Accommodation and wedding venues in County Donegal

by jenjunebugApril 11, 2026April 12, 2026

On the map above:

blue: places to visit that are not section 482

purple: section 482 properties

red: accommodation

yellow: less expensive accommodation for two

orange: “whole house rental” i.e. those properties that are only for large group accommodations or weddings, e.g. 10 or more people.

green: gardens to visit

grey: ruins

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

Places to Stay, County Donegal

1. Bruckless House Gate Lodge, Bruckless, County Donegal

2. Castle Grove, County Donegal – hotel and wedding venue

3. Cavangarden, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal – B&B

4. Dunmore, Carrigans, Co Donegal – weddings and accommodation

5. Lough Eske Castle, near Donegal, Co Donegal – hotel

6. Rathmullan House, Co Donegal – hotel

7. Railway Crossing Cottage near Donegal town: Irish Landmark property

8. Rock Hill, Letterkenny, Co Donegal – hotel

9. St. Columb’s, St Mary’s Road, Buncrana, Co Donegal

10. St John’s Point Lighthouse cottage, Dunkineely, County Donegal – Irish Landmark property

11. Termon House, Dungloe, County Donegal, whole house rental

12. Woodhill House, Ardara, County Donegal

Whole House Rental, County Donegal:

1. Drumhalla House, Rathmullen, County Donegal – whole house rental and wedding venue

Places to Stay, County Donegal

1. Bruckless House Gate Lodge, Bruckless, County Donegal – self catering holiday rental, airbnb

No longer listed on Hidden Ireland accommodation, it is listed on airbnb.

https://www.airbnb.ie/rooms/42587758?locale=en&_set_bev_on_new_domain=1775833806_EANTQwNWQ4Yzk3Mz&set_everest_cookie_on_new_domain=1775833806.EAZDI3MjUxNjVmNjBlM2.svI_Y2VKZ2PfTJBkruePeQX4Y8DRTp0i8xDWcdYS8Hw&source_impression_id=p3_1775833806_P3w30yv9lOoIj-dF

The website tells us:

“Open all year round, Bruckless House Gate Lodge is available to rent for self-catering holidays. Situated on 18 acres of parkland, the Gate Lodge is surrounded by its own garden just off the private driveway leading to Bruckless House. Guests can stroll down the avenue to reach the rocky shoreline of Bruckless Bay. They are always welcome to call at Bruckless House with its informal gardens and cobbled yard, where poultry wander between the Connemara Ponies.

“The Gate Lodge is comprised of four rooms in total. Bruckless Gate Lodge has an open plan living room and kitchen with an open fireplace, a full-sized bathroom and two bedrooms. There is a television set provided and all rooms have electric storage heating. Free wireless Internet connection is also available to guests at Bruckless Gate Lodge.

“Bruckless House was built in mid-18th century by a Plantation family, Nesbitt, but quickly passed into the hands of an Irish family, the Cassidys. It remained with them right into the 20th century. Legend has it that a Gate Lodge was built along with the House and that it was located at the then main entrance, near the River Stank off the present-day main road. Today there are no signs of this building – it was probably demolished to make way for the tracks of the County Donegal Railway. By 1894 the main entrance had been removed to the present location, using a bridge to cross the railway, but no Gate Lodge was built until the new century.“

2. Castle Grove, County Donegal – hotel

*Castlegrove, County Donegal. Photograph from National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.*

https://www.castlegrove.com

The website tells us:

“Castle Grove Country House is steeped in charm and elegance, tastefully upholding the traditions of centuries past.

“We have 15 en suite guest bedrooms, all of which are carefully furnished with rare antiques, luxury fabrics, televisions, Egyptian cotton sheets, soft towels and indulgent toiletries.” They also do weddings and have a restaurant.

*Castle Grove, County Donegal, photograph courtey of website.*

Mark Bence-Jones writes in his A Guide to Irish Country Houses (1988):

p. 70. “(Campbell-Grove/IFR) A two storey Georgian house, repaired and modernized by Thomas Brooke (nee Grove) ca. 1825. Tripartite pedimented doorcase, with Doric columns and pilasters. Attractive early C19 conservatory of glass and wood flanking entrance front.”

The website tells us:

“Castle Grove Country House Hotel is one of the few remaining family run private estates in the North West of Ireland. Located six miles north of Letterkenny, it provides the perfect base to explore the beautiful scenery of Donegal and the Wild Atlantic way.

“This near-original Georgian house was built in 1695 and is situated at the end of a mile-long avenue on the shores of Lough Swilly. The 250 acre grounds are made up of farmland and extensive gardens that were designed by Capability Brown.

“The Grove family estate dates to 1656 when William Grove resided at Castle Shanaghan, approximately 1 mile from the current location. During the ‘Siege of Derry’ James II lauded William Grove for his military knowledge, which led to the family house being burnt down after the siege.“

“After the ‘Siege of Derry’ in 1690, Castle Grove House was built in 1695 nearer Lough Swilly and was later added to between 1750 and 1780.“

“The ownership of Castle Grove throughout the years is as significant as the history of the house. It remained in the Grove family until 1970 when the last of the family died.

“The Grove/Boyton family played a pivotal role in the election of Daniel O’Connell to Parliament in 1828. Another famous son who left Castle Grove to achieve greatness was General Richard Montgomery who left the British Army in 1772 and emigrated to America where he later led the cavalry in the Battle of Quebec where he was slain in 1775. His bravery was later honoured by having his remains interred at St. Pauls cathedral in New York City.

“In 1970 Castle Grove passed to a relative who used it as a private home until 1989 when it was sold to the current owners, The Sweeney’s.“

Timothy William Ferres tells us that the house was built in 1730 by William Grove. He was High Sheriff of County Donegal in 1727. (see http://lordbelmontinnorthernireland.blogspot.com/2016/03/castle-grove.html )

*Photograph from National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.*

3. Cavangarden, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal – B&B

http://www.cavangardenhouse.com

The website tells us:

“Cavangarden House, a spacious Georgian period residence offering B&B accommodation dates back to 1750 when it was built by the Atkinson family and it still retains the character of that by-gone age, with antique furniture, majestic gardens and a private tree-lined entrance.

“Located in the tranquil Donegal countryside the house is now owned by the Mc Caffrey family and is surrounded by a working farm of 380 acres.“

*Cavangarden, County Donegal, photograph courtesy of website.*

Mark Bence-Jones writes in his A Guide to Irish Country Houses (1988):

p. 81. “Atkinson/LFI1958) A two storey gable ended house built 1781 by John Atkinson. Entrance front of one bay on either side of a central bow, to which an enclosed pillared porch was later added. Attic lit by windows in gable-ends; gable-ends truncated, making the roof partly hipped.”

The Atkinsons owned an estate in Co. Donegal from 1613, when William Atkinson (c.1580-c.1660) was granted several townlands to the north-east of Ballyshannon. They made their main residence at Creevy, but their house there was burned down in 1690 by supporters of King James II when Thomas Atkinson (c.1624-1702) and his son Thomas (1655-1738) were attainted by the Irish parliament for their support of William of Orange. The majority of their property was restored to the family in 1698, with the notable exception of Creevy, and they built a new house at Cavangarden, which remained the family’s seat until the 20th century.

The property passed from Thomas Atkinson (d. 1738) to his elder son, John Atkinson (1682-1748), and then to John’s son, Thomas Atkinson (1713-83). Thomas’s son, John Atkinson (1754-1833) seems to have been the first of the family to be a Justice of the Peace, and was probably responsible for building the present house at Cavangarden, even though the date traditionally given for it is a couple of years earlier than the date of his inheritance. (see https://landedfamilies.blogspot.com/2016/10/236-atkinson-of-cavangarden.html )

Self-catering in Cavangarden Court http://www.cavangardencourt.com/

4. Dunmore, Carrigans, Co Donegal – accommodation

https://www.dunmoregardens.ie/our-history/

*Dunmore House, County Donegal.* *Photograph from National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.*

The website tells us that Agatha Christie (1890-1976) apparently visited Dunmore and enjoyed its gardens on a few occasions as a guest of the McClintocks of Dunmore, to whom she was related through marriage! The website informs us that the siege of Derry is a key event in the history of the area and that the army of King James II may have burnt the original house as it retreated.

*The Suite, Dunmore Gardens, County Donegal, photograph courtesy of Dunmore Gardens.*

In 1709 the McClintocks demolished the ruins of Dunmore although the cellars remained and thus predate the existing house. The house as we know it was built in 1742.

The house was purchased by the current owner’s grandfather, and was turned into a guest house and wedding venue in 2017. There is also a log cabin for accommodation.

*The bedroom suite, Dunmore, photograph courtesy of Dunmore Gardens.*

The website tells us: “The history of Dunmore starts with the Ulster plantations. Dunmore is situated just outside Carrigans, near Derry. It overlooks the Foyle and is just down the road from the castle of Mongavlin, where Red Hugh O’Donnell was born. After the flight of the Earls in 1607, when the O’Neills and the O’Donnells fled, the estates of these great Gaelic lords were confiscated and distributed among planters. Carrigans was a planter town. And it was the Scottish Stewarts and Cunninghams who settled in the area.

“The Harveys of Malin Head, who had been merchants in Bristol, originally owned Dunmore. Their daughter, Elizabeth, married William McClintock [1657-1724], apparently in 1685.“

A gatepost shows four key dates associated with Dunmore:

1620
1678 dh (David Harvey)
1709 wm (William McClintock)
1742 jm (John McClintock).
Mark Bence-Jones describes Dunmore House in Burke’s Guide to Country Houses 1978 as “A gable ended mid C18 house which Dr Craig considers may be by Michael Priestly. 2 storey with an attic lit by windows in the gable ends, 5 bay front with central venetian window above tripartite doorway later obscured by a porch. Lower 2 storey wing added later. Staircase extending into central projection at the back of house.”

*There is also separate Log Cabin accommodation, Dunmore.*

*Entrance to Dunmore House, County Donegal. Photograph from National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.*

“Robert McClintock, 1804 -1859 [grandson of William], built the walls of the walled garden in the early 19th century. Certainly there was work on the walls as famine relief. There is a plague on the wall of the garden with the date of 1845.

“The oldest known picture of Carrigans village shows a mill. The mill was apparently built on the ruins of Carrigans castle.

“In the 20^th century Robert McClintock lived at Dunmore. He was a keen and talented engineer. He built a series of interconnected ponds and a collection of sundials, scattered through the walled gardens. He also invented the Bangalore torpedo while in the British Indian Army unit, the Madras Sappers and Miners, at Bangalore, India, in 1912. They were a means of exploding booby traps and barricades left over from the Boer and Russo-Japanese Wars and were used at the Battle of the Somme.“

5. Lough Eske Castle, near Donegal, Co Donegal – 5 * hotel

*Lough Eske Castle in County Donegal, photograph by Robert French, Lawrence Photograph Collection, National Library of Ireland*.

https://www.lougheskecastlehotel.com

The Castle was largely gutted by fire in 1939, but has been rebuilt and renovated and is now an upscale hotel.

Mark Bence-Jones writes in his  A Guide to Irish Country Houses (1988):

p. 192. “(Brooke, sub Brookeborough, V/PB; White/LGI1912) A Tudor-Baronial castle of 1866 by FitzGibbon Louch, built for the Donegal branch of the Brookes whose progenitor built Donegal Castle. Of ashlar; two storeys built over high basement, with four storey square tower at one end. Imposing Gothic porch betwen two oriels; battlemented parapet with two curvilinear blind gables. Tower with machicolations, crow-step battlements and curved corbelled oriels. Lower two storey battlemented range with corner turret at other end of front. Sold 1894, after the death of Thomas Brooke, to Major-Gen H.G. White. Largely gutted by fire 1939; but one wing remains intact and is still occupied.” As we can see, it has been rebuilt since Mark Bence-Jones wrote.

*Lough Eske, County Donegal, photograph courtesy hotel website.*

The National Inventory tells us that after the fire in 1939 Lough Eske was unoccupied and derelict until c. 2007. It was rebuilt and multiple modern extensions were added to the rear (north-west) and to the south-west elevation.

David Hicks has a chapter about Lough Eske Castle in his book Irish County Houses: Chronicle of Change (Collins Press, Cork, 2012). He tells us that it was built for Thomas Young, who inherited the property from his mother’s brother, Thomas Grove, who had taken the name Brooke when he inherited the Lough Eske property from his uncle Henry Vaughan Brooke (1743-1807). As a condition of inheriting the property, Thomas Young also had to adopt the Brooke name and coat of arms, so he became Thomas Young Brooke.

The family are descended from Basil Brooke (1567-1633) who lived in Brooke Manor in County Donegal. He was granted Donegal Castle and large amounts of land in Donegal, including the land on which Lough Eske was built.

His son Henry (d. 1671) lived in Brookeborough, County Fermanagh. He was granted land in Fermanagh after he fought to suppress the 1641 uprising. He married three times and had several children. Henry’s son Basil Brooke (1638-1692) married and had a son, Henry Brooke (1692-abt. 1725). He married Elizabeth Vaughan, daughter of Colonel George Vaughan of Buncrana, County Donegal. They had a son, Basil Brooke (abt. 1705-1768), who married Jane Wray from Castle Wray, County Donegal. Their children were Henry Vaughan Brooke and Rose Vaughan Brook.

Henry Vaughan Brooke (1743-1807) inherited Lough Eske. His sister was Rose Vaughan Brooke. She married James Grove (1725-1793) of Castle Grove, County Donegal. It was their son Thomas Grove who took the name Brooke. He, however, died childless in 1830, so the property passed to Thomas Young, son of Jane Grove (Thomas Grove Brooke’s sister) and Thomas Young.

*Lough Eske Castle, County Donegal, Photograph from National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.*

Thomas Young Brooke (1804-1884) placed the Brooke coat of arms over the front door of the castle which he had built. It was built on the site of an old Jacobean house. His architect, Fitzgibbon Louch was from Derry. The National Inventory tells us that the present edifice replaced earlier houses on the same site, which where built in 1621 and 1751. It is possible that the building retains fabric from the earlier 1751 house as the south-east part of the house occupies much the same footprint as the earlier building. The 1621 house, the Inventory tells us, “was probably built for the Knox family, who owned the Lough Eske Castle until 1717 when it passed, through marriage, into the ownership of the Brooke family.”

*Lough Eske Castle hotel, photograph by Brian Morrison, 2014 for Tourism Ireland, Ireland’s Content Pool* (see [3]).

