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
2026 Diary of Irish Historic Houses (section 482 properties)
To purchase an A5 size 2026 Diary of Historic Houses (opening times and days are not listed so the calendar is for use for recording appointments and not as a reference for opening times) send your postal address to jennifer.baggot@gmail.com along with €20 via this payment button. The calendar of 84 pages includes space for writing your appointments as well as photographs of the historic houses. The price includes postage within Ireland. Postage to U.S. is a further €10 for the A5 size calendar, so I would appreciate a donation toward the postage – you can click on the donation link.
€20.00
The province of Ulster contains counties Antrim, Armagh, Cavan, Derry, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh, Monaghan and Tyrone.
For places to stay, I have made a rough estimate of prices at time of publication:
Places to stay, County Derry
1. Ardtara Country House and restaurant, County Derry – B&B
2. Brown Trout Inn, Aghadowey, Nr Coleraine Co. Derry, BT51 4AD
3. Roselick Lodge, County Derry– whole house rentalfor 8 guests, three nights minuminimum
Whole House Rental or Wedding Venues, County Derry
2. Drenagh House, County Derry – whole house rental, 22 guests
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 Derry
1. Ardtara Country House and restaurant, County Derry -B&B
“Ardtara is over 120 years old, but its story goes back much further. Back to the origins of the linen industry in Northern Ireland. The house was built by Harry Clark as a romantic and lively family home around 1896. Harry was a restless adventurer who was coerced to join his family’s linen business with promises of global travel and the freedom to pursue his ambitions. Clark’s linen business was already over 150 years old at the time and was famous for producing fine linens from Flax using the ancient process of beetling.”
Ardtara, County Derry, photograph courtesy of website.
2. Brown Trout Inn, Aghadowey, Nr Coleraine Co. Derry, BT51 4AD
“Whether it’s for a drink, dinner, a weekend break or a round of golf we want you to enjoy the Brown Trout experience.
“At the Brown Trout Inn we know that relaxing means different things to different people. For some, food and drink is all-important. Our menu offers fresh locally sourced produce ranging from ‘taste of Ulster’ favourites like honey-grilled gammon and buttery champ to slow-roasted lamb shanks and not forgetting fresh fish, including grilled trout of course.
“For others, putting their feet up is the closest thing to heaven. Our Courtyard accommodation offers space, comfort and quality – the cottages hold NITB four-star status. All our accommodation is easily accessible for wheelchair users and guests with disabilities and all rooms are dog-friendly. Wifi access is free throughtout the hotel.“
3. Roselick Lodge, County Derry – whole house rentalfor 8 guests, three night minimum
“Dating back to 1830, this sympathetically restored Georgian property offers a tranquil rural setting midway between Portstewart and Portrush. Whilst retaining many of the original features and charm, the open plan extension has been adapted to suit modern living. The accommodation comprises three main reception areas, a Magnificent Family Kitchen /Living and Dining area, a cosy and tastefully decorated Snug with open fire, access to south facing Orangery and large secluded cottage gardens. Upstairs are four well proportioned bedrooms sleeping up to eight guests and a spacious first floor balcony with sea views. Minimum 3 night stay.“
Roselick Lodge, County Derry, photograph courtesy of website.Roselick Lodge, County Derry, photograph courtesy of website.Roselick Lodge, County Derry, photograph courtesy of website.
Drenagh, County Derry, photograph courtesy Tripadvisor.
Nestled in beautiful parkland where you will find our grand Georgian Mansion House which is perfect for weddings, family get togethers, corporate events and much more.
