptures, and a ruined wall that once belonged to a hothouse. The forest is on the banks of the River Slaney and the property has good views of the river.

Article in Irish Times Thurs May 25th 2006: “Reviving the Deeps, from Shallow Pockets.”

The Deeps in Co Wexford, a Regency villa, needed help. Peter and Phil Pearson had slender means but enthusiasm, expertise and a good collection of architectural salvage, when they bought it. Robert O’Byrne reports

ON A BALMY summer evening, the long low façade of The Deeps suggests it should have been built not in Ireland but in some remote region of the British colonies. Those shuttered French windows look designed to be flung open for cool drinks on the terrace, served by turbaned servants prior to guests being ushered into a dinner of curry and chat about the colonel’s wife.

But instead, The Deeps was constructed for a branch of one of the Co Wexford’s best-known local families, the Redmonds; a descendant, John Redmond, rose to national prominence at the start of the last century as leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party.

By then, the Redmonds had long since left The Deeps which passed through a variety of hands – and uses – before being bought five years ago by Peter and Phil Pearson. Like so many other couples interested in taking on a major restoration project, they looked at plenty of houses before settling on this one.

“Lots of other houses,” confirms Peter, who enjoys an eminent reputation as a conservationist, author and painter. “We very nearly bought another place in Louth,” he continues, “but then someone told us about The Deeps.”

Set amid mature woodland that falls away to the banks of the River Slaney, the house lies only a few kilometres outside Wexford town but feels wonderfully secluded. By the time the Pearsons arrived, it desperately needed a complete overhaul; over the past few years The Deeps has been re-roofed, rewired and replumbed.

Large tracts of the surrounding gardens have been cleared, a couple of tatty lean-tos removed and a thriving colony of hens and geese established. In addition to these fowl, the Pearsons keep cattle, pigs and goats on their 45 acres of land, they have an orchard of apple and pear trees, grow a variety of soft fruits plus a wealth of vegetables.

Their dedication to The Deeps is impressive especially since, to paraphrase a certain political party’s one-time electoral slogan, while a lot has been done a lot still remains to do.

The wonderful walled garden, for example, with unusual curves at each of its corners, has only been semi-recovered from nature allowed to run verdant. Just beyond lies a fine yew walk that could definitely benefit from some attention, the pedimented stable block has scarcely been touched and some of the main house’s external cornicing will have to be replaced sooner rather than later.

Although the house might be called The Deeps, the Pearsons’ pockets are better described as shallow. Moreover, explains Peter, “unfortunately when we came here initially we weren’t in a position to do anything at all. It was just after 9/11 and we still hadn’t sold our house in Dublin. So we just had to move in, live with the problems and gradually work around them”. This was no easy task. To take one instance, the kitchen – darker than ought to be the case due to later extensions immediately outside its windows – was afflicted with such chronic damp that the entire floor had to be taken up and a proper dampcourse laid down.

The Pearsons have now received fnancial assistance received from both the Heritage Council and the local authority in Wexford towards restoration of The Deeps.

“Trying to deal with, and conquer, the damp is one of the biggest problems with old Irish houses,” says Peter. The problem was exacerbated in The Deeps because the lower level of the house is effectively built below ground. The couple have managed to regain control by such simple expedients as installing storage heaters and making sure all windows are regularly opened to allow plenty of air to circulate.

When it came to restoration, one advantage the Pearsons enjoyed over almost anyone else embarking on a similar project was that they could draw on Peter’s remarkable collection of architectural salvage, historic items that he has accumulated over decades for no reason other than personal interest. Walking around The Deeps, he is able to point out various instances of recycling; much of the glass in the newly-reinstated sash windows came from Dublin Castle when a home was made there for the Chester Beatty Library.

Likewise inside what was probably once the house’s morningroom, the main window’s frame and shutters look original but are, in fact, made from old pieces saved from destruction by Peter.

Downstairs next to the kitchen (now warm and snug and dry and with no hint of its former miserable state) he and Phil have created a charming panelled diningroom almost entirely from salvaged material; its pretty Gothic window looking into the hall passage came from a house in Dundrum, Co Dublin, while the Gothic cupboard door was rescued from the paper mills in Saggart.

The stylistic features of this room find a curious echo on the façade of the house. While from a distance The Deeps proposes the unadulterated appearance of a classical Regency villa, closer inspection reveals one of its quirks: on either side of the main colonnaded façade are windows with Gothic tracery.

Furthermore, while there is only a single bay on the side closest to the principal door, there are two at the other end of the front. Idiosyncrasies of this kind indicate that The Deeps was extended and altered on several occasions. The earliest evidence for the Redmond family’s association with the place is 1777 and at least part of the present structure probably dates from around that time.

The house was then greatly extended in the early 19th century, one of the most attractive extant elements from that period being the pair of shallow bow windows to the rear. Further work took place around 1880 with the addition of servants’ quarters.

Another notable aspect of the house is its deceptive size. From the exterior, The Deeps looks like a relatively modest summer pavilion. While this might have been its initial purpose, the place is now big enough to provide permanent accommodation for a family much bigger than that of the Pearsons.

Downstairs, a line of bells to summon servants indicate that in the 19th century there was a drawingroom, diningroom, smoking room, morningroom and at least six bedrooms but only one bathroom.

Along the centre of the house runs a wide pilastered corridor with sprung vaulting that finishes in three oval top lights. Some of the rooms that open off it retain more original features than others; the two main reception areas – one of them created when two smaller spaces were knocked together – contain really splendid 18th century Adamesque chimneypieces that look as though they were brought from a larger house.

Sadly most of the old floors are gone, replaced 40-odd years ago by harsh parquet; the boards that did survive were buried beneath linoleum. Similarly a lot of the house’s shutters and window entablatures were also pulled out by previous owners. Thanks to the labours of a first-class joiner from nearby Enniscorthy these are gradually being replaced.

The worst of onerous restoration now behind them, the Pearsons can start to turn their attention to more pleasant tasks, such as choosing colours for walls. When, that is, they’re able to take a break from other duties such as collecting fuel for a wood-burning stove that can heat the entire place, hacking back invasive bamboo, protecting soft fruit from the birds, constructing a new woodshed, minding their livestock, tending the vegetable garden . . . evening drinks on the terrace will have to wait.

Peter Pearson has an exhibition of his paintings of houses and architecture in the Pigyard Gallery, Wexford from June 2nd

Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford

by jenjunebug

Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers

Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.

Y35 YH76 4 beds3 baths357 m2

Ozier Hill, Taghmon, Co. Wexford, Y35 YH76 with approx. 5.25 ha (13 acres) Description A charming and well-presented period house surrounded by lovely gardens, with adjoining attractive stone courtyard. Stables, hay barn and competition size all weather sand arena with good grazing land in a scenic rural setting. Situated a short distance off the N25 Waterford to Wexford Road the property is approached from the a R738 r via a tree lined avenue that leads to the front of the house.

Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.
Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.
Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.

The reception rooms and the principal bedrooms are bright and well-proportioned with lovely views across the surrounding gardens. Extensive lawns are bordered by planting that offers a profusion of colour throughout the summer.

Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.

Location This is a pleasant rural area in which to live with much to offer those interested in country pursuits. There is a choice of hunts locally, as well as equestrian training facilities and competition venues. Golf courses nearby include the championship links course at Rosslare, and salmon fishing can be arranged on the river Slaney and sea fishing from Kilmore Quay. There are excellent sailing and cruising facilities and the sandy beaches of the southeast coast are only 16 km distant. Situated close by is the village of Taghmon, with a choice of shops and a primary national school. The provincial town of Wexford has shopping centres, restaurants, cinemas etc. It also hosts annually the internationally renowned Wexford Festival Opera. Dublin city and airport 156 km, Wexford 14.5 km, Rosslare Harbour with its ferry service to the UK 24km, Kilmore Quay 16km and Taghmon village 1km History Taghmon is in the heart of Norman country, with an abundance of walking trails, Norman castles and monastic ruins dating back to the 12th century. According to an entry in Houses of Wexford, Ozier Hill was originally a farmhouse dating from prior to 1741. It was remodelled in the mid-19th century as a Church of Ireland rectory and retains period features from that time, including an original carved oak fireplace. The present owners carried out renovations in 2004, preserving and enhancing the character of the building.

Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.
Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.
Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.
Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.
Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.
Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.

Accommodation The entrance/stairs hall with oak flooring extends the full depth of the house and off which all the main rooms radiate. To the right are the bright and spacious interconnecting drawing and dining rooms which overlook the gardens. To the left, the sitting room and the kitchen/breakfast room off which is a utility room, a boot room which in turn opens to a tack room and also to the courtyard.

Upstairs there are four double bedrooms and two bathrooms, with the main bedroom having an ensuite shower room.

Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.
Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.
Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.
Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.
Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.

There is a further bedroom annexe which could be used as a nursery or spacious dressing room. Full details of the accommodation measurements are shown in the floor plans. Outbuildings The outbuildings include a cut stone courtyard adjoining the house with four loose boxes, two coach houses with overhead loft, garage with an outer yard with four span barn with lean-to and five modern loose boxes. There is also a floodlit competition size all weather arena. The Lands The lands total approximately 5.25 ha (13 acres) of which about 2 acres comprise the house, yard and gardens the remaining 11 acres is level good quality grazing land all in old pasture in six part post and railed divisions.

Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.
Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.
Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.
Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.

Features 

Well presented private period residence. Good quality pastures. Excellent equine facilities.

Ozier Hill, Taghmon, County Wexford for sale courtesy Colliers.

https://www.businesspost.ie/property/wexford-period-home-with-lush-gardens-is-a-winner-alright/

by Tina-Marie O’Neill, May 20, 2023

Ozier Hill was originally a farmhouse dating from before 1741. Ozier Hill was remodelled in the mid-19th century as a Church of Ireland rectory.

From the French, the term ‘ozier’ is a variant of the topographic name for someone who lived near a willow tree or willow grove and stems from the Gaulish word ‘osier’ or ‘willow’.

Set within its own copse of specimen trees on a plot of some 13 acres in Taghmon in Co Wexford is Ozier Hill, a charming period home of almost 360 square metres, which has just come to market with Marcus Magnier of Colliers, who is guiding €950,000 for it.

The beautifully presented residence would suit buyers with an equestrian lean given its adjoining attractive stone courtyard and competition-size, all-weather sand arena, which is surrounded by lush gardens and good grazing land.

According to an entry in Houses of Wexford, Ozier Hill was originally a farmhouse dating from before 1741. It was remodelled in the mid-19th century as a Church of Ireland rectory and retains period features from that time, including an original carved oak fireplace. The present owners carried out renovations in 2004, preserving and enhancing the character of the building.

The property is approached from the R738 via a tree-lined avenue that leads to the front of the house.

A black front door opens to a wide and inviting entrance hall with oak floors, coving and ceiling roses and which extends the full depth of the house. All the main reception rooms radiate off that central, spinal hall.

To the right of it are the bright and spacious interconnecting drawing and dining rooms. Decorated in pale cream carpets with tasteful wallpapers, these sophisticated rooms both have open fires with attractive fire surrounds in marble and mahogany and dual aspect sash windows overlooking the gardens.

To the left of the hall, the family sitting room has oak floors, an open fire and decorative ceiling cornicing.

The large, adjacent kitchen/breakfast room has an extensive range of base and wall-mounted, cream, Shaker-style timber units, black granite worktops, the quintessential country kitchen staple – an Aga, this one in duck egg blue, tiled floors and splashbacks, a range of integrated appliances and ample space for a large table adn chairs and a window seat.

Off the kitchen is a utility room with additional fitted storage off it, and a boot room, which opens to a tack room and has access to the courtyard.Upstairs there are four large, luxurious double bedrooms and two bathrooms, with the main bedroom having an en suite shower room.
There is a further bedroom annexe which could be used as a nursery or spacious dressing room.Outside, situated a short distance off the N25 Waterford to Wexford Road, Ozier Hill offers extensive lawns bordered by planting that offers a profusion of colour throughout the summer.
Its cut stone courtyard adjoining the house has four loose boxes, two coach houses with an overhead loft, a garage with an outer yard with a barn and lean-to and five modern loose boxes. There is also the floodlit, all-weather arena.
The house, yard and gardens sit on some two acres of the overall 13, the remaining acreage offering good quality grazing land all in old pasture in six part post and railed divisions.Taghmon is in the heart of Norman country, with an abundance of walking trails, Norman castles and monastic ruins dating back to the 12th century.
Taghmon Village has a choice of shops and a primary national school. Wexford town is some 14.5 km away and has shopping centres, restaurants and a choice of facilities.
The rural area boasts a choice of equestrian training facilities and competition venues, golf courses, river and sea fishing, sailing facilities and sandy beaches along the southeast coast, which is only 16 km away.
Dublin city and airport are 156 km away.
Services include mains electricity, high speed broadband, well water, oil fired central heating and septic tank drainage.
For more details contact Colliers director, Marcus Magnier, at 01-6333700

Ballinapark House, Bunclody, County Wexford

by jenjunebug

Ballinapark House, Bunclody, County Wexford

not in Bence-Jones

Ballinapark House, Bunclody, County Wexford for sale June 2025 courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald

€650,000 Y21 KR02 4 beds3 baths455 m2

Description 

A CHARMING PERIOD RESIDENCE SET ON APPROXIMATELY 1.10 HECTARES (2.7 ACRES) OF BEAUTIFULLY LANDSCAPED PRIVATE GARDENS, SURROUNDED BY PICTURESQUE PARKLAND AND WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF VIBRANT BUNCLODY TOWN. SPECIAL FEATURES • Elegant period residence, nestled on approximately 1.10 hectares (2.7 acres) of landscaped gardens, surrounded by picturesque parkland • Accommodation extending to approx. 454.6 sq.m (4,893 sq.ft) • 3 elegant receptions rooms & 4 spacious bedrooms • Electric gates ensuring security and privacy • Within walking distance of Bunclody town offering easy access to shops, schools, sports clubs, and Bunclody Golf & Fishing Club BALLINAPARK HOUSE Ballinapark House is a charming two-storey over basement residence, designed in a classic hunting and shooting lodge style, and originally formed part of the Newtownbarry House Estate in Bunclody. Upon entering, you are welcomed into a bright porch, where two small arched windows allow natural light to filter in, highlighting the stunning original cut stone flooring. This space leads seamlessly into the entrance hall, where a staircase connects the various floors. To the left, the drawing room offers a refined setting for entertaining, featuring a marble open fireplace that adds warmth and character. While two large sash windows, complete with original shutters, enhance the room’s grandeur. On the opposite side of the hall, the dining room is equally impressive. Spacious enough to seat twelve comfortably, it’s ideal for hosting gatherings. A patio door extends the space outdoors to a raised patio area, perfect for alfresco dining. Returning to the entrance hall the staircase leads you down to the lower ground floor, where a patio door in the corridor opens to a beautifully enclosed courtyard at the rear of the house. As you continue along the corridor, you will pass a spacious WC before reaching the living room, a cosy, everyday space. The room is adorned with panelling and library-style shelving, and is warmed by a wood-burning stove, adding both comfort and character. The stairs continue down to the basement, where you will find the kitchen. This traditional space features wooden cabinets, an island unit, a double Belfast sink, a gas hob, and a classic Aga. A door from the kitchen leads out to a walled garden at the side of the house. The basement also includes a couple of small rooms, ideal for storage or various other uses. As you ascend the stairs to the first floor, the return landing leads to two generously sized double bedrooms and the main bathroom, which is equipped with a shower, toilet, bidet, and a free-standing bathtub. At the top of the stairs, there are two more spacious double bedrooms, both offering stunning views of the surrounding garden and parkland. One of these is the principal bedroom, which includes an ensuite bathroom with a toilet, shower, and vanity unit. GARDENS & GROUNDS Ballinapark House enjoys a secluded and private setting, surrounded by picturesque parkland and offering scenic views over the Blackstairs Mountains. A long driveway, secured by electric gates, leads to the property, ensuring both privacy and security. As you arrive, you are greeted by a large gravel forecourt that seamlessly transitions into a sprawling lawn, bordered by mature trees and shrubs. To the side and rear of the house, an enclosed walled garden provides a tranquil retreat, with neatly maintained lawns separated by meandering gravel paths. The garden is adorned with a variety of plants and shrubs and features a dedicated area with raised beds sewn with a wide range of vegetables, complemented by a greenhouse and a nearby garden tool shed. Tucked into one corner of the walled garden, a charming courtyard houses four small sheds, perfect for storing firewood and other outdoor essentials. The walled garden is directly accessible from the kitchen, where a raised patio provides the perfect spot for summer barbecues and outdoor relaxation. The outdoor amenities are further enhanced by a spacious double garage, located on the opposite side of the rear of the house, providing ample storage and secure parking. LOCATION Ballinapark House enjoys an ideal location within walking distance of Bunclody, a charming yet vibrant town offering an array of cafes, boutiques, restaurants, pubs, supermarkets, and hotels. One of its standout attractions is the Bunclody Golf & Fishing Club, set on 300 acres of stunning parkland along the River Slaney within the former Hall-Dare Estate. Since opening in March 2009, the course has been ranked among the top 21 parkland courses in Ireland and was recently voted ‘The Best Hidden Gem in Ireland.’ The club also features a driving range and an excellent clubhouse with a shop, bar, and restaurant serving a top-quality menu. Bunclody is also home to various sports clubs, including an outdoor heated swimming pool with tennis courts, a GAA club, a soccer club, and a polo club. For families, the town offers a range of educational options, including two national schools and two secondary schools, notably FCJ Secondary School, which has a strong reputation for academic excellence. Beyond Bunclody, Ballinapark House is conveniently located approximately 21km from Enniscorthy and 31km from Gorey, both of which offer a wealth of additional amenities. For those who enjoy coastal escapes, the beautiful beaches of Morriscastle and Ballymoney are just a 40-minute drive away. Meanwhile, the vibrant city of Kilkenny, known for its excellent shopping and renowned restaurants, is only 50 minutes away. For commuters and travellers, the property is ideally situated approximately 120km from Dublin and 125km from Dublin Airport, making it well-connected while still offering a peaceful countryside retreat.

Accommodation 

BER Details 

Exempt

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/15602022/ballinapark-house-ballinapark-bunclody-co-wexford

Detached five-bay two-storey over basement farmhouse, extant 1839, on a T-shaped plan centred on single-bay full-height gabled projecting breakfront. Sold, 1862. “Improved”, pre-1904, producing present composition. Leased, 1911. Sold, 1980. Reroofed. Replacement pitched artificial slate roof on a T-shaped plan centred on pitched (gabled) artificial slate roof with pressed or rolled lead ridges, lichen-spotted cut-granite coping to gables on cut-granite “Cavetto” kneelers with fine roughcast chimney stacks to apexes having cut-granite capping supporting terracotta or yellow terracotta octagonal pots, and uPVC rainwater goods on slate flagged eaves retaining cast-iron octagonal or ogee hoppers and downpipes. Part creeper- or ivy-covered fine roughcast walls. Segmental-headed central door opening approached by flight of three cut-granite steps with red brick header bond voussoirs framing timber panelled door having overlight. Round-headed window openings to “cheeks” with concealed dressings framing fixed-pane timber fittings. Square-headed window openings with cut-granite sills, and concealed dressings framing one-over-one timber sash windows having part exposed sash boxes. Interior including (ground floor): central hall retaining carved timber surrounds to door openings framing timber panelled doors; and carved timber surrounds to door openings to remainder framing timber panelled doors with carved timber surrounds to window openings framing timber panelled shutters. Set in landscaped grounds.

Appraisal

A farmhouse erected by George Browne (—-) representing an important component of the eighteenth-century domestic built heritage of Bunclody with the architectural value of the composition suggested by such attributes as the deliberate alignment maximising on scenic vistas overlooking gently rolling grounds and the meandering River Slaney; the symmetrical footprint centred on an expressed breakfront; and the diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a graduated visual impression: meanwhile, aspects of the composition clearly illustrate the continued development or “improvement” of the farmhouse in the later nineteenth century. Having been well maintained, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the historic or original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior where contemporary joinery; restrained chimneypieces; and plasterwork refinements, all highlight the artistic potential of the composition. Furthermore, an adjacent stable outbuilding (see 15602023); and a distant gate lodge (see 15602024), all continue to contribute positively to the group and setting values of an estate having historic connections with the Browne family including John Wesley Browne (—-); and a succession of tenants of the Hall-Dares of neighbouring Newtownbarry House including Lieutenant-General Brabazon Henry Pottinger (1840-1913), ‘Lieutenant-General – Retired List’ (NA 1901); and Reginald Barclay (—-), ‘Colonel in Army’ (NA 1911).

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/15602024/ballinapark-house-ballinapark-bunclody-co-wexford

Detached three-bay single-storey gate lodge with half-dormer attic, extant 1904, on a rectangular plan centred on single-bay single-storey gabled advanced porch. Hipped slate roof including gablets to window openings to half-dormer attic; pitched (gabled) slate roof (porch), roll moulded terracotta ridge tiles, replacement yellow brick Running bond off-central chimney stack having corbelled stepped capping supporting terracotta pot, decorative timber bargeboards to gables on timber purlins, and cast-iron rainwater goods on timber eaves boards on slightly overhanging eaves retaining cast-iron downpipes. Part repointed coursed rubble stone walls originally rendered with hammered granite flush quoins to corners. Camber- or segmental-headed central door opening with red brick header bond voussoirs framing replacement glazed timber panelled door having overlight. Camber- or segmental-headed flanking window openings with cut-granite sills, and red brick header bond voussoirs framing timber casement windows. Set back from line of road at entrance to grounds of Ballinapark House.

Appraisal

A gate lodge illustrating the continued development or “improvement” of the Ballinapark House estate in a later nineteenth century with the architectural value of the composition suggested by such attributes as the compact rectilinear plan form centred on a windbreak-like porch; and the decorative timber work embellishing a high pitched roofline. Having been well maintained, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, thus upholding the character or integrity of a gate lodge forming part of a neat self-contained group alongside an adjacent gateway (see 15602025) with the resulting ensemble making a pleasing visual statement in a sylvan street scene.

Kilmannock House, County Wexford

by jenjunebug

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. 

supplement. 

p. 298. “(Houghton/LG1863; Knox.IFR; Barrett-Hamilton/LGI1912) A three storey five bay breakfront Georgian house, with a triple window in the centre of the middle storey. C19 projecting porch. The side elevation, which is longer than the front, has a two storey centre with very high windows.”

Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald

Kilmannock House On 82.5 Acres, Campile, Co. Wexford, Y34T271

Sold: €600,000Asking: AMV: €1,200,000

14 Bed5 Bath

Kilmannock House is a truly magnificent Georgian style residence offering a five bay, three storey over basement with Doric columns with a cement coating while still retaining its raised quoins. Dating back to 1735 on 82.5 acres, the property, which offers 14 bedrooms and very generous reception space also allows for an array of outbuildings and sheds.

Kilmannock House, which is positioned in South West Wexford, is near vibrant Campile Village and offers 82.5 acres in one block. The property itself will require upgrading, however it offers huge opportunities from several vantage points.

The Lands and out buildings: 82.5 acres of which c7acres is set out in woodland with the remainder in grass or tillage use.

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/15703912/kilmannock-house-kilmannock-co-wexford

Detached five-bay (three-bay deep) three-storey over basement country house, built 1780, on T-shaped plan centred on single-bay single-storey flat-roofed projecting porch to ground floor; single-bay (single-bay deep) full-height lean-to central return (west). Hipped slate roof on a quadrangular plan centred on lean-to slate roof (west), clay ridge tiles, paired granite ashlar central chimney stacks on granite ashlar chamfered bases having stringcourses below capping supporting terracotta or yellow terracotta pots, and cast-iron rainwater goods on timber eaves boards on rosette-detailed timber consoles with cast-iron downpipes. Roughcast coursed or snecked rubble stone walls on cut-granite chamfered cushion course on rendered, ruled and lined plinth with rusticated cut-granite quoins to corners. Segmental-headed central door opening in tripartite arrangement approached by flight of six cut-granite steps, doorcase with three quarter engaged Doric colonettes on plinths supporting ogee-detailed cornice on blind frieze on architrave, and concealed dressings framing timber panelled double doors having overlight with fixed-pane sidelights. Square-headed window opening in tripartite arrangement (first floor) with cut-granite sill, monolithic mullions, and rendered surround framing two-over-two timber sash window with blind side panels. Square-headed window opening in tripartite arrangement (top floor) with cut-granite sill, monolithic mullions, and rendered surround framing four-over-eight timber sash window having two-over-four sidelights. Square-headed window openings with cut-granite sills, and rendered surrounds framing one-over-one (ground floor), two-over-two (first floor) or three-over-six (top floor) timber sash windows. Interior including (ground floor): central hall retaining carved timber surrounds to door openings framing timber panelled doors, Ionic columnar screen (west), and plasterwork cornice to ceiling; and carved timber surrounds to door openings to remainder framing timber panelled doors with carved timber surrounds to window openings framing timber panelled shutters. Set in landscaped grounds.

Appraisal

A country house erected for Henry Thomas Houghton (d. 1798) representing an important component of the later eighteenth-century domestic built heritage of south County Wexford with the architectural value of the composition, one succeeding an earlier house (1735) annotated as “Kilmanick [of] Houghton Esquire” by Taylor and Skinner (1778 pl. 151), confirmed by such attributes as the deliberate alignment maximising on panoramic vistas overlooking the meandering Campile River with the medieval Dunbrody Abbey as a picturesque eye-catcher in the near distance [SMR WX039-03001-]; the symmetrical frontage centred on a Classically-detailed doorcase demonstrating good quality workmanship; the diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a graduated visual impression; and the decorative timber work embellishing the roof: meanwhile, aspects of the composition clearly illustrate the “improvement” of the country house following its sale by George Powell Houghton (1816-63) through the Encumbered Estates Court (1862). Having been well maintained, the form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior, including some shimmering glass in hornless sash frames: meanwhile, a screened hall; contemporary joinery; Classical-style chimneypieces; and decorative plasterwork enrichments, all highlight the artistic potential of the composition. Furthermore, nearby outbuildings (—-); a walled garden (see 15703913); and a gate lodge (1879) attributed to Sir Thomas Drew (1838-1910) of Dublin (Craig and Garner 1975, 62), all continue to contribute positively to the setting of an estate having subsequent connections with the Barrett-Hamilton family including Captain Samuel Barrett-Hamilton (1838-1906) ‘late of Kilmannock House Arthurstown County [Wexford]’ (Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1907, 15) and Major Gerald Edwin Hamilton Barrett-Hamilton (1871-1914) ‘late of Kilmanock [sic] Arthurstown County [Wexford] who died on South Georgia South America’ (Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1914, 19); and Major John Barnwell DSO (1885-1976).

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/15703914/kilmannock-house-kilmannock-wexford

Gateway, built 1879, on a symmetrical plan comprising pair of cut-granite monolithic piers having shallow pyramidal capping supporting spear head-detailed cast-iron double gates with cut-granite monolithic outer piers having shallow pyramidal capping supporting spear head-detailed cast-iron railings. Road fronted at entrance to grounds of Kilmannock House.