*Thomas Young Brooke (1804-1884) placed the Brooke coat of arms over the front door of the castle which he had built.* *Lough Eske Castle, County Donegal, Photograph from National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.*

The entrance front of the castle is 130 feet long, and the front door is under a carved stone porch.

The hotel website tells us a bit of the history:

“The O’Donnells, a powerful 14th-century Donegal clan, had their seat at the original Lough Eske Castle, with wealthy landowners ruling from the castle and Edwardian glamour played out. In the 1860s, the last resident of the castle, Thomas Brooke, inspired by Victorian Gothic style, set about creating a comfortable and refined residence, with dramatic turrets, exquisite stained-glass windows and intricate stone carvings, to create Lough Eske Castle as we know it today. So grand was the transformation that the great and the good, including novelist and playwright Oscar Wilde, enjoyed the hospitality of the Brooke family.

“Over time, the property fell into disrepair, with its decline hastened by fire. By the early Noughties, nobody wanted the crumbling ruins, or could see its future clearly. That is with the exception of Donegal man, Pat Doherty, who saw clearly a unique opportunity – and a bright future. His vision to restore the castle to its original splendour and to provide hospitality on a grand scale in the scenic county of his birth was realised in 2007, when Lough Eske Castle received its first hotel guests.

“To discover more about the history of the castle and grounds, guests can take a guided Castle history tour or explore the estate’s lakeside woodland trails by foot or on the hotel’s complimentary bicycles.”

*Green Drawing Room, Lough Eske, County Donegal, photograph courtesy hotel website.*

*Library, Lough Eske, County Donegal, photograph courtesy hotel website.*

The National Inventory description continues:

“Set back from road in extensive mature wooded and landscaped grounds to the south-west corner of Lough Eske, and to the north-east of Donegal Town. Mature parkland to the south and wooded grounds to the west and the south-west. Modern gravel forecourt to the south-east. Associated outbuildings to the rear, walled garden to the north-east, gate lodges to the east and to the south/south-west , memorial cross to the east, and two-storey building to the north. Rubble stone boundary wall to estate, now largely ruinous. Remains of earlier castle in grounds to the east. [this is an O’Donnell castle]

“This rambling Elizabethan-style or Tudor Revival house, with its dramatic roofline of Tudoresque chimneystacks, turrets, curvilinear gables, machicolations and crenellated parapets, is one of the more important elements of the built heritage of County Donegal. It is well-built using local ashlar sandstone masonry and it is extensively detailed with carved and cut sandstone of the highest quality (the sandstone is apparently from Monaghan’s Quarry near Frosses, and was transported to the site along a road specifically constructed for the task). The central three-storey block with the entrance porch flanked by canted-bay windows is symmetrical, but the other elevations of the main block, the tower, and the ancillary wings are irregular, which creates an interesting and complex plan with contrasting elevations and perspectives.“ “

The National Inventory continues: “Lough Eske Castle is a notable example of the nineteenth century penchant for dramatic architecture, and is built in a highly effective revivalist fifteenth/sixteenth/early seventeenth-century architectural idiom that compliments the spectacular site and perhaps references the history of the surrounding area (the history of the Brooke family who arrived as part of the Plantation at the start of the seventeenth century and of Donegal Castle in particular). Lough Eske Castle was originally built to designs by Fitzgibbon Louch (1826 – 1911) for Thomas Brooke. The main contractor involved was Albert Williams, and the clerk of works was a Michael Stedman. The finely carved coat-of-arms/family crest over the main doorway is of the Brooke family.”

When Thomas Young Brooke died in 1884 the castle was advertised for sale. It was purchased by Major General Henry George White in 1894, who moved his family here from Wales. His son Major Henry White (d. 1936) inherited the castle in 1906. A Celtic high cross marks his father’s grave on the property.

Henry extended the castle in 1911, adding a ballroom wing, and he modernised it with electricity and new plumbing.

The family left the castle during the Irish Civil War, since many big houses were being burned down. The contents were sold and the house placed on the market.

The National Inventory continues: “The estate later passed into the ownership of the Knee family who ran a hotel here from 1930 until 1939. The castle was largely burnt-out during a disastrous fire in 1939, and remained derelict until c. 2007 when it was renovated and extended to form a hotel. The façade was re-created in these works using the original designs. This fine edifice forms the centrepiece of an extensive collection of related structures along with the outbuildings to the rear, the walled garden to the north-east, gate lodges to the east and to the south/south-west , memorial cross to the east, and a two-storey building to the north, and represents an important element of the built heritage and history of the local area.”

The castle was sold after the fire to Scott Swan, David Hicks tells us, who renovated and lived in one of the wings. It was sold again and lay empty for years until Donegal man Pat Doherty, CEO, chairman and founder of Harcourt Developments, who renovated it to be a five star hotel.

6. Rathmullan House, Co Donegal – hotel

WWW.RATHMULLANHOUSE.COM

*Rathmullan House, County Donegal, photograph courtesy of Rathmullan House website.*

My friends love to visit this hotel when they visit from Pennsylvania! I haven’t been there yet. The website introduces it:

“At Rathmullan House we are proud to say that we have welcomed generations of guests and friends for almost 60 years. Set in 7 acres of tranquil wooded grounds overlooking Lough Swilly and at the beginning of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way coastline, our location is idyllic, but it is our genuine hospitality that sets us apart.

“With the second generation of the Wheeler family now looking after the 4 star hotel, they have retained many classic features and traditional elements but with the modern touches that you expect. Good food with a relaxed personal service are the corner stones which Rathmullan House has been built on.

“Our award winning restaurant, The Cook & Gardener restaurant is renowned for its locally sourced and expertly cooked food, with many ingredients source from our own Walled Garden.”

The website tells us:

“The original house was built in typical Georgian style around 1760s and was part of the Knox family estates. Bishop Knox of Derry and Raphoe [William Knox (1762-1831)] built the house as a bathing place when he left the priory in Rathmullan to move to Prehen in Derry.“

*Prehen Park, County Derry, sale June 2025, photograph courtesy Savills.*

Bishop Knox’s father was Thomas Knox, 1st Viscount Northland of Dungannon in County Tyrone and his mother Anne Vesey came from Abbeyleix House in County Laois. His brother Thomas was 1st Earl of Ranfurly of Renfew in Scotland.

The website continues: “Later in the 1800s it became the country residence of the Batt family who were linen brokers and founders of the Belfast bank, now the Northern and Northern Irish Bank. The Batt family townhouse in Belfast is now Purdysburn Hospital.

“Thomas Batt’s substantial renovations in 1870 doubled the house in size. The three bay windows were added and the grounds extensively planted. The Batt family resided here until the 1940’s. After the war the Holiday Fellowship used the house as a centre for walking holidays until the train service to Buncrana ceased.

“Bob and Robin Wheeler bought the house in 1961. After lovingly transforming the dormitories back into the original bedrooms, they opened the house in 1962 as a 22 bedroom hotel. The original pavilion dining room designed by the late Dr Liam Mc Cormick was built in 1969 with a swimming pool and a new bedroom wing added in the 1990’s. In 2004, the new regency bedroom wing opened along with The Gallery Room and the Cook & Gardener restaurant was renovated and redesigned.

“Mark and Mary are now the second generation to run the house and take pride in keeping as many original features whilst adding in modern comforts for their guests.“

It looks gorgeous – I hope I can stay there someday!

7. Railway Crossing Cottage near Donegal town – Irish Landmark property

www.irishlandmark.com

Sleeps two.

*Railway Crossing Cottage, County Donegal, photograph courtesy of Irish Landmark.*

8. Rockhill House, Letterkenny, Co Donegal – hotel

*Rockhill House, County Donegal, photograph courtesy of hotel website.*

https://www.rockhillhouse.ie

The website tells us of the history of Rockhill House:

“Rockhill House can trace its roots to the 17th Century plantation of Ulster. Seat of the Chambers family for 172 years, the property was acquired in 1832 by the aristocratic ornithologist, John Vandeleur Stewart. Stewart engaged famed Dublin architect, John Hargrave [c. 1788-1833], to design a radical extension and remodelling of the house, and the new owner carried out comprehensive draining, planting and cultivation of the lands to create the lush, Georgian idyll that remained in his family until the 1936 break-up of the Estate and sale of the property and 100 acres to the Commissioner of Public Works.“

“A headquarters of the Irish Defence Forces through to early 2009, the Army’s exit began a period of vacancy that allowed Rockhill House to slip into disrepair and decay. The Estate, too, was a shadow of what it was during its days of care and plenty under the Stewarts.

“When today’s owners, the Molloy family, got the keys in 2014, a vast task met them. When they first stepped into the house, it was possible to stand in the basement and see the roof, three storeys above!

“This began a three-year labour of love for the Molloys, whose sensitive restoration, while being true to Rockhill’s rich past, now takes it into a great new heyday. Once again, the great halls and galleries of the Big House are filled with light and the colours and textures of its Georgian tastemakers.

“Original features – from cornices, ceiling roses, and spiral staircases to picture rails, ironwork and fireplaces – have been salvaged where possible, and historically replicated wherever the original has been lost to time. The Estate is springing back to life, with verdant gardens adorned with Temple and fountain; and lost woodland walks uncovered for new exploration.”

The Letterkenny Historical Society website gives a more detailed history of the house and its occupants:

( https://www.letterkennyhistory.com/rockhill-house/ )

“In the Plantation of Ulster, an English Knight Sir Thomas Coach was granted 1,500 acres on the south side of the River Swilly called ‘Lismongan’. While we might associate that solely with the small area of Lismonaghan today, the land in fact stretched out much further than that to take in the areas of Rockhill and Scarrifhollis also.

“Coach’s son, Captain Thomas Coach, also held lands in Cabra, Co. Cavan and from the 1660s onwards, he confined his family business primarily to there. After bequeathing the estate to his son, Colonel Thomas Coach, the overall 1,500 acres then came into the possession of the Pratt family through marriage. Joseph Pratt was originally married to Frances Coach, sister to the Colonel but in 1686 was re-married to Elizabeth Coach, daughter to the Colonel. Upon Colonel Coach’s death in 1699, the lands of Lismonaghan passed to the Pratts who remained in the area right up until the nineteenth century.

“Rockhill, or Corr as it was known then, being approximately 240 acres in size, was just a small part of this overall 1,500 acres of the Coach family estate. In a grant of 26 July 1693, John Chambers was granted the lands of Rockhill from Thomas Coach, grandson to the original patentee.

“Thus the Chambers family came to occupy Rockhill at the end of the seventeenth century and they built a manor house on their lands, on the site of the current Rockhill House. These Chambers were descended from William Chambers who had been the Curate of Leck in 1633.“

The website continues: “Daniel Chambers sold the estate at Rockhill to John Vandeleur Stewart of Ards on 21 February 1832 for £900 and retired to Loughveagh House on his other estate at Gartan (where Gartan Outdoor Pursuits centre now stands) but sold that in 1845 and moved to Dublin where he died in 1850.

“John Vandeluer Stewart was appointed High Sheriff of Donegal in 1838 and made extensive renovations to the former Chambers house, so closely modeled on the Stewart family home of Ards House that they came to be almost ‘sister houses’. The Stewart estate stretched from Oldtown to Bomany and up to Letterleague where the ruins of the former gatehouse can still be seen. Flax, beet, corn and potatoes were cultivated on the estate with a large orchard near to the house while coursing and hunting on the estate was offered for £10 annually. The Rockhill Coursing Club was set up in 1890 with Sir Thomas Lecky as President. The Rockhill Stakes, The Letterkenny Stakes and The Swilly Stakes were competed for annually at Crieve Meadows, with competitors arriving with their greyhounds from all over the northwest.

“John Vandeluer Stewart died in 1872 and the estate passed to his eldest son, Major General Alexander Charles Hector Stewart, who was High Sheriff of Donegal in 1881. Upon his death in 1917, the Rockhill estate was left in trust to his daughter Kathleen Stewart, but his brother Sir Charles John Stewart effectively became the administrator of the estate as she lived in Sussex with her husband Philip Arthur McGregor.

“Sir Charles John Stewart and his wife, Lady Mary Stewart had two sons, John and Gerald, who were both killed within six weeks of one another in World War I. Upon their sons’ deaths in 1915, they were so heartbroken that they seemed to lose interest in returning to the estate of Rockhill. The land steward Robert R. Robinson tended to the management of the estate in Sir Charles John’s seasonal absences.

“With nobody occupying the estate, Rockhill House was taken over by Anti Treaty IRA troops upon the outbreak of Civil War in Ireland in 1922. Across the river, Ballymacool House was also taken over with the Boyds being forcibly removed from their home. The Pro Treaty forces launched an attack on both houses on 22 June 1922 and removed the insurgents.

“Owing to this political unrest in Ireland, the loss of his sons and an overall lack of interest from the family in the estate, Sir Charles John Stewart finally left Rockhill in 1927 and moved to Scotland. The family home then served as a Preparatory Irish College for student teachers until 1930 but the estate soon fell into decline and was sold in various lots on 19 January 1937 to the Commissioners of Public Works. The Department of Defence then came to occupy the main estate of 29 acres from the 1940s and housed the Army on a permanent basis from 1969 until 2009 when it closed due to government cutbacks on military expenditure. The house has recently been extensively refurbished and reopened as an elegant Country House and Estate.

“For more on the history of Rockhill House, Lt. Col. Declan O’Carroll’s book, “Rockhill House: A History” is highly recommended.“

9. St. Columb’s, St Mary’s Road, Buncrana, Co Donegal B&B

~ Tel: 087 4526696 ~ Email: info@stcolumbshouse.com

https://stcolumbshouse.com

“St Columbs House B&B is a beautifully restored 6 bedroom period house located on the Wild Atlantic Way in the historic seaside town of Buncrana on the Inishowen peninsula. It has a Catholic Church across the road and on its doorstep is a variety of bustling restaurants, bars and a variety of shopping, all just a short walk away.“

10. St John’s Point Lighthouse cottage, Dunkineely, County Donegal – Irish Landmark property

SJ Schooner: “Schooner is located on St. John’s Point Lighthouse station in Co. Donegal. It’s quite a thrill driving down to St. John’s Point Lighthouse, to see it looming at the end of one of the longest peninsulas in Ireland. Stay at Schooner and enjoy all that St. John’s Point, Donegal and surrounds have to offer.” Sleeps 4. From €442 for 2 nights.

and SJ Clipper: “Clipper is located on St. John’s Point Lighthouse station in Co. Donegal. It’s quite a thrill driving down to St. John’s Point Lighthouse, to see it looming at the end of one of the longest peninsulas in Ireland. Stay at Clipper and enjoy all that St. John’s Point, Donegal and surrounds have to offer.” Sleeps 4. From €442 for 2 nights.

https://www.irishlandmark.com/properties/

12. Termon House, Dungloe, County Donegal – whole house holiday rental, Irish Landmark property

*Termon House, photograph courtesy of National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.*

https://www.irishlandmark.com/properties/

Termon House, a former 18th century land agent’s house in Maghery, near Dungloe, is located in the heart of the Gaeltacht area. Sleeps 6. From €487 for 2 nights.