Mark Bence-Jones writes about Drenagh House (formerly Fruit Hill) in A Guide to Irish Country Houses (1988):
p. 107. “(McCausland/IFR) The earliest major country house by Charles Lanyon, built ca 1837 for Marcus McCausland, replacing an early C18 house on a different site. Of significance in the history of C19 Irish domestic architecture in that it is a competent late-Georgian design by an architect whose buildings in the following decade are definitely Victorian. Two storey; o an attractive pinkish sandstone ashlar. Five bay entrance front with the centre bay recessed and a single-storey Ionic portico in which the outer columns aer coupled. Adjoining front of six bays with two bay pedimented breakfront; the duality of the elevation being emphasised rather than resolved by the presence of three giant pilasters, supporting the pediment. Rear elevation of one bay between two three sided bows, with fanlighted tripartite garden door. Lower service wing at side. Balustraded parapet round roof and on portico. Single-storey top-lit central hall with screen of fluted Corinthian columns; graceful double staircase with elegant cast iron balusters rising from behind one of these screens. Rich plasterwork ceilings in hall, over staircase and in drawing room; simpler ceilings in morning room and dining room. At the head of the stairs, a bedroom corridor with a ceiling of plaster vaulting and shallow domes goes round the central court or well, the lower part of which is roofed over to form the hall. Very large and extensive outbuildings. Vista through gap in trees opposite entrance front of house to idyllic landscape far below, the ground falling steeply on this side; straight flight of steps on the axis of this vista leading down to bastion terrace with urns. Chinese garden with circular “moon gate,” laid out by Lady Margaret McCausland 1960s. Gate lodge by Lanyon with pedimented Ionic portico.”
Charles Lanyon (1813-1889) courtesy of Queen’s University Belfast.Drenagh, County Derry, photograph courtesy Tripadvisor.Drenagh, County Derry, photograph courtesy Tripadvisor.Drenagh, County Derry, photograph courtesy Tripadvisor.Drenagh, County Derry photograph courtesy Tripadvisor.Drenagh, County Derry, photograph courtesy Tripadvisor.Drenagh, County Derry, photograph courtesy Tripadvisor.
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. 228. “(Riall/LGI1958) A High Victorian Tudor-Gothic house by Sir Charles Lanyon and William Henry Lynn, built ca 1860 for Phineas Riall. The house, which has steeply pointed gables and rectangular mullioned windows with trefoil-headed lights, is more Gothic than Tudor, with decidedly ecclesiastical air; in fact the grouping of elements, the rather squashed church porch, the fleche, the odd little buttresses, is rather reminiscent of Lanon’s and Lynn’s Unitarian church on Stephen’s Green in Dublin. The interior of the house is sombrely rich: panelling, carved woodwork, elaborately moulded ceilings and stained glass.”
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. 13. “[Dobbs/IFR]A Victorian house with gables, pointed windows and a pointed befry; built 1861 for W.C.Dobbs, MP, Judge of Landed Estate Courts, to the design of Charles Lanyon and William Henry Lynn. In recent years, the residence of Most Rev. J.C. McQuaid, Catholic Archbishop of Dublin.”
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. 172. “(Clanbrassill, E/DEP; Rowan-Hamilton/IFR; Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Dufferin and Ava, M/PB) Basically a “Plantation Castle,” built by James Hamilton ca 1610; but with two massive round corner-towers, one of them probably surviving from a Norman castle built late C12 by John de Courcy, and the other added 1666 by Henry Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Clanbrassill; a deliberate and perhaps romantic archaicism which has its counterpart in the romantic castles built in Elizabethan and Jacobean England. 2nd Earl also built or restored the immense bawn or fortified enclosure between the castle and the town of Killyleagh; which remains as the castle’s most spectacular feature, its high walls still keeping their original battlments and gun-holes. The 2nd Earl of Clanbrassill appears to have been poisoned by his wife, after she had prevailed on him to make a Will leaving his estates to her instead of to his Hamilton cousins, who were the rightful heirs. The cousins contested the Will and the litigation continued for two generations’ in the end, there was a judgment of Solomon dividing the estates equally between Gawn Hamilton and his cousin Anne, whose share eventually passed by inheritance to the Blackwood family; even Killyleagh Castle being divided, the castle itself going to Gawn and the gatehouse and bawn to Anne. This led to a feud between the two families, who for more than a century confronted each other from opposite ends of the bawn; the Hamiltons in the castle, the Blackwoods in the gatehouse, which they rebuilt as a tall Georgian block. In the early years of C19, when the castle was lived