Appraisal

A gateway forming part of a self-contained group alongside an adjacent gate lodge attributed to Sir Thomas Drew (1838-1910) of Dublin (Craig and Garner 1975, 62) with the resulting ensemble making a pleasing visual statement in a sylvan street scene at the entrance on to the grounds of the Kilmannock House estate. NOTE: An armorial plaque carries the intertwined monogram (“SB”) of Captain Samuel Barrett-Hamilton JP DL (1838-1906).

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/15703913/kilmannock-house-kilmannock-co-wexford

Walled garden, extant 1840, on a square plan with creeper- or ivy-covered coursed rubble stone boundary wall to perimeter having overgrown coping centred on red brick Running bond piers having pyramidal capping; red brick Running bond surface finish to courtyard elevations. Now disused. Set in grounds shared with Kilmannock House.

Appraisal

A walled garden contributing positively to the setting of the Kilmannock House estate.

https://scoilmhuirecampile.com/?page_id=63

Kilmannock House was built in 1780 by Henry Thomas Haughton. Other occupiers were David Hewitson and M.W Knox. Capt. Samuel Barrett-Hamilton lived here from 1860 until 1921.

The ‘Barrett ‘ family coat of arms can be seen on the gable end of Clancy’s house at the entrance to the house. A self -portrait of Charlotte Barrett-Hamilton, who was a daughter of the landlord, can be seen inside. She is the ‘lady in blue’. Coursing was a very popular pastime with Barrett-Hamilton and a fine coursing ground was found here.

Hare Coursing and hunting were very popular in our parish. Kilmannock was one of the main coursing places in Ireland. The last meeting took place in 1827. Coursing also took place in Campile from 1930-1933. Bill Power from Ballinamona used sleep in a tent looking after the hares. The field was called Grennan’s Hare Field.

The following is taken from ‘Bassett’s Directory of County Wexford’ Published in 1885.

‘The Kilmannock Coursing Club holds two meetings a year. The first meeting takes place in April and the second one in October. Captain Samuel Barrett is President and Laurence Murphy of Ballykerogue is Secretary and Treasurer. There are 25 members.

The Captain takes great interest in coursing, but does not engage in it with his own dogs. The coursing ground is about 400 acres in extent and of its size is considered to be one of the best in Ireland. It takes in the estate of Captain Barrett’.

Barrett Hamilton Crest

Barrett Hamilton Crest

Charlotte Barrett Hamilton Self-Portrait

In 1921 the estate, of up to 800 acres, was divided into five farms of 150 acres and two small farms of 25 acres. Major John Barnwell bought Kilmannock House and 150 acres. His father was a wheelwright in Co.Offaly. John had a distinguished army career in the Great War 1914-18.

He joined the army at Crinkle Barracks in Birr. In 1911 he was posted to India. When World War 1 started in 1914 he was sent back to Crinkle Barracks to train volunteers. He fought with the Leinster Regiment in the brutal campaign of Gallipoli and other parts of Eastern Europe. He was in the Machine Gun Corps and won the Military Cross medal in 1918. and the DSO (Distinguished Service Order). He met with Lawrence of Arabia in the Middle East. After the war John returned to Crinkle Barracks and was in charge of the garrison there from 1919 until 1922.

The barracks was burned by the I.R.A in 1922 and John’s regiment was disbanded. His son Desmond, who was sergeant in the Enniskillen Dragoons, was killed in Tunisia in 1942 during World War 2.

Major John died in 1976 at 91 years and his son Brian and wife Elizabeth, who reared a family of eight children, took over. Brian passed away in 1998 and his son Patrick and Edel took over the house.

Major Barnwell

Des Barnwell

The Late Major John Barnwell

Kilmannock is a grand three storey house with a basement.  The second and third storeys have a tripartite window in the centre.

The fine porch was added later. The drawing room has a lovely Carrera marble fireplace and beautiful mouldings on the ceiling. The pitch pine stairs stands out also.

In the reception room can be seen the Belfast stove which burned from October to April and heated the whole house.

In all there are 28 apartments and 14 bedrooms in Kilmannock House. The basement was the servants quarters and they had a separate stairs. Each room had its own bell to ring for service. In the basement, the wine cellar, fine open fireplace, bells for room service and the ‘dumb waiter’ can be seen.

This waiter was a lift for carrying meals to the upstairs rooms.

Belfast Stove

Belfast Stove

Dumb Waiter

Dumb Waiter

A secret tunnel can also be seen here which was probably used for hiding valuables. A water wheel was used to pump water from a well to a large tank on the roof.

The Barnwell family are to be thanked for the restoration work carried out on this magnificent house as its upkeep is costly and they make excellent hosts for their guesthouse!

Regiment Banner

The Leinster Regiment banner is a fine piece of tapestry which can be seen in the house

AMV €975,000 

Kilmannock House On 82.5 Acres,Campile,New Ross,Co. Wexford,Y34 T271 

14 beds 5baths 

Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.

FOR SALE BY PUBLIC AUCTION AND ONLINE ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 21ST AT 3PM, 2022 IN OUR OFFICE AT WESTGATE, WEXFORD (UNLESS PREVIOUSLY SOLD) Kilmannock House is a truly magnificent Georgian style residence offering a five bay, three storey over basement with Doric columns with a cement coating while still retaining its raised quoins. Dating back to 1735 on 82.5 acres, the property, which offers 14 bedrooms and very generous reception space also allows for an array of outbuildings and sheds. Kilmannock House, which is positioned in South West Wexford, is near vibrant Campile Village and offers 82.5 acres in one block. The property itself will require upgrading, however it offers huge opportunities from several vantage points. The Lands and out buildings: 82.5 acres of which c7acres is set out in woodland with the remainder in grass or tillage use. 

Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.
Kilmannock House, County Wexford courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald.

Accommodation 

MAIN HOUSE Entrance Porch 3.0m x 4.75m. With beautifully tiled flooring and ornate mouldings Grand Reception Hall 5.0m x 10.20m. With original wood flooring, ornate mouldings. Spacious with columns and a timber staircase making an effective back drop Drawing Room 8.50m x 9.50m. Offering great space and light while there are splendid ornate mouldings and beautifully crafted white Italian marble fireplace Dining Room 6.0m x 9.65m. With a classical essence, it is accessed from the main reception hall and features splendid decorative mouldings, original wood flooring and a beautiful cast iron fireplace Sitting Room 4.80m x 6.50m. With a south facing area, this room offers splendid mouldings and wood flooring Kitchen 3.90m x 4.7m. With modern waist and eye level fitted units, tiled Utility off 2.0m x 8.0m. Fully plumbed for facilities required Boiler 4.0m x 7.0m. Incorporating wc, whb and office Laundry 2.15m x 5.0m. Study 3.4m x 5.0m. GARDEN FLOOR/BASEMENT Entrance Hall 1.70m x 6.7m. Original flagstones Kitchen 5.20m x 6.40m. Scullery 2.60m x 6.0m. Servants Bedroom 2.70m x 6.0m. Hall 3.0m x 12.5m. Linen Room 4.85m x 7.0m. Wine Cellar 2.20m x 5.20m. Pantry 3.0m x 5.0m. Dairy 3.0m x 4.20m. Black Hole Room 2.50m x 4.4m. MAIN HOUSE FIRST FLOOR Landing 2.0m x 6.15m + 1.50m x 3.0m. Featuring a grand sweeping curved staircase leading from the main entrance/reception hall to the premium suites of the house. Ornate mouldings are the spectacle as you walk up to the first floor Bedroom One 2.80m x 5.20m. With spectacular views of the surrounding countryside featuring a marble fireplace with a cast iron inset Bedroom Two 5.90m x 6.20m. With original wood flooring, marble fireplace, ornate coving and imposing views Dressing Room 4.80m x 6.20m. With marble fireplace and cast ion inset Bedroom Three 5.65m x 5.90m. With a most attractive cast iron fireplace with a tiled inset, original flooring and decorative mouldings Bathroom 2.55m x 4.80m. With wc, whb and large cast iron bath Bedroom Four 6.0m x 6.80m. Original wood flooring, scenic views of countryside, marble fireplace GUEST HOUSE FIRST FLOOR Main Hall 1.20m x 12.0m. With oak wood antique flooring Bedroom One 3.80m x 4.0m. With an attractive marble fireplace with cast iron inset, wood flooring, fitted wardrobe, tv point and ornate moulding En-Suite 1.10m x 2.9m. With wc, whb, shower, fully tiled Bedroom Two 3.85m x 4.20m. With wood flooring, tv point, wardrobe and ornate coving En-Suite 1.50m x 2.90m. With wc, whb, shower, fully tiled Bedroom Three 2.85m x 4.80m. With wood flooring, tv point, ornate coving and fitted wardrobes Ensuite 1.50m x 2.9m. With wc, whb, shower, fully tiled Bedroom Four With wood flooring, tv point, ornate moulding and fitted wardrobes En-Suite 1.0m x 2.80m. With wc, whb, shower, fully tiled SECOND FLOOR RETURN Landing 2.3om x 3.70m. Toilet 1.40m x 2.0m. SECOND FLOOR Bedroom One 5.35m x 5.87m. Bedroom Two 3.80m x 3.50m. Bedroom Three 5.50m x 6.80m. Bedroom Four 4.90m x 6.80m. Bedroom Five 6.20m x 8.80m. With cast iron fireplace Bedroom Six 2.75m x 5.40m. Landing 3.0m x 14.0m. Attic Room 5.0m x 6.10m. With access to main roof 

Features 

Within easy access of some of the finest Blud flag beaches of the South coast of Ireland. Campile village offering shops, pubs, school, church Sporting Facilities such as golf, fishing, equestrian centres, horseracing, GAA, soccer, tennis, rugby and hockey clubs. OFCH, Septic tank sewage ESB, internet access 

BER Details 

BER: Exempt BER No: Performance Indicator: 

Negotiator Details 

John Radford 

Viewing Information 

Strictly by appointment with Sherry FitzGerald New Ross on 051 426161 

Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford

by jenjunebug

Not in Bence-Jones 

Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale June 2025 courtesy Belgravia Estate Agents.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale June 2025 courtesy Belgravia Estate Agents.

Demolished before end of 19th century 

https://theirishaesthete.com/2016/11/21/a-grand-outpost/

‘From Artramont, I proceeded to the castle of Carrick, by Edmond, the seat of Mr. Bell, Mount Anna, that of Colonel Hudson, and Sanders’-court, the once respectable residence of the late Earl of Arran. When I arrived within view of the splendid arch and lodges, which, on an elevated position above the public road, form a grand outpost to this concern, and through which, though never carried into effect, an approach was meditated by the late Earl, my mind became unexpectedly introduced into a train of reflection on the ruinous consequences to this country, of that absentee system, which since our union with England has become so much the fashion. This splendid portal, with the degraded state of the mansion-house and offices, (now wholly deserted by the proprietor and his family,) and which form a striking contrast to each other, were well calculated to impress this subject upon the mind…I felt my heart impelled by a sentiment of sympathy; a feeling not likely to be obliterated, by the neglected and ruinous aspect of Sanders’-court, no longer the seat of nobility, nor of that munificence and national hospitality of which it was so eminently remarkable.’ From A. Atkinson’s The Irish Tourist (1815). 

Saunderscourt, County Wexford derives its name from Colonel Robert Saunders who came to Ireland with Oliver Cromwell and was apppointed Governor of Kinsale, County Cork. However, he is said to have quarreled with Cromwell and having supported the restoration of Charles II was allowed to keep his grant of 3,700 acres in Wexford. In 1730 the Colonel’s great-granddaughter Jane Saunders, an only child, married Arthur Gore, later first Earl of Arran and thus Saunderscourt passed into the ownership of this family. It was the couple’s son, the second Earl of Arran whose decease (in 1809) was lamented by Atkinson since his heir abandoned the place which soon fell into ruin, as described above. Interest in the estate revived following the succession of the fourth earl in 1837, after which work was undertaken on the demesne by noted landscape gardener James Fraser. However, eventually Saunderscourt was sold c.1860 to an Arthur Giles who undertook restoration work on the main house. Believed to date from the second half of the 18th century, this was a two-storey, seven-bay property described following its refurbishment as being ‘a fine courtly building of considerable extent that displays its rich and handsome façade consisting of a centre and characteristic wings to the south-west.’ Saunderscourt changed hands again before the end of the 19th century and the main house was soon after demolished so that no trace of it remains today. 

What survives at Saunderscourt is the ‘splendid arch’ and adjacent lodges that so moved Atkinson to eloquent reflection in 1815. Tucked down a quiet country road, this building appears to have been constructed during the time of the second Earl of Arran and, as is mentioned, was intended to be the start of a new approach to the house but this never happened. Thus it would seem always to have stood in glorious isolation, a monument to unrealised ambition. Attributed recently to Waterford architect John Roberts (who certainly worked in the area on a number of properties), the entrance, as can be seen, consists of a towering triumphal arch with the same treatment to both front and rear: engaged Tuscan columns support a triangular pediment, while a semicircular arch with moulded architrave is supported on Tuscan piers. This all executed in limestone although the greater part of the structure is of brick. The same material is also used for the single-storey quadrants and lodges. The former, which each have a pair of round-headed niches, are interesting because – like the arch itself – they are identical on either side. The effect is to create concave spaces which acted as yards for the lodges, with their Gibbsian door- and windowcases in limestone. The whole effect is tremendously grand, although somewhat incongruous in its present setting, shared with a series of cow sheds. The Saunderscourt arch has of late benefitted from attention paid to its welfare by the Irish Landmark Trust but that organisation’s limited resources have meant work has not progressed beyond stabilization and certain key repairs, particularly to roofs and drainage. Provided the necessary funds are forthcoming, no doubt further remediation will be undertaken and the property fully restored so that it can begin generating an income (and thereby better secure its future). 

Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale June 2025 courtesy Belgravia Estate Agents.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale June 2025 courtesy Belgravia Estate Agents.

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/15703764/saunders-court-saunderscourt-co-wexford

Remains of country house, vacant 1815; undergoing renovation 1844; occupied 1852; sold 1855; occupied 1863; sold 1889; demolished 1891, including: Detached three-bay two-storey wing on a rectangular plan with single-bay two-storey gabled flush end bay. Renovated, —-. Pitched (gabled) and hipped slate roof with ridge tiles, rendered chimney stacks having “Cavetto”-detailed capping supporting terracotta pots, and cast-iron rainwater goods on rendered eaves retaining cast-iron downpipes. Rendered walls with rusticated quoins to corners. Segmental-headed central door opening with rendered “bas-relief” surround having splayed reveals framing timber panelled door having fanlight. Square-headed window openings with cut-granite sills, and rendered “bas-relief” surrounds framing replacement casement windows replacing six-over-six timber sash windows. Set in shared grounds.

Appraisal

A wing surviving as an interesting relic of a country house described as ‘[a] very extensive [and] fine courtly building so complex in its general character as to render it very difficult to be accurately described’ (Lacy 1852, 16; cf. 15703765).

Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers €1,100,000  and June 2025, Belgravia Estate Agents

Y35AE04

2022 advertisement, courtesy Keane Auctioneers.

Saunderscourt House is a truly magnificent period residence extending to c. 203.sqm resting on c. 1.78 acre site in a prime location, approached via impressive gated entrance, driveway sweeping to beautifully mature, landscaped lawns with a charming courtyard and panoramic views over the River Slaney and surrounding countryside. Keane Auctioneers are proud to present this elite home, one of the most exclusive residential properties to hit the market in Wexford in recent times. This absolutely exquisite residence oozes elegance, style, classic features are simply breath taking from the moment you enter the original front door. Its lavish charm and retained olde worlde characteristics will impress from start to finish. The extensive and versatile accommodation is laid out over two floors, around a superior hallway with classic tiled floors & featuring a beautiful stove with fireplace. The spacious rooms boast large feature windows allowing lots of natural light through, with high ceilings, sophisticated interior complimenting each room and numerous bespoke finishings. The property has been lovingly retained and cared for over the years whilst carefully maintaining its original presence. Accommodation is bright, very well proportioned offering 4 double bedrooms, one en suite, formal living room, family bathroom, a most impressive master bedroom and enjoys a magnificent open plan kitchen /diner/lounge over looking the courtyard & grounds. The kitchen/diner/lounge is the focal point of the home which effortlessly flows into the main living providing a tranquil space to relax and unwind, it’s the heart of the home and it enjoys views over the grounds and courtyard. Offering access to the pretty exterior, the open plan lounge / dining area area provides functionality and comfort through tasteful and cutting edge interior design. The courtyard with stone buildings to the rear currently used as studio’s offer additional space to enjoy offering excellent potential. The gardens offers a very peaceful relaxing atmosphere and are full of olde worlde charm with mature shrubbery etc. the perfect place to spend many hours relaxing/gardening. The stunning setting capturing in breath taking views over the River Slaney is one of the key features and the house itself boasts a very homely and pleasant atmosphere throughout. It’s luxurious and glamorous decorative feel, together with large feature windows & shutters and high ceilings allow sunlight to pour into the property giving an overwhelming sense of space. Filled with character this home is steeped in history originally built in 1690, brief details of history on http://www.saunderscourthouse.com. Location It is situated in a premium and highly desired residential location, on the outskirts of Crossabeg village just a short distance from the N25, N11/M11. It is close to local facilities shops, schools, etc. at Crossabeg, Castlebridge and Wexford town centre is approx.. 10 minutes driving distance. All local facilities, i.e. shops, schools, Montessori, etc. are within immediate reach. Dublin City & airport is easily accessible via the new & ever improving N/M11 and the ferries at Rosslare Europort are less than 25 minutes. There are a variety of long sandy beaches nearby at the renowned Curracloe & Raven Forest, Rosslare, Blackwater, Kilmore Quay and many more. Wexford’s (wildfowl reserve etc.), Eden Vale and the Heritage Park to name a few are a short driving distance as are a wide range of golf courses. Grounds Well appointed on a mature c. 1.78 acres of mature grounds with spectacular views. Gated entrance with tree lined driveway, generous car parking . Situated to the rear of the house is the original stone courtyard of outbuildings which have been masterfully restored and converted by the current owners, providing extra accommodation ideal for home office studio / gym. 

Accommodation 

Entrance Hallway – (5.3m x 3.5m), Tiled flooring, coving, granite fireplace with Charmwood stove, chandelier, dual aspect. Drawing Room – (5.3m x 5.4m), Solid wood flooring, feature open fireplace, dual aspect, TV point, coving. Living Room – (5.3m x 3.5m), Solid wood flooring, coving, uplit alcoves, Cotswold stone fireplace with Nelson Martin stove, wooden beams, paneling on ceiling. Kitchen / Diner – (5.3m x 3.2m), Solid wood flooring, wooden beams, dual aspect with large bay window, tiled splash-back, decorative fireplace with AGA style stove, granite worktops, units at eye & waist level. Utility – (2.7m x 4.6m), Tiled flooring & splash-back, solid wood units at waist level, storage at eye level, sink, plumbed for washing machine. Guest WC – (1.4m x 1.1m), Tiled flooring, WC. Upstairs Landing – (1.7m x 1.8m), Large window, dado rail detail on staircase. Bathroom – (1.9m x 3.4m), Tiled flooring & part-tiled walls, WC, WHB, bath, shower, feature heated towel rail. Bedroom No. 1 – (3.4m x 4.4m), Large, bright room with bay window. Bedroom No. 2 – (4.1m x 4.3m), Spacious double room, hot-press off. Bedroom No. 3 – (4.1m x 3.6m), Bright, spacious room, bay window. Master Bedroom 4 – (5.2m x 3.4m), Large, dual aspect room, entrance to; Dressing Room – (2.7m x 2.8m) Built-in treble wardrobe. En Suite – (2.7m x 1.7m), Tiled floor & part-tiled walls, WC, WHB, shower. 

Features 

c. 203.sqm / 2228.14sqft Courtyards with stone outbuildings Gated entrance. Spectacular views 4 Bedrooms Premium location 

BER Details 

BER: Exempt 

Directions 

Outside: Courtyard to rear with separate room suitable for sun-room, studio, home office, large gardens to front and side, utility & recycling sheds, gated driveway, views over the River Slaney & Wexford Town. Services: ESB, private sewage, mains water, dual & oil fired central heating, solar panels. Apply: Keane Auctioneers (053) 9123072. BER: Exempt. Viewings: Strictly by appointment with the sole selling agent. Eircode: Y35 AE04 

Belgravia advertisement:

€1,250,000

4 Bed3 Bath

Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale June 2025 courtesy Belgravia Estate Agents.

Nestled towards the end of a private lane, this exclusive period property is a true gem, offering a rare combination of historic elegance and modern comfort in a highly sought-after private residential location. Set on circa 1.78 acres of mature, landscaped grounds, the home is approached via a gated sweeping gravel driveway, creating an immediate sense of grandeur and privacy. Steeped in character, the residence showcases beautiful classic features throughout, coupled with modern sympathetic energy upgrades such as oil central heating and solar panels. Upon entry you are greeted by an inviting foyer with open fireplace with the dual aspect formal living room to the left. With stripped wooden flooring and a stove. To the right of the hallway enter into another dual aspect cozy lounge with a further stove. This room leads through to the naturally illuminated open plan, spacious kitchen dining area. Located off the dining area is the fitted utility room and a further downstairs WC. Located on the first floor there are 4 spacious and light filled double bedrooms with the master bedroom benefiting from a walking in wardrobe/dressing room and an ensuite shower. The main bathroom is also located on the first floor with a separate bath and a separate shower. To the rear of this home there is an enclosed courtyard which adds to the charm of the property, featuring a brick and glazed outbuilding that offers endless possibilities ideal for a creative studio, home office. Positioned to take full advantage of its panoramic views of the majestic River Slaney and the picturesque landscape of Ferrybank in Wexford Town. This prestigious location offers a perfect balance of tranquillity and convenience, with all amenities within easy reach. A truly remarkable home, blending timeless period elegance with the potential for contemporary luxury this is a rare opportunity to acquire a piece of Wexford’s rich architectural heritage.

Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale June 2025 courtesy Belgravia Estate Agents.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale June 2025 courtesy Belgravia Estate Agents.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale June 2025 courtesy Belgravia Estate Agents.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale June 2025 courtesy Belgravia Estate Agents.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale June 2025 courtesy Belgravia Estate Agents.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale June 2025 courtesy Belgravia Estate Agents.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale June 2025 courtesy Belgravia Estate Agents.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale June 2025 courtesy Belgravia Estate Agents.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale June 2025 courtesy Belgravia Estate Agents.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy Keane Auctioneers.
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale April 2022 courtesy
Saunderscourt House, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford for sale June 2025 courtesy Belgravia Estate Agents.

Ounavarra, Courtown Harbour, Co Wexford 

by jenjunebug

Ounavarra, Courtown Harbour, Co Wexford 

Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.

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. 229. “(Richards/LGI1912; Howard, sub Wicklow, E/PB) A pleasant early C19 house in a mild Tudor-Revival style romantically situated above the Ounavarra River. Of two storeys, entrance front with a gabled projection on either side. Low-pitched gables with wavy bargeboards; gabled porch not centrally placed, alongside a large rectangular mullioned and gabled window lighting the staircase, which has the appearance of the window of a great hall. Elegant bow-fronted conservatory. Garden front with gabled projectin and shallow curved bow. C19 interior plasterwork; foliage ornament in hall and staircase hall; decorated cornice in drawing room. Spacious staircase hall with staircase of polished wood. Drawing room running the whole depth of the house, extending into garden front bow and divided by an arch. Originally owned by the Richards family, of Ardamine; leased early in the present century to Mr and Mrs M.W. Shuldham. Subsequently the home of Mr and Mrs Kenneth O’Reilly-Hyland, who decorated the house most attractively, and laid out a fine woodland garden above the river.” 

Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/15611002/ounavarra-house-ballydane-courtown-co-wexford

Detached five-bay two-storey house, extant 1852, on an asymmetrical plan with single-bay single-storey gabled projecting porch to ground floor; single-bay full-height gabled projecting end bay (west) with single-bay full-height gabled advanced end bay (east). Occupied, 1901; 1911. Sold, 1972. Resold, 1979. Hipped slate roof with pitched (gabled) slate roofs (end bays), part perforated crested terracotta ridge tiles, red brick Common bond chimney stacks on red brick Common bond bases having chevron- or saw tooth-detailed corbelled stepped capping supporting terracotta or yellow terracotta pots, decorative timber bargeboards to gables on timber purlins, and cast-iron rainwater goods on exposed timber rafters retaining cast-iron downpipes; pitched (gabled) slate roof (porch) with terracotta ridge tiles, decorative timber bargeboards on timber purlins, and replacement uPVC rainwater goods on exposed timber rafters. Part creeper-covered roughcast walls bellcast over rendered plinth. Square-headed door opening (porch) with cut-granite step threshold, and moulded surround framing timber panelled double doors. Square-headed window openings (“cheeks”) with cut-granite sills, and concealed dressings framing wrought iron grillers over timber casement windows having lattice glazing bars. Square-headed window opening in tripartite arrangement (half-landing) with cut-granite sill, bull nose-detailed timber mullions, and concealed dressings framing wrought iron grille over timber casement windows having lattice glazing bars. Square-headed window openings in bipartite arrangement (end bays) with cut-granite sills, bull nose-detailed timber mullions, and concealed dressings framing wrought iron grilles over timber casement windows having lattice glazing bars. Set in landscaped grounds with granite ashlar piers to perimeter having ogee-detailed cornices below shallow pyramidal capping supporting spear head-detailed cast-iron double gates.

Appraisal

A house representing an important component of the domestic built heritage of north County Wexford with the architectural value of the composition, one repurposing the earlier ‘Owenavarra [sic] Cottage…the residence of Mrs. Richards Senior [Elizabeth Richards (née Groome) (1775-1846)]’ (Lewis 1837 I, 41), confirmed by such attributes as the deliberate alignment maximising on scenic vistas overlooking wooded grounds and the meandering Owenavorragh River; the asymmetrical footprint; the diminishing in scale of the multipartite openings on each floor producing a graduated visual impression with those openings showing pretty lattice glazing patterns; and the decorative timber work embellishing the roof. Having been well maintained, the form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior where contemporary joinery; chimneypieces; and ‘nineteenth-century plasterwork [including] foliage in [the] hall and staircase hall [and a] decorated cornice in the drawing room’ (Bence-Jones 1978, 229), all highlight the artistic potential of the composition. Furthermore, adjacent outbuildings (—-); and a walled garden (—-), all continue to contribute positively to the group and setting values of a self-contained estate having historic connections with the Richards family including Solomon Richards (1798-1862) and Catherine Richards (née Wynne) (1809-48); Molyneux William Shuldham (1870-1916) ‘late of Dunavarra [sic] Gorey County Wexford’ (Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1917, 706); and Katharine Frances Theodosia Howard (1910-90) of Shelton Abbey in neighbouring County Wicklow (cf. 15701213).

For sale June 2025 courtesy Savills Y25 E9K4 Guide price €1,500,000

Ounavarra House is a substantial 19th Century home set in mature landscaped grounds. The house is entered from a minor public road through an impressive entrance with granite ashlar piers with cast-iron gates and beautiful overhanging mature trees. A gravel driveway divides upon entry, one branch leading to the yard while the other culminates at the front entrance, where there is ample parking.