13. Woodhill House, Ardara, County Donegal

https://www.woodhillhouse.ie

The website tells us:

“Woodhill House is an historic coastal manor house dating back in parts to the 17th century. The 6th century religious relic, St. Conal’s Bell, was mysteriously stolen from Woodhill House in 1845.

“The house which overlooks the beautiful Donegal Highlands is set in its own grounds with an old walled garden. It is half a mile from the sea and a quarter of a mile from the coastal town of Ardara on the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’. The house offers unusual and interesting accommodation with private bathrooms, 3 star rated. There is a fully licensed lounge bar, which has occasional music sessions for tourists and locals alike. Woodhill House is well known for its high quality and reasonably priced restaurant which accommodates house guests and the general public. The menu is French/Contemporary Irish based using fresh Irish produce, especially seafood from nearby Killybegs.”

Whole House Rental, County Donegal

1. Drumhalla House, Rathmullen, County Donegal – whole house rental and wedding venue

https://drumhallahouse.ie

*Drumhalla House, County Donegal, photograph courtesy of house website.*

“Steeped in history, the house was originally built in 1789 by Dr Knox of Lifford. The house and grounds have now been beautifully restored by the present owner and offer luxury accommodation as well as a unique, private location for a variety of functions including weddings and corporate events. Drumhalla House offers superior 5 star accommodation and is a much sought after and unique wedding venue.

“Panoramic views over Lough Swilly and the renowned Kinnegar beach provide the perfect backdrop for your wedding day. The beautifully maintained grounds and lawns at Drumhalla House make it perfect for your guests to enjoy and explore.

“Allow our Country Manor House, complete with 5 star accommodation at Drumhalla to transform your wedding ideas into the fairytale you always dreamed of.

“All of our bedrooms are individual and unique and everything one would expect in a much loved Manor House. The rooms are very comfortable and traditional in style and filled with carefully chosen furnishings. They are located on the 1st floor of the house and provide varied views over the gardens and beach.“

Coolamber Manor, Lisryan, County Longford

by jenjunebugMarch 31, 2025March 31, 2025

Coolamber Manor, Lisryan, County Longford

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. 89. “(Stanley, sub Tyndall/LG1952supp; Wingfield, sub Powerscourt, V/PB) A house of ca. 1820, by John Hargrave, of Cork; built for Major Blackall. Two storey, eaved roof; angle piers; front with bowed projection in centre and porch with slender pillars on one side. Attractive curved rooms. Subsequently the home of the Stanleys and eventually of Brig. A.D.R. Wingfield and Mrs Wingfield (nee Stanley). Sold ca 1960; now a rehabilitation centre.”

Casey, Christine and Alistair Rowan. The Buildings of Ireland: North Leinster. Penguin Books, London, 1993.

p. 490.

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-sear ch/bu ilding/13401520/coolamber-manor-cloonshannagh-or-coolamber-manor-demesne-co-longford

*Coolamber Manor, County Longford, courtesy National Inventory.*

Detached three-bay two-storey over basement country house, built c. 1830, having full-height three-bay segmental bowed projection to the centre of five-bay east elevation. Multiple-bay three-storey extensions to the southwest, added c. 1880. Later used as rehabilitation clinic, now in disuse. Later single-, two- and three-storey extensions to rear (south). Later single-bay open porch to the centre of the main elevation (north). Hipped natural slate roof , hidden behind raised parapet with eaves cornice and blocking course, having rendered chimneystacks with terracotta chimney pots. Painted lined-and-ruled rendered walls to front (north) and east elevations over moulded plinth course; snecked limestone masonry walls to rear and west elevations. Giant order pilasters to front façade, between bays and to the corners, and to east elevation, to corners and flanking bowed projection. Square-headed window openings with six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows with painted limestone sills. Sill course to first floor openings (excluding bowed projection). Round-headed window opening to west elevation, lighting stair hall, having tripartite multi-pane timber sliding sash windows. Square-headed window openings to rear blocks having stone sills and timber sash or replacement windows. Square-headed door opening, behind recent porch, having overlight, timber panelled door, timber pilasters, and with flanking six-over-six timber sliding sash windows. Open porch comprises a pair of round-profile Doric-like columns supporting flat roof over having moulded cornice. Flight of limestone steps to entrance with cast-and-wrought-iron railings. Set back from road, on an elevated site, to the northeast of Edgeworthstown. Complex of outbuildings (13401521), walled garden (13401525) and ancillary structures to the northwest. Main entrance gateway to the southeast, at start of long approach avenue to house, comprising a pair of lined-and-ruled rendered gate piers (on square-plan) having garland devices on raised square panels to front faces (southeast), and with carved pineapple finals over. Gates now missing. Gateway flanked to either side by sweeping sections of rendered plinth boundary wall having cast-and wrought-iron railings and terminated in a second pair of piers.

Appraisal

This impressive country house is the finest of its date and type in County Longford. It is built in a late-Georgian/Regency classical idiom, and retains its early form, character and the majority of its early fabric despite the construction of a number of modern extensions to the rear. The Giant order pilasters between the bays of the two main facades, along with the very prominent eaves cornice and blocking course, lend this building a distinctive appearance that is reminiscent of a contemporary seaside villa that could be found in Dun Laoghaire, Monkstown etc. These giant pilasters add interest to the main façade, created a stepped profile that gives this facade a robust but surprising delicate architectural character. The full-height three-bay bow to the east elevation is another interesting architectural element that helps to add further visual impact when approaching the building along the main avenue, and creates an imposing and handsome silhouette in the landscape. The plan of this house is quite unusual with the stair hall to one side of the building (west), which is lit by an enormous round-headed window opening with tripartite timber sash windows. The house also retains many notable features and materials that enhance the building, including timber sash windows and cut limestone steps with ornate cast-iron railings to the entrance. This house was built to designs by the eminent architect John Hargrave (c. 1788 – 1833). Hargrave worked extensively in County Longford during the 1820s and was responsible for the designs for the governor’s house at Longford Town Jail in 1824 (13001036); works at Ardagh House in 1826 (13312039); the rebuilding of St. Paul’s Church of Ireland church at Newtown-Forbes (13303021); the remodelling of Castle Forbes (13303001), nearby Farragh/Farraghroe House (demolished); Doory Hall (13314005) now ruinous; St. Paul’s Church of Ireland church, Ballinalee (13304009); and possibly for the designs of St. Catherine’s Church of Ireland church (13400914) at nearby Killoe. This house was built for Major Samuel Wesley Blackhall (1809 – 1871), and may have replaced an earlier house associated with the Blackall family at Coolamber (a Robert Blackall (1764 – 1855), father of the above, lived in Longford in the late-eighteenth century). Major S. W. Blackall had a distinguished career, serving as High Sheriff of Longford in 1833 and later as MP for Longford between 1847 – 51. He served abroad after 1851, acting as Lieutenant-Governor of Dominca between 1851 – 57, Governor of Sierra Leone between 1862 – 65, and as Governor of Queensland, Australia, from 1868 until his death in 1871. Coolamber Manor was the home of a Major Robert Blackall in 1846 (Slater’s Directory), High Sheriff of Longford in 1859 – 61. It was later the home of the Stanley family (Burroughs Stanley in 1894) and then the Wingfield family. It was sold c. 1960 and was in use as a rehabilitation centre until recently. Coolamber Manor is an important element of the built heritage of County Longford and forms the centrepiece of a group of related structures along with the complex of outbuildings (13401521) and the walled garden and ancillary structures to the west.

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/bui ldi ngs-search/building/13401528/coolamber-manor-cloonshannagh-or-coolamber-manor-demesne-co-longford

Detached single-storey curvilinear green house associated with Coolamber Manor (13401520), built c. 1850. Constructed of small glass panes set in wrought-iron superstructure. Rendered brick plinth wall to front (southeast) having wrought-iron window openings over. Render walls on quadrant profile to either end (southwest and northeast). Coursed squared rubble limestone wall to rear (formerly part of walled garden) having red brick section over with segmental-headed window openings having remains of timber fittings; number of openings now blocked. Square-headed door opening to the rendered wall to the southwest end of green house having replacement glazed timber door. Cut stone coping over rear wall. Set in walled garden (on irregular-plan) associated with Coolamber Manor, laid out c. 1830, having coursed rubble stone walls, brick lined to the interior faces, having cut stone coping over a number of sections. Located to the west of Coolamber Manor (13401520) and to the south/southwest of complex of outbuildings (13401521).

Appraisal

This graceful curvilinear green/glass house associated with Coolamber Manor (13401520) retains its early form and character. Its construction in wrought-iron is of technical merit, and it survives in good condition despite being out of use. This green house probably dates to mid-to-late nineteenth century, and was built against the boundary wall of an existing walled garden, built c. 1830. This walled garden is solidly constructed using squared rubble stone masonry and has brick-lined walls to the interior to retain heat and promote growth of produce (orchard) for use in the main house to the east. This green house and the walled garden complex provide an interesting historical and social insight into the extensive resources needed to run and maintain a large country estate in Ireland during the nineteenth century. They form part of a wider collection of structures associated with Coolamber Manor, and are important elements of the built heritage of County Longford.

https://www.buildingsofireland .ie/buildings-search/building/13401521/coolamber-manor-cloonshannagh-or-coolamber-manor-demesne-co-longford

Complex of single- and two-storey stables and outbuildings associated with Coolamber Manor (13401520), built c. 1830 and extended c. 1880, comprising two adjoining courtyards of outbuildings/stable blocks, forming rectangle, with central carriages. Later in use as a rehabilitation clinic, with modern alterations. Now out of use. Complex to the east comprises two-bay single-storey range to east with hipped and pitched natural slate roof, pediment with cut stone detailing to west face. Coursed roughly dressed limestone masonry walls with roughly dressed flush quoins to the corners; painted plinth course. Square-headed window opening with limestone sill and replacement fittings. Square-headed door opening with replacement timber battened door having concrete ramp to entrance (west face). Section of roughly dressed limestone wall to the north end of outbuilding, having cut stone coping and an integral segmental-headed pedestrian entrance with dressed limestone voussoirs. Four-bay two-storey range to north having central pedimented bay with adjoining section of dressed limestone walling having integral segmental-headed carriage arch with double leaf spear headed cast-iron gates. Hipped natural slate roof. Snecked limestone masonry walls with painted plinth course. Brick blank roundel to pediment having dressed limestone surrounds. Square-headed openings with replacement windows having limestone sills. Segmental-headed carriage arch to pedimented bay with dressed limestone voussoirs and timber battened double doors. Five-bay two-storey range to south having hipped roof and central pedimented bay. Snecked limestone masonry walls with painted plinth course. Brick blank roundel to pediment having round-headed dressed limestone open work bellcote to rear. Square-headed window openings with replacement fittings having limestone sills. Round-headed door opening with replacement timber door. Segmental-headed carriage arches with dressed limestone voussoirs, now blocked up with window openings. Five-bay two-storey range to west with central pedimented bay having blank roundel with dressed limestone surround and hipped natural slate roof. Snecked limestone masonry walls with painted plinth course. Square-headed window openings with timber fittings and limestone sills. Square-headed door opening with timber battened door. Segmental-headed carriage arch with dressed limestone voussoirs leading to west complex of outbuildings. South range to west stables having five-bay two-storey elevation. Pitched natural slate roof with brick chimneystack, rubble limestone chimneystack and rendered chimneystack. Snecked limestone masonry walls with painted plinth course. Roundel openings with dressed limestone surrounds to first floor. Square-headed window opening with timber fittings and limestone sills. Square-headed opening with timber replacement door to first floor having flight of concrete steps to entrance. Triple arcade of segmental-headed carriage arches having dressed limestone voussoirs and timber replacement doors. Carriage arches to end bays now blocked up with inserted door and window openings. Square-headed entrance with cut limestone lintel having carved keystone and with timber battened door. Seven-bay two-storey range to north with pitched natural slate roof. Snecked limestone masonry walls with painted plinth course. Square-headed openings with replacement windows and having limestone sills. Roundel openings with dressed limestone surrounds to first floor. Square-headed openings with timber glazed replacement doorways having dressed limestone surrounds with carved keystones. Segmental-headed carriage arch with dressed limestone voussoirs having timber battened doors. Five-bay two-storey end range with dovecote to pedimented central bay. Hipped slate roof. Snecked limestone masonry walls with painted plinth course. Square-headed openings with replacement windows having cut limestone surrounds and sills. Square-headed opening to first floor with timber battened door having a flight of concrete steps with rendered parapet walls to entrance. Roundel opening to central pedimented bay with dressed limestone surround over segmental-headed carriage arch with dressed limestone voussoirs. Various ancillary buildings to site. Extensions to rear of end range. Located to the west of Coolamber Manor (13401520), in extensive mature grounds, to located to the northeast of Edgeworthstown.

Appraisal

This substantial complex of outbuilding, stables and ancillary structures forms an important element of the Coolamber Manor (13401520) demesne, and represent one of the finest examples of planned outbuildings buildings. These buildings largely retain their early form and character, despite some alterations to accommodate new uses during the late-twentieth century. The stables comprise an elegantly proportioned walled rectangle divided into two courtyards. The scale of this complex provides an interesting historical insight into the extensive resources required to run and maintain a large country estate in Ireland during the nineteenth century. High quality materials have been used in the construction of these outbuildings including fines dressed limestone detailing to the pediments, the bellcote and to many of the openings, and ornate cast-iron gates. The east complex is distinguished from the west outbuildings by the pedimented central bays decorated having dressed limestone roundel openings. These pedimented bays lends the west complex a muted classical architectural character that compliments the style of the main house to the east. The pediment to the north range, west complex, is particularly notable as it doubles as a dovecote and makes for an interesting and unusual feature. This complex was originally commissioned by Major S. W. Blackall and may have been originally built to designs by the architect of Coolamber Manor itself, John Hargrave (c. 1788 – 1833). It appears to have been extended something during the late-nineteenth century (Ordnance Survey map information).

http://visitlongford.ie/listings/coolamber-hall-house/

Coolamber Hall House is fortified buildings similar to tower houses. They usually have a rectangular plan and are often two stories in height; their entrance is usually at first floor level and accessed by an external wooden or stone staircase.