in by the United Irish leader, Archibald Hamilton Rowan, who had returned from his exile in America after being pardoned, it fell into decay, whereas the Blackwoods of the period, , who had become the Lords Dufferin, kept the gatehouse in good order, adding to it 1830; though their principal seat was Clandeboye, at the other side of the county. When 5th Lord Dufferin (afterwards 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava) came of age, he ended the feud by handing over the gatehouse and bawn to his kinsman at the castle, Archibald Rowan-Hamilton. Being a romantic young man, he demanded in return a quit-rent of a pair of silver spurs and a golden rose in alternate years; which subsequently, having accumulated, were used to adorn his ambassadorial and viceregal dinner tables. As a further gesture, he built a suitably Baronial gatehouse in place of the Georgian house at his own expense; to the desin of the English architect Benjamin Ferrey. To set the seal on the reconciliation, Lord Dufferin married Archibald Rowan-Hamilton’s daughter, Hariot. Almost simultaneously with the rebuilding of the gatehouse, Archibald Rowan-Hamilton – doubtless encouraged by Lord Dufferin’s generosity – employed Charles Lanyon to enlarge, modernise and embellish the castle; the work being carried out between 1847 and 1851. Lanyon extended the castle and gave it a highly romantic skyline of turrets and pointed roofs, so that, in the words of Sir Harold Nicholson, whose mother’s home it was, “it pricks castellated ears above the smoke of its own village and provides a curiously exotic landmark, towering like some chateau of the Loire above the gentle tides of Strangford Lough.” He refaced the walls and added a stupendous Jacobean doorway with strapwork as well as rustications on the columns, incorporating an actual C17 coat-of-arms. And inside he devised a most wonderful Jacobean staircase, with a positive riot of columns and pilasters covered with strapwork, cleverly contrived to give his characteristic feeling of space within the limited confines of the old castle. In order to provide access to the upper floors, there are in fact two staircases in the one space, set at right angles to each other; both being equally massive, with scroll balustrades of oak. Lanyon also decorated the principal reception rooms, giving them fretted ceilings with modillion cornices.”
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. 28. “(Mulholland, Dunleath, B/PB) Ireland’s finest C19 Italian palazzo; in the words of Dr Rowan, “a building with a metropolitan air and all the architectural trappings of a London club.” Built ca 1846 for Andrew Mulholland, Mayor of Belfast 1845 and chief owner of the great York Street Flax Spinning Mills, to the design of Charles Lanyon; incorporating an earlier house of ca 1810, formerly belonging to the Matthews family and known as Springvale; though the existence of this earlier structure is not now apparent, except in the basement. Main block of three storeys over basement, with single-storey overlapping wings; entrance front of five bays in main block plus one additional bay in each wing; the end bays of the main block in the two lower storeys and also the wings having tripartite windows; those in the wings being framed by pedimented Corinthian aedicules. Large single-storey port-cochere with coupled Doric columns and end piers, surmounted by latticed balustrade; also latticed balustrade round area. Eaved roof on bracket cornice on main block; balustraded roof parapets on wings. On the garden front, the main block is of six bays and the wings end in shallow curved bows. Spacious and sumptuous interior. Entrance hall, panelled in mahogany. Vast and magnificent two storeyed central hall, 60 feet in length, with Doric columns below, supporting the gallery, and Corinthian columns and pilasters marbled porphyry balustrade; surrounded, in the upper storey, by arcades lighting the bedroom corridors, and niches with sculptures. Theother end, separated from the staircase by a screen of columns, is treated below as a saloon – its walls hung with scarlet brocade – and as a picture gallery above. Drawing room with screen of Corinthian columns at one end and elaborate coved and coffered ceiling. In 1863 Andrew Mulholland added a single storey billiard room wing, prolonging the garden front; with, at right angles to it, a large and splendid conservatory, also designed by Lanyon, with Corinthian columns along its front and a glass dome. Andrew Mulholland’s son, 1st Lord Dunleath, installed the ornate pedimented bookcases in the library, which, like the drawing room, has a coved ceiling. 2nd Lord Dunleath added a service wing ca. 1902, to the design of W.J. Fennell, of Belfast; he later enlarged this wing, in order, as is said, to put up the visiting XI during his cricket week. After World War II, this wing was curtailed. The garden front of the house overlooks wide-spreading lawns with paths and statues, beyond which is a noteable collection of ornamental trees and shrubs.”