The distinguished five-bay, two-storey period house features an elegant asymmetrical design with gabled bays and a charming projecting porch. The property has a hipped slate roof, red brick chimney stacks, decorative bargeboards and creeper-clad roughcast walls.

Over time, Ounavarra House has undergone substantial restoration efforts. A side extension was added, providing additional living quarters arranged around a charming courtyard.

The accommodation has been well designed to provide the comforts of contemporary family living whilst reserving generously proportioned reception rooms fit for lavish gatherings. Throughout the property the detail and finishes are notable with period features throughout including sash windows, shutters, picture rails, architraves, cornicing, and decorative marble fireplaces.

An impressive reception hall gives access to three elegant reception rooms including the drawing room, library and dining room. The kitchen is centrally located comprising a marble topped island, an Aga and beautifully crafted and extensive range of floor and wall mounted units. Flowing seamlessly from the kitchen, the extension offers a spacious living room, office, laundry room, sunroom and ample storage.

A beautifully crafted wooden staircase leads to the bedroom accommodation which is laid out on the first floor with four elegant bedroom suites, along with three additional bedrooms and a bathroom.

The accommodation is laid out, as shown on the accompanying plans.

Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.

Gardens & Grounds

  • A prominent aspect of Ounavarra House is its stunning landscaped gardens which envelop the house. Nestled within the mature scenery, the immediate gardens surrounding the house are meticulously managed, creating a stunning backdrop. The diverse assortment of flora, fauna and outstanding specimen trees provide colour, shelter, amenity and privacy. To the east of the house is a walled garden which contains an apple and pear orchard as well as a green house.

    There are also well-defined walking trails that pass through mature woodland and run alongside the Owenavoragh River, providing a scenic and peaceful setting.

    To the south of the property are four good-sized grass paddocks enclosed by stud railing. Each field is equipped with drinking troughs connected to the mains water supply.

    Bungalow
    A charming bungalow, located in the main yard, was renovated and refurbished in 2022 to a high standard. The home features a modern, open-plan layout, seamlessly integrating the living area, kitchen, and dining space. It also offers three well-proportioned bedrooms, making it an ideal residence for staff, family members, or guests.

    Gate Lodge
    A single-storey gate lodge is positioned beside the yard entrance of Ounavarra House. Extending to approximately 106 sq m (1,140 sq ft), the property features a kitchen with double doors opening onto the garden, a living room, and a studio. The accommodation also includes two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a utility room. The lodge benefits from a private garden, offering a peaceful outdoor space.

    Outbuildings
    Adjacent to the house is a courtyard comprising a stable block with five stables, a garage and a number of traditional stores. The courtyard has a separate access point off the main road.

    Adjacent to the house is a well-organised courtyard, featuring a stable block with five stables, a garage, and several traditional stores. This space is both functional and versatile, offering expansive hardstanding. 

    The courtyard benefits from a separate access point off the main road. Its layout and access make it well-suited for a variety of purposes.

    Woods & Amenity
    Ounavarra House provides an exceptional combination of privacy and natural beauty, bordered by the serene Owenavoragh River. With ample opportunities for the next owner to further develop or diversify the land, the property is ideally suited for those looking to maximise its natural resources.

    The woods at Ounavarra are an attractive feature due to their age and variety of species. They are mainly laid out to the rear of the property and provide shelter, privacy and amenity.

    BER Details – BER Exempt
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.
Ounavarra, County Wexford, for sale 2026 photograph courtesy Savills.

Local information

  • Ounavarra House has a wonderful, private situation within the historic county of Wexford in the southeast of Ireland.
  • The picturesque seaside village of Courtown is close by and offers a range of everyday amenities. The village was developed after Lord Courtown ordered the construction of a harbour during the Famine.
  • Gorey (6 km) and Arklow (22 km) are two large towns with an abundance of amenities including quality restaurants and cafés, supermarkets and pubs, as well as a variety of retail stores. The historic town of Enniscorthy is anchored by its 13th Century castle which sits in the heart of the town and is a well-known tourist attraction. County Wexford is renowned for its excellent verdant countryside, favourable climate, picturesque mountain ranges, white sandy beaches and charming characterful villages.
  • Wexford is the county town in this area of the southeast of Ireland and is located at the mouth of the River Slaney. A harbour town, it is widely regarded for its rich arts scene and culture. It is also known for its medieval lanes and the opera festival held in the modern National Opera House. The festival is recognised worldwide for introducing new artists and audiences to the forgotten masterpieces.
  • West Gate Heritage Tower is a restored 13th Century tollgate. It is next to the old town walls and ruined 12th Century Selskar Abbey. Ounavarra House is surrounded by an excellent transportation system with the M11 motorway connecting Enniscorthy to Dublin only 4 kilometres from the house. There are also regular bus and train services from Gorey and Arklow connecting to Dublin City. Rosslare Europort (with a rail connection to Dublin Connolly), provides links from south-east

Ballynapierce House, Ballynapierce, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

by jenjunebug

Ballynapierce House & Gate Lodge, Ballynapierce, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford for sale May 2025 courtesy Sherry Fitzgerald

Y21PT04

AMV: €900,000

7 Bed

4 Bath

500 m²

For Sale by Public and Online Auction on July 10th 2025. Ballynapierce House – An Elegant Period Residence on 41.25 Acres Step back in time with Ballynapierce House, a captivating early 19th-century period residence steeped in history and set on approximately 41.25 acres (16.69 hectares) of prime land. Complete with a charming gate lodge and a wealth of original features, this remarkable property offers a rare opportunity to acquire a country estate of stature and distinction. Approached by a sweeping, mature tree-lined avenue, Ballynapierce House exudes character and grace. Originally constructed in the early 1800s, the home has been extended over time and holds a rich heritage — once the residence of Captain Archibald Jacob (linked to the 1798 Rebellion), it later housed Overington Bolton in 1853 and the prominent De Burgh family in the late 19th century. In 1900, the property served as a Benedictine school before being passed through several custodians, with the current owners in place since 1968. The main house boasts graciously proportioned rooms, high ceilings, and exquisite decorative features such as original cornicing and ceiling roses. On the ground floor, you’ll find a grand drawing room, formal dining room, and a spacious living room – all ideal for entertaining. The kitchen is located to the rear, accompanied by an exceptionally large utility room. Upstairs, the first floor offers five generously sized double bedrooms (1 ensuite). The second floor features two additional bedrooms, perfect for extended family, guests, or adaptable use. Beyond the main house, the estate includes a two-bedroom gate lodge situated at the entrance – in need of refurbishment, yet brimming with potential. The grounds are enhanced by a range of outbuildings, including large stables and multiple sheds, supporting equestrian or agricultural pursuits. The land is of top quality, currently under grass and divided into well-maintained paddocks – offering excellent potential for farming, equine or leisure use. The property is situated a approximately five minutes drive from Enniscorthy town and very convenient to the M11 motorway. Ballynapierce House is approximately ninety minutes from Dublin Airport and little more than thirty minutes from Rosslare Europort. Whether you’re looking for a stunning family home, an equestrian haven, or a project rich in heritage, Ballynapierce House presents a unique and rare opportunity to own a piece of Irish history in an idyllic rural setting. Contact the office to register your interest today. Entrance Hall Drawing Room 5.91m x 6.16m Dining Room 6.13m x 6.19m Living Room 4.57m x 6.16m Sun Room 2.41m x 3.74m W.C. 0.88m x 1.87m Kitchen/Breakfast Room 4.51m x 4.75m Utility Room 5.32m x 4.75m Store 3.24m x 4.26m First Floor Landing Master Bedroom 6.27m x 6.16m En-Suite Bathroom 3.03m x 2.48m Bedroom 2 5.50m x 6.16m Bedroom 3 4.57m x 5.42m Bedroom 4 5.16m x 4.89m Bedroom 5 3.24m x 4.26m Bathroom 2.00m x 3.26m Store 2.05m x 4.26m W.C. 0.88m x 1.75m Second Floor Landing Bedroom 6 5.10m x 4.89m Bedroom 7 3.18m x 4.36m.

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/15702552/ballynapierce-house-ballynapierce-co-wexford

Detached three-bay two- and three-storey split-level farmhouse, extant 1900, on an L-shaped plan centred on single-bay single-storey gabled projecting open porch to ground floor abutting single-bay two-storey advanced end bay; two-bay two-storey (south) or three-bay three-storey (north) elevations. In alternative use, 1905-7. Occupied, 1911. Sold, 1964. Resold, 1968. Refenestrated, —-. Now disused. Hipped slate roof on a quadrangular plan abutting hipped slate roof (west), clay ridge tiles, rendered chimney stacks having paired stringcourses below capping supporting terracotta or yellow terracotta pots, and replacement uPVC rainwater goods on slightly overhanging slate flagged eaves retaining cast-iron downpipes. Part creeper- or ivy-covered rendered, ruled and lined walls with rusticated quoins to corners. Hipped segmental-headed central door opening approached by flight of three cut-granite steps, three quarter-engaged colonettes on plinths supporting shallow cornice, and concealed dressings framing timber panelled double doors having sidelights below fanlight. Square-headed window openings with cut-granite sills, and rendered block-and-start surrounds framing replacement aluminium casement windows. Interior including (ground floor): central hall retaining carved timber surrounds to door openings framing timber panelled doors; and carved timber surrounds to door openings to remainder framing timber panelled doors with timber panelled shutters to window openings. Set in landscaped grounds.

Appraisal

A farmhouse representing an integral component of the nineteenth-century domestic built heritage of County Wexford with the architectural value of the composition, one succeeding an earlier house occupied by Overington Bolton (Lewis 1837 II, 30), suggested by such attributes as the compact plan form centred on a restrained doorcase not only demonstrating good quality workmanship, but also showing a simplified “peacock tail” fanlight; the diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a graduated visual impression; and the slightly oversailing roofline. Having been well maintained, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior where contemporary joinery; chimneypieces; and plasterwork refinements, all highlight the artistic potential of the composition: however, the introduction of replacement fittings to most of the openings has not had a beneficial impact on the character or integrity of the composition. Furthermore, adjacent outbuildings (extant 1903); and a nearby gate lodge (see 15702553), all continue to contribute positively to the group and setting values of a self-contained ensemble having historic connections with Henry Hugo Patrick de Burgh (1868-1900), ‘late of Ballinapierce [sic] County Wexford [who was killed in action] at Wepener Orange River Colony South Africa’ (Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1900, 115); Edward Armstrong Johnson (1846-1932), author of a translation of “The Rubaiyat of Amar Khayyam” (1887) and “The Possibilities of an Irish Pottery Industry” (1917); and Major Terence Ffolliott Dunne (1917-92).

Wells House and Gardens, County Wexford – open for tours

by jenjunebug

Wells House, County Wexford

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Help me to fund my creation and update of this website. It is my “full time job” and created purely out of love for the subject and I receive no payment so any donation is appreciated! My costs include travelling to our destinations from Dublin, accommodation if we need to stay somewhere nearby, and entrance fees. Your donation could also help with the cost of the occasional book I buy for research (though I mostly use the library – thank you Kevin Street library!). Your donation could also help with my Irish Georgian Society membership or attendance for talks and lectures, or the Historic Houses of Ireland annual conference in Maynooth.

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2026 Diary of Irish Historic Houses (section 482 properties)

To purchase an A5 size 2026 Diary of Historic Houses send your postal address to jennifer.baggot@gmail.com along with €20 via this payment button. The calendar of 84 pages includes space for writing your appointments as well as photographs of the historic houses. The price includes postage within Ireland. Postage to U.S. is a further €11 for the A5 size, so I would appreciate a donation toward the postage – you can click on the donation link.

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www.wellshouse.ie 

Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

Wells House, although not a Section 482 property, is open to the public for house tours and has 450 acres of woodland and garden to explore. It is one of Wexford’s most popular tourist destinations with some 100,000 visitors each year. Stephen and I visited in May 2025.

The original house was built in the 1600s for John Warren, a Cromwellian soldier who was granted 6000 acres. The house at the time was a simple square manor. The name “Wells” comes from the fact that the land holds several natural springs. In the 1830s Daniel Robertson enlarged and remodelled the house in Tudor-Gothic style.

According to the house’s website, John Warren’s wife predeceased him and he had no children. In his last will and testament, he left his estate, which was then earning him £400 a year, to a cousin, Hugh Warren, on the condition that Hugh pay Samuel Jackson, the executor, £5000, to be divided among John’s other relatives. Alternatively, if Hugh preferred, Wells would be sold, and he would instead be given £500.

Hugh was at Wells in 1693 when John Warren died. He immediately collected up all the valuables in the house, including £1200. He then opted for the £500 legacy rather than having to pay £5000 to inherit the house.

The executor of the will, Samuel Jackson, must have realised that Warren had taken things from the house, so took Hugh to court in England, which resulted in Hugh being imprisoned in 1699.

The House of Lords was asked to delibrate on the case, and two years later Hugh was released from primson but he was ordered to sell the house. [1]

The estate was purchased in 1703 by Robert Doyne (1651-1733). At the time, Robert Doyne was Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in Ireland, having studied in Trinity College Dublin.

Robert Doyne (1651-1733), who purchased Wells property in 1703.

The tour guide, Aileen, told us that Robert Doyne was from an old Irish family from County Laois. He never lived in the seventeenth century house, and nor did his son and heir, Philip (1685-1753). Robert married Jane, widow of Joseph Saunders of Saunders Court in County Wexford and daughter of the wealthy lawyer and politician Henry Whitfield. They had a house in Dublin at Ormond Quay, where he died, and he is buried in St. Nicholas Within in Dublin. [2]

Philip Doyne (1685-1753), courtesy of Wells House.