The Coolamber hall house is situated in north-east Longford, approximately 12KM from Edgeworthstown. The main building is two stories in height and has a long, rectangular plan.

The building also has a four storey service tower to the south-east corner. The structure is located on a semi-circular platform which was once enclosed by a stone wall. Interestingly, a late-medieval church is situated to the north-west of the hall house, indicating the power and prestige the owners derived from their association with the church during the Middle Ages.

The hall-house has the remains of a barrel-vault at its northern end at ground floor level. The south end is grass-covered and may conceal two other barrel-vaults.

A doorway in the north-east corner gives access to the tower. A relieving arch located directly above the barrel-vault in the hall suggests that the service tower may be a later addition. Some architectural features remain which date it to the 16th century, including fireplaces and ogee-arched windows.

Coolamber hall house was likely to have been the residence of Thomas Nugent, one of the commissioners for Plantation of Longford in 1620 under King James I. Historically, the site of the house was strategically important as it was at the boundary of the English Pale – the area under full control of the English Crown – in the 17th century and was actually besieged by Oliver Cromwell during his invasion of Ireland after 1649.

The monument is on private property, and is in ruinous condition and therefore should not be entered. However, it is located next to the roadway and is highly visible from there

http://lordbelmontinnorthernireland.blogspot.com/2014 /09 /coolamber-manor.html

THE BLACKALLS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY LONGFORD, WITH 4,643 ACRES

MAJOR ROBERT BLACKALL (d 1840), of the East India Company, was father of

SAMUEL WENSLEY BLACKALL (1809-71),  High Sheriff of County Longford, 1833, Colonel, Royal Longford Militia, MP for Longford, 1847-5, Governor of Queensland, 1868-71, who married firstly, in 1833, Catherine Bowles; and secondly, in 1848, Catherine Bond, by whom he had issue,

ADELAIDE BLACKALL, who wedded, in 1864, Captain the Hon Ernest Grey Lambton Cochrane, son of the 10th Earl of Dundonald, though she died several weeks later.

COOLAMBER MANOR, near Lisryan, County Longford, is said to be the finest country house of its era and type in County Longford.

It is built in a late-Georgian/Regency classical idiom, and retains its early form, character and the majority of its early fabric despite the construction of a number of modern extensions to the rear.

The giant order pilasters between the bays of the two main façades, along with the very prominent eaves cornice and blocking course, lend this building a distinctive appearance that is reminiscent of a contemporary seaside villa.

The giant pilasters add interest to the main façade, creating a stepped profile that gives this façade a robust but surprising delicate architectural character.

The full-height three-bay bow to the east elevation is another interesting architectural element that helps to add further visual impact when approaching the building along the main avenue, and creates an imposing and handsome silhouette in the landscape.

The plan of the house is quite unusual, with the stair hall to one side of the building (west), which is lit by an enormous round-headed window opening with tripartite timber sash windows.

The house also retains many notable features and materials that enhance the building, including timber sash windows and cut limestone steps with ornate cast-iron railings to the entrance.

Coolamber Manor was built to designs by the eminent architect John Hargrave, who worked extensively in County Longford during the 1820s.

The house was built for Colonel Samuel Wesley Blackall (1809-71), though may have replaced an earlier house associated with the Blackalls (Major Robert Blackall, 1764-1855, father of the above, lived in Longford in the late-18th century).

Cooamber subsequently became the home of the Stanley family (Burroughs Stanley in 1894); and thereafter the Wingfields.

It was sold ca 1960 and was in use as a rehabilitation centre until recently.

Extending to 15,255 square feet, the manor house is a three-bay, two-storey over basement residence, built in the late Georgian/Regency period.

Adding to its distinctive appearance, the house retains many of its original features that include timber sash windows, cut limestone steps, and ornate cast-iron railings.

Accommodation comprises four reception rooms, a large commercial kitchen and bakery, two gyms, billiards-room, two shower rooms and fourteen bedrooms.

Accessed through an arch, the two cut stone courtyards have been well maintained over the years and are in excellent condition.

These have been fully converted to include four training rooms, a number of two-bedroom apartments, laundry room, stables, tack room, and some lofted stores.

Adjoining these is the farmyard which features a number of slatted and loose-bedded sheds, silage slabs, a disused dairy, and hay sheds.

There are also two other bungalow residences on the property, both of which have their own access.

The present estate includes good stables and 157 acres.

It stands on its original splendour, to the front of Coolamber Wood, adorned by landscaped lawns and gardens, and a well kept farmyard.

Castle Forbes, County Longford

by jenjunebugMarch 29, 2025

Castle Forbes, County Longford

p. 67. “(Forbes, Granard, E/PB) A 19th century castle of random ashlar, built about 1830 partly to the design of John Hargrave, of Cork; replacing an earlier house destroyed by fire.

It has two storeys over a high basement, with two adjoining fronts dominated by a lofty, round corner tower. Entrance front with door in a square tower, prolonged by a low service wing and a gateway to the yard in the French style, with a high roof and conical-roofed turret and bartizan added about 1870 to the design of J.J. McCarthy. Adjoining front with four bay block prolonged by lower gabled wing. Heavy battlements and machicolations; lancet windows separated by stone mullions and some Early English tracery windows. Corbelled stone balconies with pierced balustrades.  The interior of the castle was done up in great splendour following the marriage of 8^th Earl of Granard to Beatrice, daughter of Ogden Mills, of Staatsburg, Dutchess County, USA, 1909.”

Photograph from National Library of Ireland.

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/b uild ing/13303028/castle-forbes-castleforbes-demesne-newtown-forbes-co-longford

Main entrance gates to Castle Forbes (13303001), erected, c. 1820, comprising a pair of cut limestone gate piers (on square-plan) having cut limestone capstones and replacement gates. Main carriage entrance flanked to either side (north and south) by sections of rubble limestone walling having integral square-headed pedestrian entrances with cut stone surrounds and wrought-iron gates, and terminated by cut stone gate piers with cut stone capstones. Flanking rubble limestone walls on quadrant-plan to either side, terminated by cut stone piers on square-plan with cut stone capstones. Located to the centre of Newtown-Forbes, to the west side of the main street, and to the east of Castle Forbes (13303001). Altered single-storey gate lodge to the south.

Appraisal

This imposing and well-crafted gateway serves as the main entrance to Castle Forbes (13303001) and forms part of an extensive collection of related structures/sites associated with this important demesne. Good quality craftsmanship is apparent in the cut limestone gate piers and the surrounds to the pedestrian entrance. The simple but imposing flanking walls add to the setting and help create a suitably impressive main entrance to the castle/house. It creates an appealing feature in the centre of Newtown-Forbes, which is indicative of the central role Castle Forbes has played in the development of Newtown-Forbes.

https://www.buildingsofirela nd.i e/buildings-search/building/13303001/castle-forbes-castleforbes-demesne-newtown-forbes-co-longford

[no image]

Detached Gothic style six-bay two-storey over raised basement castellated country house/castle on irregular plan, built c. 1830, extensively remodeled/rebuilt c. 1860, and incorporating the fabric of earlier seventeenth century structure(s). Remodeled c. 1925, following fire damage. Comprises central block with advanced single-bay four-storey breakfront on square-plan (having a chapel to the top storey), five-stage tower on circular-plan (with battered base) attached to the south corner and recessed two-bay block attached to the north end. Lower two-storey service wing attached to north (set back from principal block), four-bay elevation to south with lower connecting corridor joining three-bay wing block, and incorporating seventeenth century structure built c. 1660 and remodeled c. 1830. Internal and external remodelling undertaken c. 1925. Hipped natural slate roofs with cut limestone chimneystacks, chamfered crenellations, machicolations (with stepped moulded corbels) and corner turrets. Snecked limestone and granite walls with cut limestone and granite trim, now largely ivy-clad. Cross pommée motifs to top stage of tower. Paired and tripartite cusped, pointed and round-headed window openings with cut stone surrounds, tracery and hood mouldings to main body of building with one-over-one pane timber sliding sash and replacement windows. Quadripartite pointed arch window opening above main entrance (at first floor level) with limestone tracery and mullions under hood moulding. Paired pointed arch window openings to tower with plate limestone tracery under hoodmoulding; paired cusped lancet openings with quatrefoil detail over at first floor level. Round-headed door opening to advanced central block with carved limestone surround and double-leaf glazed doors with wrought and cast-iron detailing. Doorway reached by flight of cut stone steps. Set within its own grounds with adjoining entrance tower to north (13303002) and stable block (13303003) to rear. Located in extensive mature landscaped grounds/demesne to the northwest of Newtown-Forbes. Lough Forbes and River Shannon form western boundary of Demesne.

Appraisal

This imposing country house is important not only for its imposing architectural style but also for the personalities associated with it. It largely dates to the nineteenth century (c. 1830 and c. 1860), but it contains fabric dating from the seventeenth, and probably the eighteenth century, creating a complex and confusing chronology. The style of this building is typical of a number of large castellated Gothic houses built and/or extended in Ireland during the first half of the nineteenth century, including the Knockdrin Castle, Tullynally Castle and Killua Castle, all in neighbouring County Westmeath. Castle Forbes has been the home of a branch of the Forbes family (later Earls of Granard from 1684), originally from Scotland, since the early-seventeenth century. The design of Castle Forbes is similar to that of its namesake in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, built in 1815 (by a branch of the Forbes family), in that it has a central breakfront containing the main entrance and a massive tower on circular plan attached to one end of the principal elevation. Arthur Forbes (later baronet of Nova Scotia) was originally granted extensive lands in County Longford c. 1620 and built a residence (on L-shaped plan and possibly incorporating the fabric of an existing castle) soon after. This house/castle was later heavily damaged by a siege during the rebellion of 1641. This house was described by Dowdall (1682) as a ‘fair aid spacious house with lovely gardens of pleasure’. Eighteenth century fabric survives to the interior of Castle Forbes, suggesting that it was altered during this century. A devastating fire in 1825 destroyed much of the original seventeenth century house, and the 6th Earl of Granard’s family was accommodated in the surviving wings, which were remodeled by John Hargrave (c. 1788 – 1833) of Cork in the late 1820s. It would appear that the rebuilding of the main house/castle was undertaken by the 7th Earl, George Forbes and his Roman Catholic wife, Jane Colclough, c. 1860. They chose the rising architect J. J. McCarthy (1817 – 1882) to execute the building in the Gothic Revival style, a style with which he was familiar due to his church commissions from the Roman Catholic Church. A number of the window openings, particularly the paired lancets to the main body of the building and the paired cusped lancets with quatrefoil detailing to the tower, are distinctly ecclesiastical in character and were probably inspired by McCarthy’s numerous church commissions. Further remodelling was undertaken following a fire in 1923 by F.W. Foster of London, under the directions of the then Countess, Beatrice Mills. The execution of the interior and exterior features is testament to the skill of the craftsmen involved and to the architect’s design. Set within private grounds Castle Forbes forms the centrepiece of a complex group of buildings, which still serve a working demesne. Castle Forbes has the largest demesne in County Longford and is one of the most important elements of the architectural heritage of the county. The Forbes family is important in the history of Longford and indeed the wider history of Ireland. In 1661, the Manor of Mullingar was granted to Sir Arthur Forbes, whose family would own/control the town for 200 years. The 1st Earl of Granard (title created 1684), Sir Arthur Forbes (1623 – 1695), served as a lieutenant general in the British Army and was later Lord Justice of Ireland (in office 1671 and 1673). The 3rd Earl of Granard, George Forbes (1685 – 1765), was an admiral in the Royal Navy. The sixth Earl, George Forbes (1760 – 1837), was made Baron Granard in 1806, a title that gave the Earls an automatic seat in the House of Lords. The 8th Earl, Bernard Arthur William Patrick Hastings Forbes, held junior office in the Liberal administrations of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman and H. H. Asquith and was later a member of the Irish Senate from 1922 to 1934.

Featured in Mark Bence Jones, Life in an Irish Country House. Constable, London. 1996.

https://archiseek.com/2015 /1830 -castle-forbes-newtownforbes-co-longford

1830 – Castle Forbes, Newtownforbes, Co. Longford

Architect: J.J. McCarthy

A 19th century castle of random ashlar, built about 1830, replacing an earlier house destroyed by fire. It has two storeys over a high basement, with two adjoining fronts dominated by a lofty, round corner tower. The house has heavy battlements and machiolations; lancet windows separated by stone mullions; and a few Early English tracery windows. There is a service wing and a gateway to the yard in the French style, with a high roof and conical-roofed turret and bartizan added about 1870 to designs by J.J. McCarthy. Illustrati0n published in The Irish Builder, November 15 1880.

https://www.geni.com/proj ects/His toric-Buildings-of-County-Longford/29631

Castleforbes or Castle Forbes, Restored Castle. Seat of the Earls of Granard, Castleforbes is situated about three miles from Longford town, standing between the river Shannon and Newtownforbes; a 19th century cut limestone structure. Designed by John Hargrave from Cork. Castleforbes was built in 1624 by Lady Jane Lauder, wife of Sir Arthur Forbes, 1st Baronet of Longford. In 1825, the castle was partly burned but restored soon afterwards. The complete decoration of the castle was completed in 1909, following the marriage of Beatrice, daughter of Ogden Mills of Strasburg to the Bernard Forbes, Earl of Granard

Casey, Christine and Alistair Rowan. The Buildings of Ireland: North Leinster. Penguin Books, London, 1993.

p. 189. “Both its scale and its well-built character were contributed by its architect, for theh ouse, unusualy, is a grand domestic design by the leading Catholic church architect of the day, James Joseph McCarthy. The window openings are McCarthy’s familiar paired lancets. Above the front door is a four-light mullioned window, typical of many a church clerestory, while pointed windows on the principal tower are paired cusped lancets with a quatrefoil above, identical to those that appear in the side aisles of the architect’s churches throughout Ireland. Even the label mouldings above the windows rest on square blocks of stone that have been left uncarved, as happened with many of McCarthy’s churches. So the details of Castle Forbes come out of the office ecclesiasticl drawer and are made to serve the purposes of domestic architecture.

The Victorian house is set at the corner of a complex series of offices and yards, running as a range of low, two-storey buildings, north to a turreted gateway and a separate round turret, and west, past a battlemented tower with flanking walls, to a small battlemented block and then a long garden wall, also with crenellations, which extends for over 90 m. The house is thus part of a larger setting and was intended to compose picturesquely as the culmination of two long views. At their apex McCarthy set an ample round tower, rather too dominant in the composition, with a battered base, five storeys and, at the top, a machicolated parapet, fully corbelled out, so that a visitor can look up at the curving surface of the tower to squares of sky appearing between the corbels and the battlements. A second, square tower in the middle of the entrance front is four storeys high (with a chapel on the top floor), and the rest of the building is of two storeys set on a high basement.