The son Philip, who served on the Privy Council, married three times. His first wife, Mary, was daughter of Benjamin Burton (1662-1758), MP for Dublin and Lord Mayor of Dublin, who purchased Burton Hall in County Carlow. Mary gave birth to Philip’s heir, Robert (1705-1754) but she died in childbirth.

Philip went on to marry Frances South, with whom he had several children. Their son Charles (d. 1777) held the office of Dean of Leighlin. Frances died in 1712, and Philip married his third wife, Elizabeth, daughter of James Stopford, MP for County Wexford. Elizabeth’s brother was James, 1st Earl of Courtown, County Wexford.

The tour guide told us that it was Robert Doyne’s great grandson who inherited the property when he was just nine years old, another Robert Doyne, who had Wells House rebuilt, designed by Daniel Robertson.

To backtrack to look at the family tree, Philip Doyne and Mary Burton’s son Robert (1705-1754) inherited the estate and old house at Wells. He served as MP for County Wexford and also High Sheriff. He married Deborah Annesley.

Their son Robert (1738-1791) also served as High Sheriff for County Wexford. His elder brother Philip married Joanna, daughter of Arthur Gore 1st Earl of Arran, but he died young and they had no children. Robert married Mary Ram from Ramsfort in County Wexford, whose father Humphreys was also an MP.

Wells House was spared from attack in the 1798 Rebellion thanks to protection by a local man, Thomas Murphy, who claimed to have risked his life to save the house. Tour Guide Aileen showed us a copy of the letter in which he makes this claim, when he sought to be exonerated from his part in the 1798 Rebellion.

1798 letter by Thomas Murphy.

Wells House became a barracks for the troops that were stationed in the area after the fighting of 1798. The house’s website blog tells us:

“They occupied it for three years. Once the army left, the house and 393 acres around it were let, on long-term lease, to a man named Charles Craven for £393 a year. Craven carried out repairs to the house, and set about improving the land, but in 1811 Robert Doyne, who had by this time left school in Dublin, moved to England, married and decided he would return to Wells to live. To compensate Charles Craven for the work he had done, he agreed to pay the Cravens £80 a year for as long as Charles or his son should live.“

Robert and Mary Ram’s son Robert (1782-1850) married Annette Constantia Beresford in 1805. Before that he’d lived a life of adventure, travelling in Europe with famous dandy Beau Brummell, sailing on a raft down the Rhine. We came across Annette Constantia Beresford when we visited Woodhouse in County Waterford. She had been married to Colonel Robert Uniacke (1756-1802) of Woodhouse, County Waterford (see my entry https://irishhistorichouses.com/2025/03/29/woodhouse-county-waterford-private-house-tourist-accommodation-in-gate-lodge-and-cottages/ ).

Annette Constantia Beresford-Uniacke-Doyne (1768-1836), courtesy of Woodhouse, County Waterford.

It was Robert (1782-1850), probably with wealth from his wife’s first marriage, who commissioned Daniel Robertson to design the Wells House which we see today, building on to the original square residence.

Wells House and Gardens, Ballyedmond, Gorey, Co Wexford_Courtesy Sonder Visuals 2017 for Tourism Ireland, Ireland’s Content Pool.
A portrait of Daniel Robertson that our guide showed us.

Mark Bence-Jones writes (1988):

“(Doyne/IFR) A Tudor-Gothic house of ca 1840 by Daniel Robertson of Kilkenny; built for Robert Doyne, replacing an earlier house which, for nearly three years after the Rebellion of 1798, was used as a military barracks. Gabled front, symmetrical except that there is a three sided oriel at one end of the façade and not at the other, facing along straight avenue of trees to entrance gate. Sold ca 1964.” [3]

Wells House, County Wexford, courtesy DNG Properties 2019.
Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

The house is of red brick with granite dressings, and has finial topped gables on the roofline. A crenellated Tudor style entrance porch with arched entrance surrounds the studded timber door. Windows have arched tops, Gothic tracery and hood moulding. The oriel window has crenellation on top.

Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Rear facade of Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

Robertson, our guide told us, was born in America. When living in England he was thrown into debtors prison. He then moved to Ireland, and Wells was one of his first Irish commissions. He lived in Wells House while working on Johnstown Castle nearby (see my entry about Johnstown Castle https://irishhistorichouses.com/2023/09/30/a-heritage-trust-property-johnstown-castle-county-wexford/). He worked for the Doyne family on and off for fourteen years and he designed everything from the house, gardens, window sills down to such detail as the picture frames.

The lakeside facade of Johnstown Castle, County Wexford, built 1836-72 for Hamilton Knox Grogan Morgan (1808-54), MP, also by Daniel Robertson. It envelops a seventeenth-century house (perhaps by Thomas Hopper) remodelled (1810-4) by James Pain (1779-1877) of Limerick. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

We came across Daniel Robertson’s architectural work also when we stayed at Wilton Castle in County Wexford (see my entry https://irishhistorichouses.com/2022/02/04/wilton-castle-bree-enniscorthy-co-wexford-and-a-trip-to-johnstown-castle/).

Wilton Castle, County Wexford – the owners have done a marvellous renovation of what was previously a roofless ruin. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Wilton Castle, County Wexford. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

The Dictionary of Irish Architects tells us more about Daniel Robertson:

“From the early 1830s he did no further work in Britain but received a series of commissions in Ireland, mainly for country house work in the south eastern counties. Most of these houses or additions were in the Tudor style, which, he asserted in a letter to a client, Henry Faulkner, of Castletown, Co. Carlow, was ‘still so new and so little understood in Ireland’. For some of them he used Martin Day as his executant architect.” [4]

Ballydarton House, County Carlow, also designed by Daniel Robertson, in 1830. Photograph from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Dunleckney Manor, County Carlow, by Daniel Robertson, 1835. Photograph from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.

Daniel Robertson introduced a dramatic entrance avenue of oaks in the 1840s, retaining the original U shape directly in front of the house. Some of the original oak trees remain, which are over two hundred years old. Lady Frances planted fifty species of daffodil on the avenue.

Wells House, County Wexford, courtesy DNG Properties 2019.

The avenue is 550 meters in length from the front door to the entrance at the road and this central axis continues through the house and finishes at a lake that is situated in the woodland at the far side of the house.

Along the avenue on the left-hand side, the website tells us, are 25 mature Oak trees, 3 Sycamore, 2 Lime, and one beech tree. Amongst them we have a Champion Oak tree. A champion tree is the largest tree of a species. [5]

Robertson also designed the surrounding garden including the parterre at the back of the house. From the French word meaning ‘on the ground’, a parterre is a formal garden laid out on a level area and made up of enclosed beds, separated by gravel. Parterres often include box hedging surrounding colourful flower beds.

The parterre was first developed in France by garden designer Claude Mollet around 1595 when he introduced compartment-patterned parterres to royal gardens at Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Fontainebleau. The style soon became popular in France and all over Europe. [6]

Rear facade of Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

Robert O’Byrne tells us that Daniel Robertson was one of the most influential garden designers to work in Ireland in the second quarter of the 19th century.

From “In Harmony with Nature, The Irish Country House Garden 1600-1900” in the Irish Georgian Society, July 2022, curated by Robert O’Byrne.
Rear facade of Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Gardens by rear facade of Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

From 1842 onwards, the 6th Viscount of Powerscourt employed Daniel Robertson to improve the gardens (see my entry https://irishhistorichouses.com/2020/04/26/powerscourt-house-gardens-enniskerry-county-wicklow/). Robertson created Italian gardens on the terraces, with broad steps and inlaid pavement, balustrades and statues.

Powerscourt County Wicklow, photograph by Jeremy Hylton.
Powerscourt County Wicklow, photograph by Jeremy Hylton.
Powerscourt County Wicklow, photograph by Jeremy Hylton.
Powerscourt, County Wicklow, photograph by Jeremy Hylton.
Powerscourt County Wicklow, photograph by Jeremy Hylton.

The Dictionary of Irish Architects continues in the entry about Robertson: “In spite of his success in attracting commissions, when he was working at Powerscourt in the early 1840s he was, in the words of Lord Powerscourt, ‘always in debt and…used to hide in the domes of the roof of the house’ to escape the Sheriff’s officers who pursued him. By then he was crippled with gout and in an advanced state of alcoholism; at Powerscourt he ‘used to be wheeled out on the terrace in a wheelbarrow with a bottle of sherry, and as long as that lasted he was able to design and direct the workmen, but when the sherry was finished he collapsed and was incapable of working till the drunken fit had evaporated.’ In at least two instances – at Powerscourt and at Lisnavagh – he lived on the premises while work was in progress, and it seems that from the 1830s until the year of his death his wife and family never settled for any time in Ireland… Robertson was overseeing the completion of Lisnavagh, Co. Carlow, where he had been living intermittently since the start of building in 1846, when he fell seriously ill in the spring of 1849” and died in September of that year. [see 4]

Quote above from “In Harmony with Nature, The Irish Country House Garden 1600-1900” in the Irish Georgian Society, July 2022, curated by Robert O’Byrne. See below also.
The parterre at Wells House. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The parterre at Wells House. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

Our guide brought us through the impressive double door into the entrance hall. The vestibule retains its original encaustic tile floor, and carved timber Classical-style surrounds to door openings and windows with their shutters. [7]

Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Wells House, County Wexford, courtesy DNG Properties 2019.

Daniel Robertson imported Italian oak for the panelling in the entrance hall. The hall retains its carved timber Classical-style corner chimneypiece, and dentilated cornice to the compartmentalised ceiling.

Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

The ceiling of the entrance hall has the carved coat of arms of the Doynes, with an eagle representing strength and courage, and the family motto Mullac a boo, “Victory from the hills.”

Coat-of-arms detailed pierced quatrefoil, Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

There is more carved decoration above the door from the vestibule.

Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Carved decoration above the door from the vestibule, Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Another family crest on the ceiling of the entrance hall.

Robert and Annette Constantia’s son Robert Stephen Doyne (1806-1870) lived at Wells House. He served as High Sheriff of County Wexford and later of County Carlow, and was Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace. He married Sarah Emily Tynte Pratt (1814-1871), daughter of Joseph Pratt (1775-1863) of Cabra Castle.

Robert Stephen Doyne (1806-1870) of Wells House.
I think this is Robert Stephen Doyne’s wife, Sarah Emily Tynte Pratt (1814-1871).

Robert Stephen Doyne’s son Charles Mervyn Doyne (1839-1924) was heir to the estate. He attended university in Magdalene College in Cambridge, then served, like his father, as High Sheriff of Counties Wexford and Carlow, Justice of the Peace and Deputy Lieutenant.

In Cambridge he met the sons of William Thomas Spencer Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 6th Earl Fitzwilliam of the grand house Wentworth Woodhouse in England. The family was one of the richest in England, and made their money from mining coal on their 20,000-acre estate near Sheffield in Yorkshire. They also owned Coollattin in County Wicklow, and the 6th Earl served as M.P. for Wicklow between 1847 and 1857.

Charles Mervyn stayed with the family at Coollattin, playing cricket, shooting and fishing, and there met his friends’ sister, his wife-to-be, Lady Frances. He and Lady Frances announced their engagement in September 1867 and married two months later at Wentworth Woodhouse. [8]

Charles Mervyn Doyne (1839-1924) and his wife Frances.

Our tour mostly focussed on the lives of Charles Mervyn and his wife, because they lived in and clearly loved Wells House. They were good landlords and had twelve servants, all of whom could read and write. Interestingly, they gave their daughters rather Irish names: Kathleen, Eveleen and Bridget.

Frances Mary née FitzWilliam.

We passed through a stair hall next to the large entrance hall, which contains the original staircase of the seventeenth century house.

Original staircase of the seventeenth century house, Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Original staircase of the seventeenth century house, Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

The Drawing Room is the piéce de resistance of the house with its Versailles style. The room has a cut white marble corner Classic-style chimneypiece with large mirror over, and decorative wall panelling.

Wells House, County Wexford, courtesy DNG Properties 2019.
Corner marble chimneypiece, Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

An impressive gilt acanthus leaf ceiling rose with surrounding leaf decoration support a chandelier, and the room has a modillion cornice and a border with acanthus detail.

Versailles style drawing room, Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Versailles style drawing room, Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

A musical decoration indicates that the room was probably used for musical events. The female face in the panel shows that this was the Ladies Drawing Room, with romantic Cupid’s sheaf of arrows.

Music motif, Versailles style drawing room, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The female face in the panel shows that this was the Ladies Drawing Room, with romantic Cupid’s sheaf of arrows. Versailles style drawing room, Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

The timber panelled door has carved surround matching shutters and window surrounds, and matching pelmets. The door decoration is repeated in the wall panels.

Versailles style drawing room, retaining carved timber surrounds to door openings framing timber panelled doors, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Versailles style drawing room, retaining carved timber surrounds to door openings framing timber panelled doors, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Plan for the drawing room.

The dining room reminded me of Johnstown Castle, with its carved timber geometric ceiling and Gothic-style timber panelled wainscoting.

Wells House, County Wexford, courtesy DNG Properties 2019.
Dining room, Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
There are more decorative family crests on the dining room ceiling. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

A secret room was disovered over one of the doors entering the dining room, where Charles Doyne’s weapons were hidden.

The dining room has what the National Inventory refers to as a “Tudor-headed” buffet niche.

Wells House, County Wexford, courtesy DNG Properties 2019.
Specially designed furniture in the buffet niche, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

Aileen showed us the two surprising places where food entered the room – through a trap door in the floor and through a grate in the fireplace! There is a room you can see through the grate where food preparation took place.

Food was passed through the grate in the fireplace. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

The study has jib doors hidden within the bookcases, disguised by false books. It has a carved timber Gothic-style corner chimneypiece, and carved timber cornice to the geometric ceiling centred on Gothic-style ceiling rose.

Robert, Charles’s son, started a lending library based on his book collection. Some of the original books that belonged to the Doynes remain in the collection.

Wells House, County Wexford, courtesy DNG Properties 2019.
The Library chimneypiece. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

The study, or Fossil Room as it was called, is the cabinet of curiosities of items collected by the family on their travels. The room has another corner marble fireplace and timber cornice with geometric decorative ceiling with armourial shields.

The fossil room, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The fossil room, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Armourial shield on ceiling in fossil room. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The fossil room, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

Lady Frances painted the pictures that hang on the walls of the fossil room. She died of scarlet fever in 1903, and her husband lived another 21 years but never remarried.

Scenes painted by Frances née Fitzwilliam. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

The stair hall introduced in the Robertson renovation has more Gothic timber wainscoting, and cast iron balusters support a carved timber banister which terminates in octagonal newels. The half-landing has the oriel window with stained glass detail and carved shutters. The groin vaulted ceiling has moulded plasterwork ribs centred on octagonal boss. I found it hard to capture the grandeur in one photograph!

Stair hall, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Wells House, County Wexford, courtesy DNG Properties 2019.
I love the purple walls of the stair hall, painted after the property was sold in 2019. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Oriel window, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Groin vaulted ceiling of stair hall, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Groin vaulted ceiling of stair hall, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Carved octagonal newel of stairs, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Plans for the stair hall.

We visited two bedrooms upstairs. Our guide explained that the beds were made shorter in those days, because a sleeper slept sitting up in order to breathe better. The fireplace in the room would have absorbed oxygen from the air so it was easier to breathe in an upright position.

Charles’s bedroom, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

Electricity wasn’t installed until the 1950s.

When the Butler was ill, Charles Doyle sent for his own doctor. The doctor advised that the Butler take some time off work. When the Butler died just one day after he went home to his family, Charles was heartbroken, our guide told us. The family were good to their servants and tenants. They ran a soup kitchen during the Famine.

Frances enjoyed horseriding, and the house still has her riding habit.

Wells House, County Wexford, May 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Lady Frances’s riding habit, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The dressing room, between the two bedrooms, with a lovely view of the long drive. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Lady Frances’s bedroom, Wells House, County Wexford, courtesy DNG Properties 2019.
The wardrobe is original to the house. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

Charles and Frances’s son Robert married Mary Diana Lascelles, daughter of Henry Thynne Lascelles, 4th Earl of Harwood. He chose to sell the house. His sister Kathleen, who never married, bought it!

When Kathleen died in 1938, her brother Dermot inherited, and gave the house to his son Charles Hastings Doyne. Charles Hastings sold the house to a German family, who renovated it. It was opened to the public in 2012.

It was for sale again in 2019 and purchased in 2022 by a local man. He renovated the outbuildings for tourist accommodation.

Wells House, County Wexford, courtesy DNG Properties 2019.

The property has a café, playground, woodland walk, a glorious walled garden and small menagerie of animals, and is a working farm.

Wells House, County Wexford, courtesy DNG Properties 2019.
Tourist accommodation in outbuildings at Wells House, County Wexford, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tourist accommodation in outbuildings at Wells House, County Wexford, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tourist accommodation in outbuildings at Wells House, County Wexford, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Entrance to walled gardens, Wells House, County Wexford, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The walled garden at Wells House, County Wexford, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The walled garden at Wells House, County Wexford, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The walled garden at Wells House, County Wexford, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The walled garden at Wells House, County Wexford, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The walled garden at Wells House, County Wexford, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The walled garden at Wells House, County Wexford, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

In the menagerie of animals we were especially delighted with the meerkats who had fun sliding down a slide!

The meerkats at Wells House, County Wexford, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The small menagerie at Wells House, County Wexford, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The small menagerie at Wells House, County Wexford, Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

[1] https://wellshouse.ie/a-tale-of-betrayal-and-treachery-at-wells

[2] F. Elrington Ball, The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921 published by John Murray, London, 1926.

[3] p. 283, Bence-Jones, Mark.  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.

[4] https://www.dia.ie/architects/view/4570/ROBERTSON%2C+DANIEL#tab_biography

[5] https://wellshouse.ie/a-wells-house-country-garden-our-champion-oak

[6] https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/perfect-parterres/

[7] https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/15702132/wells-house-wells-co-wexford

[8] https://wellshouse.ie/the-wells-artist-lady-frances

The Glebe House, Camolin, Wexford

by jenjunebug

The Glebe House, Camolin, Wexford for sale courtesy Warren Estates Gorey May 2025 €1,250,000 Y21V5R2 6 beds4 baths424 m2

The Glebe is a charming truly comfortable family home which has been well maintained and upgraded over the years. The Glebe is sheltered by mature woodland and is in a delightful garden setting only 1.2 km from Camolin village, 12.8 km from Gorey and 6 km from junction 24 on the N11 Dublin to Wexford motorway. Due to the owner’s interest in horses the property has been developed to reflect this interest with post and railed paddocks, horse walker, all weather floodlit arena and loose boxes. Accommodation Entrance hall with stained timber flooring off which is the drawing room with polished timber flooring, marble mantlepiece, west facing Wyatt Style Window and Georgian Windows on two further elevations, all overlooking the colourful gardens. The dining room also enters off the entrance hall again with west facing window overlooking the grounds and fireplace with black marble mantelpiece. The entrance hall leads to the stairs hall with separate wc and study with cast iron mantelpiece with inset stove. Stairs from this level descend to the garden level with spacious central hall, rear porch, shower room with wc and washbasin, spacious utility room and cloak and boot room. Off the hall is the country kitchen/breakfast room. The normal bank which would have surrounded a semi basement has been removed to allow seamless access to extensive paved terracing and the lawns which slope gently down to the pond and small river beyond. Off the kitchen is a separate larder and wine cellar. At the other end of the kitchen there are 2 double bedrooms. Upstairs there are 4 double bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. History & Location History The lands at Camolin were acquired by the Church of Ireland about 1830 and The Rectory was built shortly after. In 1947 when no longer required by the church it was sold to the Bolger family. It was subsequently acquired by Sir John Doyle, whose grandfather founded the Royal Irish Fusiliers. His daughter sold the property to the current vendors in 1988 who subsequently upgraded and improved the entire holding. Location Although nestled in a secluded countryside setting, Glebe House is only some 1.2 km from the bustling village of Camolin. This thriving village offers a variety of amenities, with a primary school, churches, pubs and a surprising array of shops. There are two service stations with forecourts, while the renowned and award-winning ‘Cois na hAbhann’ garden, home and lifestyle centre with ‘The Bay Tree Restaurant’ has become, for the outdoor enthusiast, one of the premier destinations in the South- East. For the sporting enthusiast, Camolin boasts both GAA and soccer clubs with adult and youth teams. Camolin Park Forest, one of the Millenium Forests, offers a variety of walking and cycling trails. Camolin is very conveniently located, being on the old N11 road. Today, it is only a 5-minute drive from the new M11 Motorway linking the Rosslare Europort with Dublin. The rapidly growing provincial town of Gorey is a mere 10kms north, while Camolin is within easy reach of a range of sandy beaches. In addition, both Bus Eireann and Wexford Bus provide regular daily services from Camolin to Dublin and Wexford Town. The Lands, The Grounds & The Outbuildings The Lands The Lands total approximately 5.38 ha (13.3 Acres) of which the house yard and gardens comprise approximately 2.5 acres, approximately 9.2 acres of paddocks and a further 1.6 acres of land being allowed to rewild naturally The Grounds To say the gardens are amazing would be an understatement. Planted to maximise colour throughout the seasons and at the same time simplify maintenance they are a joy to behold with lawns lined with colourful plantings interspersed with walkways leading down to the feature pond which is fed from the small river which bounds the property. There is also a small orchard and fruit and vegetable garden. The Outbuildings Immediately to the rear of the house is a small courtyard with lofted coach house with two stables. Off the main avenue is the main stable yard with a six-span barn incorporating three loose boxes in two spans, two spans open fronted, the remaining two spans comprise indoor/outdoor lying in space. There are also a further two loose boxes, an all-weather arena and a four-horse walker Features • Fully modernised period residence • Wonderful mature gardens • Excellent equestrian facilities • Excellent access to national road network. • Walk in condition throughout. Viewing Strictly by appointment Services – Private Water Supply – Septic Tank – ESB – Broadband – Solar electricity BER – BER Exempt For further information joint Agents details Warren Estates Ltd Niall Slattery – Mob 086 8363723 – email – niall@warrenestates.com Colliers Marcus Magnier – Mob – 0862555161 – email marcus.magnier@colliers.com Callum Bain – Mob 086 8118367 – email – callum.bain@colliers.com

BER Details 

BER: Exempt

Tintern Abbey, County Wexford – an OPW property

by jenjunebug

Tintern Abbey, County Wexford

Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, 15th March 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

General information: 051 562650, tinternabbey@opw.ie

donation

Help me to pay the entrance fee to one of the houses on this website. This site is created purely out of love for the subject and I receive no payment so any donation is appreciated!

€15.00

We visited Tintern Abbey when we were in Wexford in May 2023. We visited again recently as it had rained on our previous visit and we didn’t get to to go to Colclough walled garden, so we made a beeline for the walled garden on our second visit.

Tintern Abbey, photograph by Brian Morrison, 2017 for Tourism Ireland, Ireland’s Content Pool. [see 1]
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern Abbey and Colclough Walled Garden.

The Abbey was converted into a residence after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in King Henry VIII’s time. When the Abbey was gifted to the state, the Irish Board of Works immediately demolished the residence, so that the building was left a ruin. It was only two decades later that the Board of Works began to conserve the property.

Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

The OPW website https://heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/tintern-abbey/ tells us that the Abbey was founded as a Cistercian monastery around the year 1200 by William Marshall, 1st Earl of Pembroke, who became Lord of Leinster as he married Isabella de Clare, the daughter of “Strongbow,” Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. Marshall vowed to create an abbey wherever he could safely land in Ireland during a storm, and he landed in Bannow Bay. Tintern Abbey is located at the head of a small inlet of the sea, next to a stream that provided fresh water. The Abbey was founded as a “daughter house” of Tintern Abbey in Wales, made famous by poet William Wordsworth. To distinguish it from the Welsh abbey, Wexford’s Abbey was also called “Tintern de Voto” meaning “of the vow.”

OPW notice board. Reconstruction drawings by Daniel Tietzsch-Tyler.
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The story of the marriage of William Marshall and Isabel de Clare.

After the dissolution of the monasteries by Thomas Cromwell and King Henry VIII, Tintern Abbey was granted to a soldier, Anthony Colclough (d. 1584).

Information boards tell us about the history of the Abbey and the Cistercian Order, which was based on a strict interpretation of Benedictine rule. The monks would have lived according to a spartan routine of prayer and manual labour. Most of the difficult tasks were carried out by lay brothers. The practice of having lay brothers began because initially the monks wanted to cut themselves off from the outside world and did not allow lay people on their land. However, they needed labourers, so the lay ministry was formed. Some of these lay brothers may have lived nearby in Rathumney Hall, or Castle, now a ruin. Lay brothers often lived in out-farms or “granges,” which would have their own hall, dormitory, kitchen and chapel, and the brothers would then join the monks at the Abbey at weekends.

Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023.
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, situated at the top of an inlet.
Tintern Abbey, photograph by Celtic Routes, 2019 for Tourism Ireland, Ireland’s Content Pool. [see 1]

Information boards tell us of the various phases of the Abbey. It would have been built first by lay monks, and later by the mid 1200s, by professional masons.

Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Reconstruction drawings by Daniel Tietzsch-Tyler.
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023.
Makers Marks, from as early as the 1200s, Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023.

Cistercian simplicity was reflected in their buildings, of strong form and good building techniques. In 1140, Malachy, Bishop of Down, visited Bernard of Clairvaux. Bernard sent helped to establish the Cistercian monastery in Mellifont, County Louth, and by 1169 Ireland had fourteen Cistercian settlements. The Anglo Normans established a further ten in the fifty years after 1169, including Dunbrody Abbey, another Cistercian monastery near Tintern Abbey.

The Cistercians built according to well-established convention. The churches consisted of an aisled nave and presbytery with north and south transepts. A tower was not a usual feature. The cloister was south of the church and was surrounded by buildings such as the infirmary, dormitory, kitchen, guest house and scriptorium.

Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Reconstruction drawings by Daniel Tietzsch-Tyler.
The large window at the east end of the chancel of Tintern Abbey, probably built by 1325. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The large window at the east end of the chancel of Tintern Abbey, probably built by 1325. The sloping window cill next to the tower would have accommodated the north transept and chapel. These may never have been built, as there is no evidence. The stepped battlements were probably added at a later date. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The sloping window cill next to the tower would have accommodated the north transept and chapel. Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Above the windows are the carved corbel tables. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
See the carved heads above the window. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023.

The monks were interested in farming and adopted the latest methods.

Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Reconstruction drawings by Daniel Tietzsch-Tyler.
Tower, Nave and South Trancept, Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

The nave, chancel, tower, chapel and cloister still stand. The nave has lost its aisles and clerestory, but still has three bays of plain arches.

Tower and south trancept, Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The Nave, Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Facing the tower from the nave, Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tower and Nave, Tintern Abbey, photograph by Brian Morrison, 2017 for Tourism Ireland, Ireland’s Content Pool. [see 1]
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, 15th March 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

Sculpture was not encouraged in Cistercian buildings but Tintern has a few fine surviving examples. A carved corbel table remains, which contains twenty four carved heads, some human, some monstrous.

Carved heads above the window. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Carved heads above the window. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023.
Picture of carving in Tintern Abbey.

In the 16th century the old abbey was granted to the Colclough family (pronounced Coakley) and soon after the church was partly converted into living quarters and further adapted over the centuries. The Colcloughs occupied the abbey from the sixteenth century until the mid-twentieth.