Round towers at the corners of a Gothic mansion were very much part of the standard repertoire of motifs in English and Irish picturesque buildings in the early C19. McCarthy uses the motif late in its history and to off effect, as the tower has no answering element at hte other end of either the east or the south front. It makes the principal elevations lop-sided, and the soft, circular form is at variance with the somewhat institutional square style of the rest of the house. Indeed it looks like something stuck on; but it is just possible that there was an influence from the client in the choice of this feature. Castle Forbes is the seat of the Irish branch of the Forbes family, which originally came from Scotland. There is a second Castle Forbes at Whitehouse in Aberdeenshire, and that house, which was designed by Archibald Simpson in 1815, at the hieght of the picturesque movement, has a similar though slightly larger round tower set at one corner. In Ireland the family may have wanted to include an allusion to its Scottish origins and could [p. 190] have asked McCarthy to incorporate a single corner tower in the new house.

Arthur Forbes, the sixth son of William Forbes of Corss, settled in Ireland in 1620. In 1628 he became a baronet of Nova Scotia when he obtained a grant of lands in Co Longford, including a large late medieval Irish castle, whose barrel vaulted basement and first-floor wall – clearly identified by the use of rubble and boulder stone – still forms part of the entrance fron tof the present Castle Forbes. On the south side of this castle and a little in front of it Sir Arthur built a new L-shaped house: two storeys on a basement, with high hipped roofs, and a big stepped-chimney lum, on the south side, supporting a range of tall diagonal shaped chimneystacks, typical of early C17 houses in Ireland. All the windows were paired mullioned lights. Sir ARthur’s house must have been finished by 1632, the year in which he was killed in a duel in Hamburg. It was defended successfully by his widow, Jane Lauder, in 1641 and remained the family home until 1825, when most of the building was destroyed by a fire. Its appearance in the late C18 is accurately recorded by two views: a sketch of the south side by Thomas Auchtermuchty and an anonymous view of the main front dated July 1799. All that survives today is a coat of arms coupling three muzzled bear heads for Sir Arthur Forbes and a rampant griffon for Jane Lauder, with the initials AF and IL. These are above the battlemented gateway west of the house, and McCarthy’s new mansion has replaced everything else.

§om 1684 Sir Arthur’s eldest son, who had succeeded to the estates, was raised to the peerage as Earl of Granard. When the C17 house caught fire in 1825 it belonged to George Forbes, the sixth Earl; the hero on that occasion was a springer spaniel called Pilot which according to the inscription on his portrait “pulled the Viscount Forbes out of his bed when the Castle Forbes was on fire.” By this date the C17 house had gained extensive additions in two long, two-storey wings running back from the main house; and it seems that these, which still exist, were extended and adapted for family use following the fire. The west end of the long extension to the house dates from this period, with pretty Gothic castle details, such as dummy arrow slits, stepped battlements and a mullioned window copied from Pugin’s Specimens of Gothic Architecture with carved label stops of a male and female head. This work was apparently carried out to designs of John Hargrave, who possibly made part of the ruins of the C17 house habitable at the same period.

The first notice of McCarthy being employed at Castle Forbes comes from The Dublin Builder for Sept 1859, which reported that ‘a new range of stabling of a very superior character’ was to be built to his designs. The builder was to be a Mr R. Farrell. Exactly one year before, the seventh Earl, who had succeeded his grandfather in 1837 as a child of not quite four, was married, now aged twenty-five, to a wealthy Catholic heiress, Jane Colclough from Johnstown Castle, Co Wicklow.

p. 191. The new Countess of Granard had both the funds and the taste to commission a new castle from a rising Catholic architect; as Johnstown Castle, a design by Daniel Robertson, was a Gothic house with many towers, bay windows and a romantic silhouette, the style she would expect to build in must have been something similar, only bolder and more modern. No doubt when Castle Forbes was completed its hard firm details and bold pitch-pine interiors must have seemed radically different from the more delicate plaster Gothic of the late Georgian period or the tame manorial style popular for early Victorian houses.

p. 191. In 1923, not long after the eight Earl had been elected a member of the Senate of the Irish Free State, Castle Forbes was set on fire. The south half of McCarthy’s main block was burnt nd, htough the extent of the damage is not clear, perhaps it was not very great – the fire provided an opportunity for another remodelling of the house, now of McCarthy’s interior, to suit the taste of the eight Lord Granard and his American wife, Beatrice Mills. This work was largely the cocern of the Countess, who, with the assistance of the London architect F.W. Foster, extended sections of the castle to change the proportions of McCarthy’s rooms, making space for a series of historicist interiors to replace the Victorian rooms. In these alterations the dining room wall was brought forward almost to the level of the entrance tower and lost, in the process, a large bay window which McCarthy had provided to light the ‘high-table’ end of the room. On the south front two balconies, with Ruskinian pierced stone fronts, were removed as inappropriate, and two windows were blanked out when the rooms inside were combined to create one long drawing room. Behind the main house, the west extension, a gabled manorial range which probably predated McCarthy’s work, was rebuilt as a heavy, rectangular two-storey block to contain a large library.

All that remains of the Victorian interior is the Gallery connecting the hall to the library – a long, high corridor with assertive, single-chamfer ribbed vaulting, springing from sharp prismatic corbels, as in authentic late Gothic work in Ireland, and surrounding three hexagonal roof-lights, authentically C19, and filled with orange and brown staired glass and Forbes bears. The windows in the gallery are long Y-traceried lights. Niches opposite flank a large and plain neo-Norman fireplace, whose arch is decorated with studs. The Main Tower Room is also unaltered since McCarthy’s day. It has exposed pine shutters and a doorway framed by timber colonnettes with leaf-carved lintel and a crenellated cornice. [p. 192] Old photographs show that this was the standard door for the main rooms of the house. The dining room had the same and also a Caen stone chimneypiece with paired marble colonnettes supporting an armorial achievement. The Crypt, or lower hall, is much as McCarthy left it, with shoulder arches to the windows and Romanesque brass door furniture inspired by the designs of Pugin or Burges. The main staircase was of white stone with coloured marble bosses.

In her refurbishment of the house Lady Granard was assisted by two teams of decorators: Fernand Allard from Paris and Lenygon and Morant of 31 Old Burlington St, London. Allard designed the Hall and Staircase, lining the walls with elegant pale grey ashlar blocks with broad white pointing, round-headed arches and divided mirrored doors. The ceiling cornice is a reticent pattern of shallow modillions and the stair rails are light wrought-iron scrolls in the manner of Francois Blondel. The English decorators, who also fitted out the Cunard liners of this period, provided three contrasting rooms. The Dining Room is a formal square, lined in oak, with bolection-moulded panelling, adn given a trompe l-oeil ceiling of a late baroque open dome. Fluted Corinthian columns supporting large segmental pediments frame the principal doors, giving the impression of a Wren-school room of C. 1700. The Drawing Room is an English Palladian interior in the manner of William Kent, with paired chimneypieces with pedimented overmantels, fish-scaled console brackets and continuously carved mouldings. The ceiling has an C18 allegorical canvas showing the Genius of Architecture. The Library, a large rectangular room, is lined with bookcases of exposed timber boiserie with an ambitious ceiling canvas, possibly late C17 and Dutch, depicting Faith, HOpe and Charity, in a moulded central oval, with figures of the four seasons set in each corner. The Chapel contains a gilt and timber late baroque retable, c. 1730 and probably French.

McCarthy’s stableyard is approached by a detached gatehouse, a small two-storey building with hipped roof and angle bartizans with conical slate roofs at each corner. It carried an achievement of arms of the seventh Earl, carved in high relief, over the entrance arch. The wall to the north of this may be part of the bawn wall of the original castle. Within the courtyard McCarthy built a long west range of stable offices; two storeys of coursed snecked rubble with a central carriage arch surmounted by a clocktower and flanked by battlemented gables. The facade is rather flat. At its north end a small square turret carries a royal coat of arms, C16 and apparently of Queen Elizabeth.

A small tower and dovecote, SE, may have been a flanker for the C17 house.

South of the house are several mature Lebanon cedars, Spanish chestnut trees and an enclosed Italian garden, laid out on one long axis with a central fountain, urns, and yew hedges focusing on the statue of Perseus after Canova. AT the entrance to the rose garden the large Armorial eagles, carved in stone and flanking the gateway, were once the supporters of the arms of the Early of Tylney (Viscount Castlemaine and Baron Newtown in the Irish Peerage) which were brought to Castle Forbes when Lord Tylney’s home, Wanstead House in Essex, the earliest Palladian country house, designed by Colen Campbell, was demolished ca. 1812. The gates also carry an inscribed stone of 1567 recording the capture by Sir Henry Sidney of “the great rebel Shane O’Nele” brought “in Subjectino to the Crown of Engladn to the Great Joyie of the REalm” In the park the ruin of a rectangular later medieval church, rubble built with gables, has been adapted at the chancel end to serve as the family mausoleum.”

http://lordb elmon tinnorthernireland.blogspot.com/2013/05/castle-forbes.html

THE EARLS OF GRANARD WERE THE SECOND LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY LONGFORD, WITH 14,978 ACRES 

The surname of Forbes is said to be a corruption of Forebeast, which was originally assumed by the founder of the family in Scotland, to commemorate the achievement of having destroyed a ferocious bear which had infested the country.

SIR ARTHUR FORBES (c1590-1632), Knight, directly descended from the Hon Patrick Forbes, of Corse, third son of James, 2nd Lord Forbes, by Egidia, his wife, daughter of William Keith, Earl Marischal of Scotland, settled in Ireland, 1620, and was made, by patent dated at Dublin, 1622, a free denizen of that kingdom.

In 1628, Sir Arthur was created a baronet; and having, by petition to the King, made discovery that several royal fishings in the province of Ulster belonged to the Crown, an inquiry was thereupon instituted, and Sir Arthur was eventually rewarded by a grant of such proportion of the said fisheries as he thought proper to demand, besides the sum of £300 from the first profits of the remainder.

He had previously obtained extensive territorial possessions from the Crown, particularly a grant of sundry lands in County Longford, in all 1,266 acres, which were erected into the manor of Castle Forbes, with the usual manorial privileges.

Sir Arthur wedded Jane Lowther, and falling in a duel at Hamburg, 1632, where he had accompanied his regiment (he was lieutenant-colonel in the army) to assist Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, was succeeded by his eldest son,

THE RT HON SIR ARTHUR FORBES, 2nd Baronet (1623-95), who zealously espoused the royal cause in Scotland, and was rewarded, after the Restoration, by being sworn of the Privy Council in Ireland, and appointed marshal of the army in that kingdom.

In 1671, Sir Arthur was constituted one of the Lords Justices of Ireland, and again in 1675, when he was elevated to the peerage, in the dignities of Baron Clanehugh and Viscount Granard.

In 1684, his lordship was appointed Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Foot in Ireland, and Lieutenant-General in the army; and in the same year was advanced to the dignity of an earldom, as EARL OF GRANARD.

He married Catherine, daughter of Sir Robert Newcomen Bt, by whom he had five sons and a daughter, Catherine, wedded to Arthur, 3rd Earl of Donegall.

His lordship died in 1695, he was succeeded by his eldest son,

ARTHUR, 2nd Earl (c1656-1734), who wedded, in 1678, Mary, eldest daughter of Sir George Rawdon Bt, of Moira, County Down, and had three sons and two daughters.

His lordship was succeeded by his only surviving son,

GEORGE, 3rd Earl (1685-1765), who had been called to the House of Lords in the lifetime of his father, as Lord Forbes.

His lordship was a naval officer of great eminence and rank, and at the time of his decease, was senior admiral of the Royal Navy.

In 1733, he was appointed envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the court of Muscovy; and upon his recall, in 1734, was highly complimented by the Empress.

He espoused, in 1709, Mary, eldest daughter of Sir William Stewart, 1st Viscount Mountjoy, of that family (now extinct), and widow of Phineas Preston, of Ardsallagh, County Meath, and had issue,

GEORGE, his successor;

John, Admiral of the Fleet;

His lordship was succeeded by his elder son, 

GEORGE, 4th Earl (1710-69), Lieutenant-General in the Army, Colonel, 29th Regiment of Foot, who wedded, in 1736, Letitia, daughter of Arthur Davys, and was succeeded at his decease, in 1769, by his only son,

GEORGE, 5th Earl (1740-80), who married firstly, in 1759, Dorothea, second daughter of Sir Nicholas Bayley Bt, and sister of Henry, 1st Earl of Uxbridge, by whom he had one surviving son, GEORGE, his successor.

His lordship espoused secondly, in 1766, Georgiana Augusta, eldest daughter of Augustus, 4th Earl of Berkeley, and had issue,

Henry;
Frederick;
Georgiana Anne; Augusta; Louisa Georgiana; Elizabeth.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

GEORGE, 6th Earl (1760-1837), who was created a peer of the United Kingdom, as Baron Granard, of Castle Donington, Leicestershire.

He wedded, in 1779, Selina Frances, fourth daughter of John, 1st Earl of Moira, and had issue,

GEORGE JOHN, father of GEORGE ARTHUR HASTINGS;
Francis Reginald;
Hastings Brudenell;
Elizabeth Maria Theresa; Adelaide Dorothea; Caroline Selina.

His lordship was a general in the army, and Clerk of the Crown and Hanaper in Ireland.

George, 6th Earl (1760–1837);

George John Forbes, Viscount Forbes (1785-1836);

George Arthur Hastings, 7th Earl (1833-89);

Bernard Arthur William Patrick Hastings, 8th Earl (1874–1948);

Arthur Patrick Hastings, 9th Earl (1915-92);

Peter Arthur Edward Hastings, 10th Earl (b 1957).

The heir apparent is the present holder’s son, Jonathan Peter Hastings Forbes, styled Viscount Forbes (b 1981).

The ancestral family seat of the Earls of Granard is Castle Forbes, near Newtown Forbes, County Longford.

It remains in the ownership of the family (as of 2008).

The 8th Earl was the last Lord-Lieutenant of County Longford, from 1916 until 1922.

CASTLE FORBES, near Newtownforbes, County Longford, is a 19th century castle of random ashlar, built about 1830.

It replaced an earlier house destroyed by fire. 

It has two storeys over a high basement, with two adjoining fronts dominated by a lofty, round corner tower.