The nave contained the main residence of the Colclough family.
Renovations and excavation at Tintern Abbey.
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023.

A chapter by Sean Clooney about Tintern Abbey in Tintern Abbey County Wexford, Cistercians and Colcloughs, Eight Centuries of Occupation, 1st Edition edited by Kevin Whelan, 2nd Edition edited by Anne Finn, tells us that Anthony Colclough, much like King Henry VIII, divorced his first wife! He divorced Thomasine Sutton in 1547 and married Clare Agard. He converted the tower of the abbey into a fortified tower house. A fire in 1562 had destroyed many of the other buildings. He also built the unique fortified bridge nearby.

The fortified bridge built by Anthony Colclough by Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The fortified bridge built by Anthony Colclough by Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, March 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern church and cemetery, which contains the Colclough vault. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

He is buried in the small ruined church a few hundred metres south east of the abbey. The plaque in this church reads:

“Here lieth the body Syr Anthony Colclought Knight, eldest sune of Richard Colclought of Wolstanton in Stafordshire Esquier who came first into this land in the 34 yere of Henry the 8 and then was Captayn of the Pensioners in which place and others of greater charge he continued a most faythful serviter during the life of Edward the VI and Queen Mary and until the XXVI yer of our most noble Queen Elisabeth and then died the IX of December 1584. He left his wife, Clare Agare, daughter of Thomas Agare Esquier 7 sonns, Frances, Ratlife, Anthony, Syr Thomas Colclough, Knight, John, Matew, Lenard and 5 doghters, Jaqnet who married to Nicholas Walsh Esquier of the Priveie Counsayle and one of the Justice of the Kings Bench in Ireland; Fraunc married to William Smethwike of Smethwik in Cheshier; Clare married to William Snead of Brodwal in Stafordshire Esquier; Elinor died iunge.”

Tintern church and cemetery, which contains the Colclough vault. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern church and cemetery, which contains the Colclough vault. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern church and cemetery, which contains the Colclough vault. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern church and cemetery, which contains the Colclough vault. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern church and cemetery, which contains the Colclough vault. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

Anthony’s son Thomas continued to develop Tintern, and is said to have established oyster beds in Bannow Bay. He married, first, Martha Loftus, daughter of Adam Loftus, Protestant Archbishop of Dublin. Their son Adam was raised to the baronetcy as 1st Baronet of Tintern Abbey. Thomas’s second wife, Eleanor Bagenal, was Catholic. After her husband’s death, she married Lucas Plunkett, 1st Earl of Fingall. Thomas’s son by his second marriage inherited lands at Duffry, where Duffry Hall was built by his grandson Patrick Colclough (d. 1691).

Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023.
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Reconstruction drawings by Daniel Tietzsch-Tyler.
Colclough family tree, in Tintern Abbey County Wexford, Cistercians and Colcloughs, Eight Centuries of Occupation, 1st Edition edited by Kevin Whelan, 2nd Edition.

During the 1641 rebellion 200 local Protestant people took refuge in Tintern which was garrisoned by forty soldiers from Duncannon Fort situated nearby. At that time Tintern would have been inhabited by the 2nd Baronet, Caesar Colclough (d. 1684). Shortly afterwards the Catholic branch of the family laid siege to the Protestant branch who were in residence in Tintern Abbey. [2]

The Catholic branch who took control of the abbey following a two-week siege included Dudley Colclough (1613-1663), who had married Katherine Esmonde of Johnstown Castle, and his two brothers John and Anthony (who married Mary Esmonde from Johnstown Castle). Following Oliver Cromwell’s arrival in 1649 Dudley was banished to Connaught and he ultimately died in exile in France.

The 3rd Baronet of Tintern Abbey, Caesar (1650-1687) had no heir so the title expired and the lands passed to his sister Margaret. She married firstly, in 1673, Robert Leigh, of Rosegarland, who thereupon assumed the surname of Colclough; and secondly, in 1696, John Pigott, of Kilfinney, County Limerick, who also assumed the surname of Colclough.

Caesar Colclough (d. 1766), known as “Great Caesar,” great-grandson of Catholic Dudley who had rebelled in 1641, united the properties. His grandfather, Patrick Colclough of Duffry Hall, married Katherine Bagenal of Dunleckney, County Carlow. Patrick Colclough was Catholic and very active in the Jacobite cause and was attainted of High Treason and outlawed by King William III but he died in 1691, before the attainder passed into law, so his eldest son was able to inherit his estates. His son Dudley (d. 1712) was brought up in the Protestant faith. [3] He married Mary Barnewall, granddaughter of Nicholas Barnewall, 1st Viscount Barnewall of Kingsland. The Great Caesar was their son.

The “Great Caesar” was a great sportsman and generous landlord. He brought a team of men to play hurling in front of King George. The team wore a yellow sash to distinguish them from the opposition, and the king or queen called out, “Come on the yellow bellies!” and from then on, Wexford men are called “yellow bellies.”

Caesar’s second wife, Henrietta Vesey, was the great-granddaughter of King Charles II, granddaughter of Mary Walters de Crofts, illegitimate daughter of Charles II.

Upon the Great Caesar’s death in 1766, the Tintern estates passed to his grandson Vesey, and the Duffry estates passed to his younger son Adam. Vesey Colclough (1745-1794) married Catherine Grogan of Johnstown Castle in County Wexford. It was not a happy marriage and they separated, but Vesey remained in Tintern and transformed the chancel of the abbey into a residence. He was extravagant in his lifestyle, however, and his son John had to extricate himself from debt accrued.

OPW notice board. Reconstruction drawings by Daniel Tietzsch-Tyler.
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, 15th March 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

John did more renovations of the abbey, constructing a second storey over the south transept aisle, which was known as the Lady Chapel. The lower storey held a kitchen and above, a library, wiht a massive Gothic window facing the sea.

Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford.
The library window, Tintern Abbey, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The large traceried window being restored.
The old library with its large window. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

However, when John was standing for election he was shot dead in a duel in 1807 by William Alcock of Wilton Castle in County Wexford, an opponent in the election. Alcock was acquitted by a jury of his peers, but his mental health deteriorated.

Four Colcloughs died in duels. Thomas of Duffrey Hall was killed in a duel in 1690. Agmondisham, son of “Great Caesar,” was killed in a duel in 1758, and John Colclough of St. Kieran’s was killed in 1801 by Henry Loftus Tottenham of Loftus Hall, far down on the Hook Peninsula (a property that is again advertised for sale).

Tintern passed to John’s brother, another Caesar Colclough (1766-1843). He and his wife Jane Kirwan had no children, and some suspected his wife of killing him. She went on to marry Thomas Boyce. Her right to the property was challenged by the Colclough family. So many court cases were instigated that it has been said that it was one of the inspirations for Dickens’ “Jarndice vs Jarndice” in Bleak House.

Adam, the son of “Great Caesar” who inherited Duffry, had a son, Caesar, who died in 1822. He was Chief Justice of Prince Edward Island in Canada. It was his daughter, Mary, who married John Thomas Rossborough, who eventually gained ownership. Her husband took the name Colclough.

The Colclough family lived there until 1958, when it was presented to the state by Lucy Biddulph-Colclough.

The Board of Works that took on care of Tintern Abbey dismantled the residential part of the building: floors, doors and windows were taken out, the roof was taken off, and materials were sold by auction. It was only twenty years later that the Board of Work returned to preserve the abbey.

Tintern Abbey noticeboard. Reconstruction drawings by Daniel Tietzsch-Tyler.
Tintern before restoration work.
Tintern before restoration work.

When it was being restored, the roof of the tower was rebuilt. The coach house with the medieval gateway was restored to provide visitor facilities.

The restored coach house, in use for tourist facilities, at Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

The Lady Chapel was restored for use as an exhibition room.

Stephen in the stone vaulted Lady Chapel, Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Carved boss in the Lady Chapel vaulting, Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The Library was cleared out during restoration, including removing wood panelling. Wood panelling was later partly reinstated.

When the Abbey was converted into a residence, new flooring was added and the tower house was divided into rooms with wattle and daub timber frame screen walls and oak panelling fixed to the masonry walls. What remains of the oak panelling has been conserved and is now located on the first floor of the Crossing Tower. Dendrochronology dates the timbers to 1600-1620. It was known as “wainscotting.” It added warmth to the room.

Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
When converted to a residence, wooden-framed partition walls were added in the tower. The oak framework was infilled with panels of woven sticks “wattle” and caked with mud (“daub”) and painted.
Recovered oak panelling from 1600-1620, Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023.
Wattle and daub, Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
The “wattle” for building was obtained by the practice of coppicing, Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023.
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023.
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023.
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
You can see how thick the walls are, Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Display case in Tintern Abbey. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023.
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, May 2023. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

The website continues: “Conservation works have included special measures to protect the local bat colonies. The abbey is set in a special area of conservation and is surrounded by woodland within which are walking trails. Not to be missed is the restored Colclough Walled Garden situated within the old estate.“

Colclough walled garden, Tintern Abbey, County Wexford. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Colclough Walled garden, Tintern Abbey, photograph by Brian Morrison, 2017 for Tourism Ireland, Ireland’s Content Pool. [see 1]
Tintern Abbey, photograph by Brian Morrison, 2015 for Tourism Ireland, Ireland’s Content Pool. [see 1]

Following the donation of Tintern Abbey to the Irish State in 1959 the walled garden was abandoned to nature and became overgrown.  The gradual restoration of the walled garden by a team of volunteers began in 2010 and the 1830s layout shown on the Ordnance Survey was reinstated. The restored garden, which opened to the public in 2012, is divided into two sections: the Ornamental Garden and the Kitchen Garden. 

Garden at Tintern Abbey, photograph by Brian Morrison, 2017 for Tourism Ireland, Ireland’s Content Pool. [see 1]
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, 15th March 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, 15th March 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com
Tintern Abbey, County Wexford, 15th March 2025. Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

[1] https://www.irelandscontentpool.com/en/media-assets/media/81101

[2] notes from Tintern website, by Breda Lynch.

[3] https://genealogy-and-you.com/onewebmedia/Colclough.pdf

See the sale of Loftus Hall, courtesy of Colliers.

Loftus Hall, County Wexford, for sale April 2025 courtesy Colliers.

Loftus Hall is a large, partly re-furbished country house which was built on the site of the original Redmond Hall. The property boasts one of the most scenic locations in the southeast with views over Hook Peninsula and the world famous Hook Lighthouse, providing the most stunning landscape which is steeped in history and reputed by locals to have been haunted the property. The property was purchased by the Quigley family in 2011 and run as a tourist attraction with guided tours of the property and seasonal events. In 2021 the property was bought by its current owners who had a masterplan to refurbish the original building over two phases. The estate has already undergone extensive renovations, with Phase 1 nearing completion, set to transform the property into an exclusive 22-bedroom luxury hotel with high-end amenities, extensive food and beverage facilities, and beautifully landscaped gardens. The vision for Phase 2, included an additional 56 bedroom hotel block, a gym and spa, dedicated wedding facilities, 33 standalone garden cottages and 10 eco pods strategically placed along the perimeter of the property.

Loftus Hall, County Wexford, for sale April 2025 courtesy Colliers.

Location Loftus Hall is located on the southern tip of Hook Peninsula, close to the famous Hook Lighthouse, one of the oldest operational lighthouses in the world. Loftus Hall offers an unparalleled location for exploring the beauty and history of County Wexford. Just 4km from the iconic Hook Lighthouse, 33km from the vibrant town of New Ross, 45km from Wexford and 51km from Waterford. The property is also in close proximity to several popular tourist destinations, including Passage East (17km) and Dunmore East (30km) and the charming nearby villages such as Hookless Village, Slade, and Fethard-On-Sea, all within easy access. The location is quite picturesque, making it a popular spot for visitors interested in history, architecture, and the paranormal. Main House Built originally between 1870 and 1871 on the site of Redmond Hall, which traces its history to 1350, Loftus Hall comprises a detached nine-bay, three storey house. The estate is situated on approximately 27.68 hectares (68 acres) with the house extending to a total gross internal area (GIA) of 2,460 sq.m (26,480 sq. ft). Loftus Hall is a protected structure under RPS Ref WCC0692 and under the NIAH Ref 15705401. The estate has already undergone extensive renovations, with Phase 1 nearing completion. The ground floor of the original building has been transformed to contain a large dining room, a cigar room and a number of guest lounge areas. When completed the restaurant will seat over 100 covers which will feature visibility of the chefs working with an open pass, an outside BBQ area and fire pit adjacent to the new restaurant area with the existing bar fully refurbished. The hotel bedrooms are finished to second fix over the first and second floors and are appointed with large ensuite bathrooms and with commanding and sweeping views out to sea. The vision for Phase 2 consists of the development of a permanent marquee erected on the grounds which will cater for up to 300 seated wedding guests, a gym & spa, a new hotel bedroom block which will contain up to 56 additional bedrooms, 33 standalone garden cottages, 10 eco pods wrapped around the perimeter of the property, a children’s playground, a herb and vegetable garden, over two hundred car park spaces in total between the front and rear of the development and a walkway that will allow guests to access the beach directly from the development. The Grounds The grounds are a feature of Loftus Hall and have been maintained to the highest standards throughout the refurbishment. The gardens at Loftus Hall, particularly the walled garden, were designed to thrive in the unique climate of the Hook Peninsula. The garden’s high walls provided a sheltered environment, allowing a variety of plants to flourish. Fruit trees were a significant feature, with mulberry trees being particularly successful. The sheltered environment also supported other fruit trees like apple and pear. Additionally, the garden likely included a variety of herbs and vegetables, which were essential for the estate’s kitchen. The garden’s design and plant selection reflect the practical needs and aesthetic preferences of the time, creating a space that was both beautiful and functional.