The house is prolonged by a low service wing and a gateway to the yard in the French style, with a high roof and conical-roofed turret and bartizan added about 1870.

Castle Forbes has heavy battlements and machiolations; lancet windows separated by stone mullions; and a few Early English tracery windows.

There are also corbelled stone balconies with pierced balustrades. 

The Castle remains the private home of the Forbes family, Earls of Granard.

The village of Newtownforbes takes its name from the Forbes family, having resided in the region since 1691.

The village church, built in the late 17th century, is one of the few Regency buildings of its type in the county.

Castle Forbes has its entrance in the centre of the village.

The Forbes family changed the name of the village from Lisbrack to Newtownforbes  ca 1750.

There is no public access to the Castle or grounds, which are strictly private.

Although Newtownforbes geographically has always been in the shadow of Castle Forbes, it cannot be regarded as an estate village.

There are only a few houses in the centre of the village, near the main entrance to the estate, which were built by the estate owners for the workers on the estate.

They were some of the first houses in the county to have flush toilets.

The present occupant is the Lady Georgina Forbes, although she lives in France (as of 1990) and uses the castle occasionally during the year.

Lady Georgina is an accomplished horse breeder and owner.

Loughveagh, Gartan, Co Donegal 

by jenjunebugJanuary 8, 2025February 11, 2025

Loughveagh, Gartan, Co Donegal 

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. 

p. 194. “(Chambers/LG1863) From its appearance, a C19 remodelling of a two storey C18 house. Five bay gable-ended front, with small central pediment-gable. Side elevation extended to five bays by three bay return with small gable. Attic lit by windows in the gables.” 

Not in national inventory

Listed in Vanishing Country Houses of Ireland by The Knight of Glin, David J. Griffin and Nicholas K. Robinson, published by The Irish Architectural Archive and The Irish Georgian Society, 1988.

p. 55. “Large picturesque villa designed by John Hargrave of Cork c. 1825 for D. Chambers. Demolished c. 1970.”

Ards, Sheephaven, Donegal – demolished ca 1965 

by jenjunebugNovember 10, 2024March 23, 2026

 Ards, Sheephaven, Donegal – demolished ca 1965 

*Ards, County Donegal, photograph by Robert French, Lawrence Photographic Collection, National Library of Ireland.*

p. 11. “(Wray/LG1863; Stewart/ LGI1912). The former seat of the Wray family. See Lord Belmont. When Alexander Stewart rebuilt the house in 1830 it was to the design of John Hargrave of Cork. 

 Listed in Vanishing Country Houses of Ireland by The Knight of Glin, David J. Griffin and Nicholas K. Robinson, published by The Irish Architectural Archive and The Irish Georgian Society, 1988.

“Two storey house built c. 1830 to the design of John Hargrave of Cork for Alexander Stewart. Single storey pedmiented Doric porch above which was a Venetian window. Demolished c. 1965. Substantial U shaped stables remain.”

http://lordbelmontinnorthernireland.blogspot.com/2014/06/ards-house.html 

THE STEWARTS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY DONEGAL, WITH 39,306 ACRES 

 
ALEXANDER STEWART (1746-1831), second son of Alexander Stewart MP, of Mount Stewart, County Down, and younger brother of Robert, 1st Marquess of Londonderry, purchased the estate of Ards from the Wray family, and settled there in 1782. 
 
Mr Stewart, High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1791, espoused, in 1791, the Lady Mary Moore, younger daughter of Charles, 1st Marquess of Drogheda, by the Lady Anne Seymour his wife, daughter of Francis, 1st Marquess of Hertford, and had issue (with other children, who died young), 

ALEXANDER ROBERT, his heir; 
Charles Moore (Rev); 
John Vandeleur, of Rock Hill; 
Maria Frances; Gertrude Elizabeth. 

Mr Stewart was succeeded by his eldest son,  
 
ALEXANDER ROBERT STEWART JP DL (1795-1850), of Ards and Lawrencetown House, High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1830, who wedded, in 1825, the Lady Caroline Anne Pratt, third daughter of John, 1st Marquess Camden, and had issue, 
 
ALEXANDER JOHN ROBERT STEWART JP DL (1827-1904), of Ards and Lawrencetown House, High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1853, County Down, 1861, who married, in 1851, the Lady Isabella Rebecca Graham-Toler, seventh daughter of Hector, 2nd Earl of Norbury, and had issue, 

ALEXANDER GEORGE JOHN, his heir; 
Charles Hector; 
George Lawrence; 
Henry Moore; 
Cecil George Graham; 
Caroline Helen Mary; Beatrice Charlotte Elizabeth; Ida Augusta Isabella. 

Mr Stewart’s eldest son, 
 
ALEXANDER GEORGE JOHN STEWART (1852-97), a Barrister, wedded, in 1883, Julia Blanche, daughter of Charles Dingwall, of Knollys Croft, Surrey, and had issue, two daughters, 

ENA DINGWALL TASCA; 
Muriel Neara. 

The elder daughter, 
 
ENA DINGWALL TASCA, LADY STEWART-BAM, of Ards, wedded, in 1910, Sir Pieter Canzius van Blommestein Stewart-Bam JP, of Sea Point, Capetown (son the Johannes Andrew Bam), who assumed with his wife the prefix surname and arms of STEWARTon his marriage. 

 
ARDS HOUSE, Creeslough, County donegal, was formerly the seat of the Wray family. 
 
In the 18th century, the last William Wray of Ards was “a celebrated figure, eccentric and autocratic, though kind and generous”. 
 
This gentleman resided at Ards in feudal state, constructing roads through mountains at his own expense; lavish in his hospitality to guests. 
 
As a consequence of this extravagance, the Ards estate itself was purchased by Alexander Stewart Junior in 1782 (for £13,250 – probably money left to him by his father). 
 
However, the Stewart family had a long association with the Londonderry/east Donegal area, and originally hailed from Ballylawn, County Donegal. 
 
In the 19th century, following the falling-in of the Mercers’ lease, probably in 1830, the Stewarts of Ards concentrated on Donegal, acquiring property at Doe Castle and Letterkenny, both in that county. 

 
The Stewart, later Stewart-Bam, family, owned land mainly at Ards, Doe Castle, Dunfanaghy and Letterkenny, in County Donegal. 
 
Ards House was rebuilt about 1830 by Mr Stewart, towards the end of his life. 
 
The main front is of two storeys; good plasterwork in the hall; friezes in the drawing-room and dining-room. 
 
The estate was sold in 1925. 
 
It was acquired by the Franciscans in 1937, who demolished it about 1965.  
 
Ards Forest Park used to form part of the Stewart estates. 
 
The last member of the Stewart family to own the estate was Ena, Lady Stewart-Bam, who inherited from her grandfather about 1904. 

Places to visit and stay in County Longford, Leinster

by jenjunebugMarch 16, 2024February 22, 2026

On the map above:

blue: places to visit that are not section 482

purple: section 482 properties

red: accommodation

yellow: less expensive accommodation for two

orange: “whole house rental” i.e. those properties that are only for large group accommodations or weddings, e.g. 10 or more people.

green: gardens to visit

grey: ruins

Places to visit in County Longford:

1. Castlecor House, County Longford, open by previous arrangement.

2. Maria Edgeworth Visitor Centre, Longford, County Longford.

3. Moorhill House, Castlenugent, Lisryan, Co. Longford – section 482

Places to stay, County Longford:

1. Castlecor House, County Longford – accommodation

2. Newcastle House Hotel, Ballymahon, County Longford

3. Viewmount House, Longford – accommodation and weddings

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

Places to visit in County Longford:

1. Castlecor House, County Longford, open by previous arrangement:

https://castlecorhouse.com/

*Castlecor House, County Longford, photograph from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage* [1]

I’ve been looking forward to staying in Castlecor house, after seeing a photograph of its incredible octagonal room.

The website tells us:

“The construction of this magnificent residence, as it stands today, spanned 300 years, originally built in the mid 1700’s as a Hunting Lodge with additions in the 19th & 20th century.“

The website continues: “It was built by the Very Revd. Cutts Harman (1706 – 1784), son of the important Harman family of nearby Newcastle House [which offers accommodation]. He was Dean of Waterford cathedral from 1759 and was married to Bridget Gore (1723-1762) from Tashinny [Tennalick, now a ruin, which passed from the Sankey family to the Gore family by the marriage of Bridget’s mother Bridget Sankey to George Gore, son of Sir Arthur Gore, 1st Baronet of Newtown Gore, County Mayo] in c. 1740.“

The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (www.buildingsofIreland.ie) gives the building an unusually long appraisal which explains the unusual building:

“It was originally built as a symmetrical two-storey block on octagonal-plan with short (single-room) projecting wings to four sides (in cross pattern on alternating sides), and with tall round-headed window openings between to the remaining four walls. The single wide room to the octagon at first floor level has an extraordinary central chimneypiece (on square-plan) with marble fireplaces to its four faces; which are framed by Corinthian columns that support richly-detailed marble entablatures over. The marble fireplaces themselves are delicately detailed with egg-and-dart mouldings and are probably original. This room must rank as one of the most unusual and interesting rooms built anywhere in Ireland during the eighteenth-century.“

*Castlecor House, County Longford, photograph from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage*: “The single wide room to the octagon at first floor level has an extraordinary central chimneypiece (on square-plan) with marble fireplaces to its four faces; which are framed by Corinthian columns that support richly-detailed marble entablatures over. The marble fireplaces themselves are delicately detailed with egg-and-dart mouldings and are probably original.” [1]

*Castlecor House, County Longford, photograph from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage*: “The walls of the octagonal room are decorated with Neo-Egyptian artwork.” [1]

The National Inventory continues: “The walls of the octagonal room are decorated with Neo-Egyptian artwork, which may have been inspired by illustrations in Owen Jones’ book ‘Decoration’, published in 1856. The inspiration for this distinctive octagonal block is not known. Some sources suggest an Italian inspiration, such as the pattern books of the noted architect Sebastiano Serlio (1475 – 1554) [Mark Bence-Jones suggests this [2]], or that it was based on the designs of the much larger hunting lodge (Palazzina di caccia of Stupinigi) that was built for the Duke of Savoy, near Turin, between 1729 and c. 1731 (The later seems a highly fanciful idea but there are some similarities in plan, albeit on a much larger scale at Stupinigi); while Craig (1977, 15) suggests that the ‘inspiration is clearly the hunting lodge at Clemenswerth in Lower Saxony, Germany’, which was constructed between 1737 – 1747 to designs by Johann Conrad Schlaun for Prince Clemens August, a structure that Castlecor resembles in terms of scale and plan. However, it may be that the plan of this building was inspired by William Halfpenny (died 1755), an English Palladian architect who created a number of unexecuted designs for Waterford Church of Ireland cathedral and for an associated bishop’s palace from c. 1739. Interestingly, a number of these unexecuted plans for the bishop’s palace included a central octagonal block with projecting wings, while a number of the church plans included an unusual separate baptismal building attached to the nave, which is also on an octagonal-plan. The Very Revd. Cutts Harman may well have been aware of Halfpenny’s unexecuted designs, being Dean of the cathedral from 1759 and was probably associated with the diocese from an earlier date, and perhaps he used these as his inspiration for the designs of Castlecor. The central four-sided chimneypiece is reminiscent of the centerpiece of the Rotunda of Ranelagh Gardens, London, (built to designs by William Jones 1741 – 2; demolished c. 1803) albeit on a much reduced scale at Castlecor. The plan of Castlecor is also similar to a number of buildings (some not executed) in Scotland, including Hamilton Parish Church (built c. 1733 to designs by William Adam (1698 – 1748) and the designs for a small Neoclassical villa prepared by James Adam (1732 – 92), c. 1765, for Sir Thomas Kennedy. The exact construction date of Castlecor is not known, however the traditional building date is usual given as c. 1765. The architectural detailing to the interior of the original block, and perhaps the personal life of Very Revd. Cutts Harman (married in 1751 to a daughter of Lord Annaly of Tennalick 13402348; his duties at Waterford cathedral from 1759; Cutts Harmon leased out a number of plots of land in Longford from c. 1768) would suggest an earlier date of, perhaps, the 1740s. The architect is also unknown although it is possible that Harman designed the house himself (perhaps inspired by a pattern book or by Halfpenny’s unexecuted designs); while Craig (1977) suggest that the architect may have been Davis Ducart (Daviso de Arcort; died 1780/1), an Italian or French architect and engineer who worked extensively in Ireland (particularly the southern half of the island) during the 1760s and 1770s.” We saw Ducart’s work at Kilshannig in County Cork, another section 482 property, see my entry [3].

*Castlecor House, County Longford, see the octagonal Great Hall in the centre of the house. photograph from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage* [1].

The website tells us:”The Rev. Cutts Harman who had Castlecor built died without issue, it was inherited by his niece’s son [or was it his sister Anne’s son? If so, it was her son Lawrence Harman Parsons (1749-1807); she married Laurence Parsons, 3rd Baronet of Birr Castle. Her son added Harman to his surname when he inherited Castlecor from his uncle], Laurence Harman- Harman, later Lord Oxmantown, and finally Earl of Rosse. Peyton Johnston, the Earl’s nephew, rented the house during this time. Captain Thomas Hussey, Royal Marines; purchased Castlecor in c.I820. There is very little documentary evidence relative to Captain Hussey’s occupancy. He resided there from 1832/3 to 1856 and was High Sheriff of Longford.“

Mark Bence-Jones adds: “To make the house more habitable, a conventional two storey front was built onto it early in C19, either by Peyton Johnston, who rented the house after it had been inherited by the Earl of Rosse, or by Thomas Hussey, the subsequent tenant who bought the property ante 1825. This front joins two of the wings so that its ends and theirs form obtuse angles. In the space between it and the octagon is a top-lit stair. Early in the present century, a wider front of two storeys and three bays in C18 manner, with a tripartite pedimented doorway, was built onto the front of the early C19 front. Castlecor subsequently passed to a branch of the Bonds, and was eventually inherited by Mrs C. J. Clerk (nee Bond).”

The National Inventory continues to tell us the history of the house: “The building was extended c. 1850 (the house appears on its original plan on the Ordnance Survey first edition six-inch map 1838) by the construction of a two-storey block to the northeast corner of the house, between two of the wings of the original structure. The earlier wing to the west may have been extended at this time also. The lion’s head motifs to the rainwater goods throughout the building (built around and before c. 1850) are very similar to those found at the gate lodge serving Castlecor to the northwest, built c. 1855, suggesting that the house was altered at this time, possibly as part of wider program of works at the estate.”

*The lion’s head motifs to the rainwater goods throughout the building*: *Castlecor House, County Longford, photograph from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage* [1]

The National Inventory continues: “The projection to the south wing having the box bay window also looks of mid-to-late nineteenth century date and may also have been added at this time. The Castlecor estate was bought by the Hussey family during the late-eighteenth century following the death of Cutts Harman, and the first series of works may have been carried out when Capt. Thomas Hussey (1777 – 1866), High Sheriff of Longford from 1840 – 44, was in residence. However, the Castlecor estate was offered for sale by Commissioners of Incumbered Estates in 1855 when it was bought by a branch of the Bond family and, perhaps, the house was extended just after this date by the new owners. The Bonds were an important landed family in Longford at the time, and owned a number of estates to the centre of the county, to the north of Castlecor, and a branch also lived at adjacent Moygh/Moigh House (13402606) [still standing and in private hands] during the second half of the nineteenth century. Thomas Bond (1786 – 1869) [of Edgeworthstown] was probably the first Bond in residence at Castlecor. A John Bond, later of Castlecor, was High Sheriff of Longford in 1856. The last Bond owner/resident was probably a Mrs Clerk (nee Bond) [Emily Constance Smyth Bond] who was in residence in 1920. She married a Charles James Clerk (J.P. and High Sheriff of Longford in 1906) in 1901/2, and he was responsible for the three-bay two-storey block that now forms the main entrance, built c. 1913. This block was built to designs by A. G. C. Millar, an architect based on Kildare Street, Dublin. This block is built in a style that is reminiscent of a mid-eighteenth century house, having a central pedimented tripartite doorcase and a rigid symmetry to the front elevation. The house became a convent (Ladies of Mary) sometime after 1925 until c. 1980, and was later in use as a nursing home until c. 2007. This building, particularly the original block, is one of the more eccentric and interesting elements of the built heritage of Longford, and forms the centrepiece of a group of related structures.” [1]

The website tells us that the four wings adjoining the original octagonal hunting lodge align with the four cardinal compass points.

In 2009, the current owners Loretta Grogan and Brian Ginty set about purchasing the house, with the aspiration to restore Castlecor House, its grounds, native woodland and walled garden with pond and orchard to its former glory, opening it to the public by appointment and also welcoming guests.

2. Maria Edgeworth Visitor Centre, Longford, County Longford.

https://www.discoverireland.ie/longford/the-maria-edgeworth-visitor-centre

*Maria Edgeworth Visitors Centre, Edgeworthstown, Co Longford, photo by Dympna Reilly 2020 ©Longford County Council, Ireland’s Content Pool* (see [15])

“The Maria Edgeworth Centre, in County Longford, is located in one of Ireland’s oldest school buildings that opened in 1841. Using a combination of audio, imagery and interactive displays, the centre tells the story of the Edgeworth family and the origins of the National School system. You will also learn about the role the family played in the educational, scientific, political and cultural life in Ireland. Maria Edgeworth was a notable pioneer of literature and education, a feminist and a social commentator of her time. Audios and displays are available in seven languages.”

3. Moorhill House, Castlenugent, Lisryan, Co. Longford – section 482

Open dates in 2026: Aug 1-31, Sept 1-29, 9.30am-1.30pm
Fee: adult/OAP/student/child €8

*Moorhill House, photograph from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.*[4]

The National Inventory describes it:

“Detached three-bay two-storey over basement house on L-shaped plan, built c. 1815, having two-storey-storey return to rear (northwest) with pitched slate roof. Two-storey extension attached to the northwest end of rear return. Recently renovated. Possibly incorporating fabric of earlier building/structure. …This appealing and well-proportioned middle-sized house, of early nineteenth-century appearance, retains its early form, character and fabric. Its form is typical of houses of its type and date in rural Ireland, with a three-bay two-storey main elevation, hipped natural slate roof with a pair of centralised chimneystacks, and central round-headed door opening with fanlight. The influence of classicism can be seen in the tall ground floor window openings and the rigid symmetry to the front facade. The simple doorcase with the delicate petal fanlight over provides a central focus and enlivens the plain front elevation. The return to the rear has unusually thick walls and a relative dearth of openings, possibly indicating that it contains earlier fabric. This house forms an interesting group with the entrance gates to the southeast, the outbuildings (13401509) and walled garden to the rear, and the highly ornate railings to the southwest side featuring a sinuous vine leaf motif. The quality of these railings is such that their appearance is equally fine from both sides, the vine leaves being cast in three dimensions. They are notable examples of their type and date, and add substantial to the setting of this fine composition, which is an important element of the built heritage of the local area. Moorhill was the home of a R. (Robert or Richard) Blackall, Esq. in 1837 (Lewis). The Blackalls were an important family in the locality and built nearby Coolamber Manor c. 1837 [built for Major Samuel Wesley Blackhall (1809 – 1871)…to designs by the eminent architect John Hargrave (c. 1788 – 1833). Hargrave worked extensively in County Longford during the 1820s and was responsible for the designs for the governor’s house at Longford Town Jail in 1824; works at Ardagh House in 1826; the rebuilding of St. Paul’s Church of Ireland church at Newtown-Forbes; the remodelling of Castle Forbes, nearby Farragh/Farraghroe House (demolished); Doory Hall now ruinous; St. Paul’s Church of Ireland church, Ballinalee; and possibly for the designs of St. Catherine’s Church of Ireland church at nearby Killoe. …and [Coolamber Manor] may have replaced an earlier house associated with the Blackall family at Coolamber (a Robert Blackall (1764 – 1855), father of the above, lived in Longford in the late-eighteenth century)].

Moorhill House “was possibly the home of Robert Blackall, the father of Samuel Wensley, who was responsible for the construction of Coolamber Manor and later served as M.P. (1847 – 51) for the county before serving as Governor of Queensland, Australia from 1868 until his death in 1871. Moorhill may have been the residence of a Francis Taylor in 1894 (Slater’s Directory).”

Places to stay, County Longford:

1. Castlecor House, County Longford – see above

https://castlecorhouse.com/

2. Newcastle House Hotel, Ballymahon, County Longford

https://www.newcastlehousehotel.ie

*Newcastle House (now a hotel), County Longford, photograph from Newcastlehousehotel.ie*

*photograph from the Newcastlehousehotel.ie*

Newcastle House is a 300-year-old manor house, set on the banks of the River Inny near Ballymahon, in Co. Longford.

The website tells us; “Standing on 44 acres of mature parkland and surrounded by 900 acres of forest, Newcastle House is only one and half hour’s drive from Dublin, making it an excellent base to see, explore and enjoy the natural wonders of Ireland. So whether you are looking for a peaceful place to stay (to get away from it all) or perhaps need a location to hold an event, or that most important wedding, give us a call.”

*Newcastle House (now a hotel), County Longford, photograph from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.* [5]

The website previously included a brief history of the inhabitants of Newcastle:

“Newcastle Wood was once part of Newcastle Demesne, an estate of some 11,000 hectares run by the King- Harman family in the 1800’s. The beautiful, historic nearby Newcastle House was where the King- Harmans lived and there are many features and place names in the woodland which refer back to that time.“

We came across Lawrence Harman Parsons (1749-1807) who became the 1st Earl of Rosse, and who added Harman to his surname to become Lawrence Harman Parsons Harman, when he inherited Castlecor in County Longford. He married Jane King, daughter of Edward Thomas King, 1st Earl of Kingston, from Boyle, County Roscommon. They had a daughter, Frances Parsons-Harmon, who married Robert Edward King (1773-1854), 1st Viscount Lorton of Boyle, County Roscommon. Their second son, Lawrence Harman King assumed the additional name of Harman to become Lawrence Harman King-Harman (1816-1875). It was his family who lived at Newcastle Wood.

The old website continued: “The King- Harmans were generally regarded as good landlords by the local populace. They employed many local people in all sorts of trades. The last of the King- Harmans died in 1949. King- Harman sold lands to the Forestry Department in 1934 and over the following two years it was planted with a mixture of coniferous and broadleaf trees.“

Then National Inventory describes the house:

“Detached double-pile seven-bay three-storey over basement former country house, built c. 1730 and altered and extended at various dates throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth century, having curvilinear Dutch-type gable to the central bay and later gable-fronted single-bay single-storey entrance porch with matching curvilinear Dutch-type gable to the centre of the main block (southeast elevation), built c. 1820. Advanced three-bay single-storey over basement wing flanking main block to northeast, and advanced four-bay two-storey over basement wing flanking main block to southwest, both built c. 1785. Recessed single-bay single-storey over basement Tudor Gothic style addition attached to northeast elevation having gable-fronted rear elevation and chamfered corners at ground floor level having dressed ashlar limestone masonry , built c. 1850, and two-storey extension to southwest, built c. 1880. Possibly incorporating the fabric of earlier house(s) to site c. 1660. Later in use as a convent and now in use as a hotel…Round-headed door opening to front face of porch (southeast) having carved limestone surround with architrave, square-headed timber battened door with decorative cast-iron hinge motifs, wrought-iron overlight, and having moulded render label moulding over.…Painted stuccoed ceilings and ceiling cornices, some with a neoclassical character, a number of early panelled timber doors and marble fireplaces survive to interior...” [5]

*Newcastle House, photograph from National Inventory of Architectural Heritage:* “Round-headed door opening to front face of porch (southeast) having carved limestone surround with architrave, square-headed timber battened door with decorative cast-iron hinge motifs, wrought-iron overlight, and having moulded render label moulding over.” *The Inventory tells us that the carved coat of arms is probably of the King family.* [5]

*Newcastle House, *photograph from Newcastlehousehotel.ie*:* “Painted stuccoed ceilings and ceiling cornices, some with a neoclassical character.” [5]

Before belonging to the King-Harman family, Newcastle belonged to the Sheppard family. It came to the King-Harman family through the marriage of Frances Sheppard (d. 1766) daughter of Anthony Sheppard of Newcastle to Wentworth Harman (d. 1714) of Moyle, County Longford.

The National Inventory adds:

“The lands and house at Newcastle were successively in the possession of the Chappoyne/Chappayne/Choppin, the Sheppard, the Harman and the King-Harman families. The earliest mention of the estate is references to an Anthony Chappoyne at Newcastle in 1660, although this may have been the site of an earlier ‘castle’ from as early as the fourteenth century (as the placename suggests). In 1680 a Robert Choppayne appears to have purchased/consolidated the lands of Newcastle from Gerald Fitzgerald, 17th Earl of Kildare. Dowdall (1682) describes the site as ‘..on the southside of the river is Newcastle, the antient Estate of the Earl of Kildare now the estate and habitation of Robert Choppin Esqr where he hath lately built a fair house and a wooden bridge over said river’. The estate passed into the ownership of Anthony Sheppard (born 1668 – 1738), heir (son?) of Robert Chappoyne, c. 1693, who served as High Sheriff of County Longford in 1698. His son, also Anthony, was M.P. for Longford in 1727. The estate later passed by marriage into the ownership into the Harman family at the very end of the seventeenth century. Robert Harman (1699 – 1765; M.P. for Longford c. 1760 -5) [son of Wentworth Harman and Frances Sheppard] was in possession of the estate of much of the middle of the eighteenth century and it is likely that he was responsible for much of the early work on the house. The Very Revd. Cutts Harman, who built the quirky hunting/fishing lodge at nearby Castlecor, inherited the house c. 1765 following the death of his brother Robert. The estate later passed into the ownership of Lawrence Parsons-Harman (1749 – 1807) in 1784 (M.P. for Longford 1776 – 1792; Baron Oxmantown in 1792; Viscount Oxmantown in 1795; Earl of Rosse 1806; sat was one of the original Irish Representative Peers in the British House of Lords) and he greatly increased the Newcastle estate, and by his death (1807) its size had doubled to approximately 31,000 acres in size. It is likely that he was responsible for the construction of the side wings to the main block and general improvements to the house from 1784. The estate passed into the ownership of his wife Jane, Countess of Rosse (who partially funded the construction of a number of Church of Ireland churches and funded a number of schools in County Longford during the first half of the nineteenth century), who left the estate to her grandson Laurence King-Harman (1816 – 1878) after falling out with her son. Laurence King-Harman has probably responsible for the vaguely Tudor Gothic extension to the northeast elevation. The brick chimneystacks also look of mid-nineteenth century date and may have been added around the same time this wing was constructed. The King family had extensive estates in Ireland during the nineteenth century, owning the magnificent Rockingham House (demolished) and King House [also a Section 482 property which I hope to visit later this year], Boyle, both in County Roscommon; as well as Mitchelstown Castle in County Cork, burnt in 1922 (memorial plaques and carved stone heads from Mitchelstown Castle were built into the northeast elevation of Newcastle House c. 1925, but have been removed and returned to Cork in recent years). The estate reached its largest extent in 1888, some 38,616 acres in size, when Wentworth Henry King-Harman was in residence. The estate was described in 1900 as ‘a master-piece of smooth and intricate organisation, with walled gardens and glasshouses, its diary, its laundry, its carpenters, masons and handymen of all estate crafts, the home farm, the gamekeepers and retrievers kennels, its saw-mill and paint shop and deer park for the provision of venison. The place is self supporting to a much greater degree than most country houses in England’. The estate went in to decline during the first decades of the twentieth century, and with dwindled in size to 800 acres by 1911. The house and estate remained in the ownership of the King-Harman family until c. 1951, when Capt. Robert Douglas King-Harman sold the house to an order of African Missionary nuns (house and contents sold for £11,000). It was later in use as a hotel from c. 1980.” [5]

3. Viewmount House, Longford

http://www.viewmounthouse.com

*Viewmount House, photograph from National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.* [6]

The website tells us:

“Discover this boutique gem, a secret tucked away in the heart of Ireland. This magnificent 17th century manor is complemented by its incredible countryside surroundings, and by the four acres of meticulously-maintained garden that surround it. Within the manor you’ll find a place of character, with open fires, beautiful furniture, fresh flowers and Irish literature. The manor retains its stately, historic charm, and blends it with thoughtful renovation that incorporates modern comfort.

“Here, you will unwind into the exceptionally relaxing atmosphere, a restful world where all you hear is peace, quiet and birdsong.“

This house was advertised for sale in recent years. The National Inventory describes it:

“Detached three-bay three-storey house, built c. 1750 and remodeled c. 1860, having single-bay single-storey porch with flat roof to the centre of the front elevation (north). Renovated c. 1994. Formerly in use as a Church of Ireland charter school (c. 1753 – 1826)…This elegant mid-sized Georgian house is a fine example of the language of classical architecture reduced to its essential elements. It retains its early character and form despite recent alterations….Set in extensive mature grounds, this fine structure is a worthy addition to the architectural heritage of County Longford….This house was the home of the Cuffe family during the first half of the eighteenth century. It was later inherited by Thomas Pakenham (later [1st] Baron Longford [of Pakenham Hall, or Tullynally, County Westmeath, another section 482 property, see my entry]) following his marriage to Elizabeth Cuffe (1714-94) in 1739 or 1740. It is possible that Viewmount House was constructed shortly after this date and it may have replaced an earlier Cuffe family house on or close to the present site. The house was never lived in by the Pakenham family but it was used by their agent to administer the Longford estate, c. 1860. It was apparently in use as a charter school from 1753 until 1826, originally founded under the patronage of Thomas Pakenham. There is a ‘charter school’ indicated here (or close to here) on the Taylor and Skinner map (from Maps of the Roads of Ireland) of the area, dated between 1777 – 1783. A ‘free charter school’ at Knockahaw, Longford Town, with 32 boys, is mentioned in an Irish Education Board Report, dated 1826 – 7 (Ir. Educ. Rept 2, 692 – 3).” [6]

[1] https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/13402608/castlecor-house-castlecore-longford

[2] p. 66. 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.

[3] www.irishhistorichouses.com/2020/12/10/kilshannig-house-rathcormac-county-cork/

[4] https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/13401508/moorhill-house-castlenugent-longford

[5] https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/13402709/newcastle-house-newcastle-newcastle-demesne-longford

[6] https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/13007038/viewmount-house-knockahaw-longford

Office of Public Works properties County Cork, Munster

by jenjunebugJanuary 19, 2022February 25, 2026

Munster’s counties are Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford.

I have noticed that an inordinate amount of OPW sites are closed ever since Covid restrictions, if not even before that (as in Emo, which seems to be perpetually closed).

Cork:

1. Annes Grove, County Cork

2. Barryscourt Castle, County Cork – currently closed (June 2022)

3. Charles Fort, County Cork

4. Desmond Castle, Kinsale, County Cork

5. Doneraile Court, County Cork

6. Fota House Arboretum and Gardens, County Cork (Fota House itself is maintained by the Heritage Trust)

7. Ilnacullin, Garanish Island, County Cork

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

Cork:

1. Annes Grove, Castletownroche, County Cork:

Tel: 022 26145, annesgrove@eircom.net

https://heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/annes-grove-gardens/

This is due to be open soon by the OPW. It does not have a website yet. In December 2015 Annes Grove House and Garden were donated to the state by the Annesley family.

“Nestled into an eighteenth century ornamental glen, adjacent to the River Awbeg, the demesne of Annes Grove in north County Cork is the setting for the most exquisite Robinsonian-style gardens in Ireland….

The Gardens at Annes Grove were largely the creation of Richard Grove Annesley in the first half of the twentieth century.” [2]

*Annes Grove, County Cork, 1981 from Dublin City Library and Archives.* [see 1]

The estate was previously known as Ballyhimmock, and it was acquired by William Grove around 1626.

In 1792 it was inherited by Arthur Grove Annesley (1774-1849) from an aunt by marriage, heiress to the Grove family, after which it was renamed by merging the two family names. [3] Arthur Grove Annesley’s uncle Francis Charles Annesley, 1st Earl Annesley of Castlewellan, County Down, married Mary Grove who inherited the estate from her father.

At the centre of the garden is a restored Gothic style summerhouse. The main house is of Queen Anne design, from the 18th century. Pergolas, a lily pond, Victorian stone fernery, a woodland walk and river garden, a rockery and wild water garden create an atmospheric setting.

*From “In Harmony with Nature, The Irish Country House Garden 1600-1900” in the Irish Georgian Society, July 2022, curated by Robert O’Byrne*.

2. Barryscourt Castle, County Cork:

*Barryscourt Castle by Julia Delio, flickr constant commons, August 2009.*

From the OPW website https://heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/barryscourt-castle/:

“Barryscourt Castle was the seat of the great Anglo-Norman Barry family and is one of the finest examples of a restored Irish Tower House. Dating from between 1392 and 1420, the Castle has an outer bawn wall and largely intact corner towers. The ground floor of the Tower House contains a dungeon into which prisoners were dropped via the ‘drop-hole’ located on the second floor.

“The Barrys supported the Fitzgeralds of Desmond during the Irish rebellions of the late sixteenth century. To prevent it being captured by Sir Walter Raleigh and his army, the Barrys [David Barry, 5th Viscount Barry (1550-1617)] partially destroyed the Castle.

*Walter Raleigh (1552-1618) by Unknown English artist 1588, National Portrait Gallery of London ref. 7.*

“During the Irish Confederate War of the seventeenth century Barryscourt Castle was once again successfully attacked. Cannon balls lodged in the wall above the Castle entrance bear witness to this conflict. The last head of the Barry family was Lord David Barry.

“Barryscourt Castle has been extensively restored. The Main Hall and Great Hall have been completed and fittings and furnishings reinstated. Within the Castle grounds, the herb and knot garden and the charming orchard have been restored to their original sixteenth century design.“

After David Barry’s death in 1617 the family made Castlelyons their principal seat (now a ruin). The castle was restored by the OPW and the Barryscourt Trust between 1987-1993, with reproduction furniture made by Victor Chinnery. [4]

An article in the Irish Examiner by Padraig Hoare published 22nd May 2021 tells us that the site is closed and will be for some time:

“A reopening date must be established for one of East Cork’s most historic landmarks after languishing in the midst of safety works for five years.

“That is according to Cork East TD Séan Sherlock, who said Barryscourt Castle in Carrigtwohill has to be a priority for the Government body in charge of the facility, the Office of Public Works (OPW).

“History enthusiasts and families alike were disappointed in the summer of 2020, when it emerged that Barryscourt Castle would remain closed for another 18 months.

“The latest update from the OPW given in response to a parliamentary question from Mr Sherlock suggests it may be even longer than the date anticipated a year ago.

“The Department of Public Expenditure said restrictions associated with the Covid-19 pandemic “has disrupted the good progress” of works being done to make the facility safe.

“It is not possible at this time to give a precise date for reopening to the public,” the department said.“

3. Charles Fort, Summer Cove, Kinsale, County Cork:

The Soldiers Quarters, the Hospital ward, the Lighthouse (by Robert Reading) and Magazine of the 17th Century Charles Fort, Kinsale, Co. Cork, Munster, Ireland. Photograph from Ireland’s Content Pool, photograph by Cahir Davitt, 2016, for Failte Ireland. [5]

General Enquiries: 021 477 2263, charlesfort@opw.ie

https://heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/charles-fort-national-monument/

From the OPW website:

“As one of the country’s largest military installations, Charles Fort has been part of some of the most momentous events of Irish history. During the Williamite Wars, for example, it withstood a 13-day siege before it fell. Later, in the Civil War of the early 1920s, anti-Treaty forces on the retreat burned it out.

“Charles Fort is a massive star-shaped structure of the late seventeenth century, well preserved despite its history. William Robinson, architect of the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham, Dublin, is credited with designing it. Its dimensions are awe-inspiring – some of the outer defences are 16 metres high.

“The view from the ramparts looking out over Kinsale Harbour is spectacular.“

*The Soldiers Quarters, and Magazine of the 17th Century Charles Fort, Kinsale, Co. Cork, Munster, Ireland.* *Photograph from Ireland’s Content Pool, photograph by Cahir Davitt, 2016, for Failte Ireland.* [see 5]

The seaward Devils Bastion and lighthouse of the 17th Century Charles Fort, with Kinsale boatyard in the background, Kinsale, Co. Cork, Munster, Ireland; Photograph from Ireland’s Content Pool, photograph by Cahir Davitt, 2016, for Failte Ireland. [see 5]

4. Desmond Castle (also known as the French Prison), Kinsale, County Cork:

*Desmond Castle Kinsale 1941, photograph from Dublin City Library archives.* [see 1]

General Enquiries: 021 477 4855, desmondcastle@opw.ie

From the OPW website https://heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/desmond-castle-kinsale/:

“Desmond Castle in Kinsale dates from around 1500. It is a classic urban tower house, consisting of a three-storey keep with storehouses to the rear.

“Maurice Bacach Fitzgerald, the earl of Desmond, originally built the castle as the customs house for the town. [I think this must be the 9th Earl of Desmond – JWB] It served as a prison in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Because it usually held French inmates, as well as Spaniards, Portuguese, Dutch and Americans, it became known locally as the French Prison and carries that name to this day. The building was co-opted as an ordnance store during the momentous Battle of Kinsale (1601) and served as a workhouse during the Great Famine.

“Desmond Castle certainly had a colourful history and this continued into the twentieth century. In the early 1900s it was used as a venue to host local Gaelic League meetings. Finally, in the 1930s, a thriving undertaking business operated from within the National Monument.“

The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage tells us:

“Freestanding three-bay three-storey tower house, commenced c.1500, abutting earthen terrace to rear. Attached cell blocks and exercise yards to rear (north-west) and platform to side (north-east). Historically used as magazine (1600-1601), as prison for foreign prisoners (1601-1790) and as borough jail (1791-1846). Restored in 1938 currently in use as museum.“

5. Doneraile Court, County Cork:

*Doneraile Court, County Cork, August 2020.* Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

See my entry https://irishhistorichouses.com/2024/04/19/doneraile-court-county-cork-an-office-of-public-works-property/

https://doneraileestate.ie/

6. Fota Arboretum and Gardens, Carrigtwohill, County Cork

Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

General enquiries: (021) 481 5543 https://fotahouse.com/

fota.arboretum@opw.ie

See my entry https://irishhistorichouses.com/2022/05/17/places-to-visit-and-stay-munster-county-cork/

From the OPW website: https://heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/fota-arboretum-and-gardens/

“Fota House was designed by 19th century architects Richard and William Morrison. From the beautifully proportioned rooms with exquisite plasterwork, to the preserved service wing and kitchens, Fota House offers visitors an intimate look at how life was lived in the past, for the cooks, butlers, footmen and maids who supported the lavish lifestyle of the gentry. Our painting collection is considered to be one of the finest collections of landscape painting outside the National Gallery of Ireland and includes works by William Ashford PRHA, Robert Carver, Jonathan Fisher and Thomas Roberts.” [9]

*Front porch of Fota House. Fluted baseless Green Doric columns support a weighty entablature in which wreaths alternate with the Barry crest in the metopes.* Photograph © Jennifer Winder-Baggot, www.irishhistorichouses.com

The OPW website tells us:

The arboretum and gardens on Fota Island, just 16 kilometres from Cork city centre, are an essential destination for any one of a horticultural bent.

The arboretum extends over 11 hectares and contains one of the finest collections of rare, tender trees and shrubs grown outdoors in Europe. The unique conditions at Fota – its warm soil and sheltered location – enable many excellent examples of exotics from the southern hemisphere to flourish.

The gardens include such stunning features as the ornamental pond, formal pleasure gardens, orangery and sun temple. James Hugh Smith-Barry laid them out in the first half of the nineteenth century. Fota House, the Smith-Barrys’ ancestral home, still stands. The house, arboretum and gardens share the island with a hotel and golf resort and a wildlife park. [10]

7. Ilnacullin, Garanish Island, Glengarriff, Bantry, County Cork:

https://garinishisland.ie/plan-a-visit/

*Italian garden, Garnish Island, Glengarriff, Beara, Co. Cork, Photograph by Chris Hill 2014, Ireland’s Content Pool.* [see 5]

general enquiries: (027) 63040

garanishisland@opw.ie

Ilnacullin is an island in the coastal harbour at Glengariff in Bantry Bay. It has an almost sub-tropical climate with mild winters and high levels of rainfall and humidity. These conditions favour the growth of exotic plants. The gardens were set out in the Arts and Crafts style and contain Italianate pavilions and follies, framed against a backdrop of beautiful views.

From the OPW website https://heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/ilnacullin-garinish-island/:

“Ilnacullin is an island garden of diminutive size and rare beauty. Nestled in the sheltered coastal harbour at Glengarriff in Bantry Bay, the gardens display a wealth of unique horticultural and architectural gems. Bryce House is a fitting memorial to the visionary creators of this unique place.

“The gardens of Ilnacullin owe their existence to the early twentieth-century creative partnership of John Annan and Violet Bryce, the island’s owners, and Harold Peto, an architect and garden designer. The area enjoys a mild and humid micro-climate that makes for spectacular and flourishing plant life all year round.

“Small ferry boats and 60-seater waterbuses take visitors to Ilnacullin regularly. The short crossing usually includes an extra treat – a visit to the nearby seal colony and an opportunity to glimpse majestic sea eagles.“

The Island was bequeathed to the Irish people by the Bryce’s son, Roland, in 1953 and is cared for by the OPW. Bryce House contains material from the Bryces’s lives, including John Annan Bryce’s collection of Burmese statues, Chinese ceramics, Japanese woodblock prints, metal works and rare exotic objects. There are also Old Master drawings by Salvator Rosa, Mauro Antonio Tesi and Giambattista Tiepolo. Over the years the Bryces hosted prominent cultural figures such as George (AE) Russell, George Bernard Shaw and Agatha Christie. [11] You can see a tour of the house and gardens on the website.

[1] https://repository.dri.ie/

[2] p. 12, Living Legacies: Ireland’s National Historic Properties in the care of the OPW, Government Publications, Dublin, 2018.

[3] p. 310, Keohane, Frank. The Buildings of Ireland. Cork City and County. Yale University Press: New Haven and London. 2020.

[4] p. 261, Keohane, Frank. Buildings of Ireland: Cork City and County, Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2020.

[5] https://www.irelandscontentpool.com/en

[6] See also https://doneraileestate.ie

[7] p. 377. Keohane, Frank. Buildings of Ireland: Cork City and County, Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2020.

Another work Keohane identifies as being by Benjamin Crawley is Castle Bernard, now a ruin in County Cork:

*Castle Bernard, County Cork, photograph from National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.*

[8] p. 105. 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.

[9] fotahouse.com

[10] https://heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/fota-arboretum-and-gardens/

[11] https://garinishisland.ie/the-house-and-gardens/

Irish Historic Houses

Properties open to the public, on Irish Revenue Section 482

Hargrave, John (c. 1788 – 1833)

Accommodation and wedding venues in County Donegal

Coolamber Manor, Lisryan, County Longford

Castle Forbes, County Longford

Loughveagh, Gartan, Co Donegal

Ards, Sheephaven, Donegal – demolished ca 1965

Places to visit and stay in County Longford, Leinster

Office of Public Works properties County Cork, Munster

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