Ballywalter Park is the home of Lord & Lady Dunleath and it has been in their family for 170 years.
The Mansion House was built in the Italianate Palazzo style by the eminent architect Sir Charles Lanyon and has been afforded Grade A* listing as being of exceptional architectural importance. The house is surrounded by 30 acres of pleasure grounds and is situated within the walled demesne of some 270 acres. The total Estate runs to over 1200 acres and is home to one of Northern Ireland’s largest dairy herds and it also includes significant acreages of arable crops and mixed woodland.
In 1846 Andrew Mulholland, great, great, great grandfather of the present owner, bought an 18th century two-storey over basement house, then called Springvale along with 270 acres of land of land for £23,500.
Ballywalter Park can be found some 20 miles from Belfast on the County Down coast, looking out over the Irish Sea to the coast of Scotland to the east and the Isle of Man to the south. In 1846 Andrew Mulholland, great, great, great grandfather of the present owner, bought an 18th century two-storey over basement house, then called Springvale along with 270 acres of land of land for £23,500. The Mulhollands, an Irish family, had made their fortune by owning cotton and then linen mills in Belfast. Andrew had also served as Lord Mayor of Belfast and felt that the existing house was not grand enough to reflect his perceived status. He brought in the well-known Irish architect Charles, later Sir Charles, Lanyon to come up with something rather grander.
Rather than demolish the existing house, Lanyon built around it, adding a single-storey south bow wing, housing the Library and the Drawing Room and a two-storey north bow wing to accommodate the Garden Room and the Round Bedroom above. He also added a new second floor, which provided accommodation for the children and a School Room. Lanyon then returned to add the magnificent domed Conservatory which Andrew’s son, John Mulholland, later the 1st Baron Dunleath, linked to the house with the Billiard Room. The house continued to be used to the full until the start of the Second World War, after which, like so many houses in the British Isles, it fell into a managed decline, with a lack of money to maintain it and ever fewer staff to serve it. The house was undoubtedly saved when Sir John Betjeman visited in 1961, when he extolled the quality of this Victorian Italian-style Palazzo improbably located in the Irish countryside.
This encouraged the current owner, Henry, the 4th Baron Dunleath, to embark on the long process of restoration. In this, they were hampered by an almost disastrous fire in 1973 and seemingly endless outbreaks of dry rot. By the early 1990s, almost all the major reception rooms had been restored and the kitchens had been moved up from the basement to the ground floor. Henry, however, died tragically young in 1993, bringing that phase of the restoration works to an end. Brian, the 6th Baron Dunleath, moved into the house in 1997 and he and his wife, Vibse, embarked on the next phase of restoration in 2000. At the time, there were only four bedrooms that were habitable and a distinct lack of bathrooms. The derelict top nursery floor was restored, new kitchens were installed, and the exterior of the house completely re-rendered and painted. Subsequent restoration works have included the Billiard & Smoking Rooms in 2004/5 and the Conservatory – a massive undertaking – in 2008/9. As a result of these major projects and others carried out when time and funds allowed, the house is now fully equipped for the 21st century.
The four bedrooms have now become twelve, two twins and eight doubles en-suite and the other two doubles each with their own private bathroom. Since 2021, the house has become carbon-neutral with electricity, heat and hot water all coming from the anaerobic digester over at the farm. In 2002, Brian and Vibse decided that Ballywalter Park should start to earn its keep and they began by getting approval from Tourism Northern Ireland and from the Food Standards Agency to provide both accommodation and lunches and dinners. To preserve the exclusive and special nature of the house and demesne, they restrict it to corporate use, such as residential conferences, product launches and photo shoots, top end groups staying whilst on visits to the Historic Houses of Ireland and as a film location. They do not provide facilities for private parties or for weddings. Over the years, they have welcomed British and Foreign Royalty, film and television stars and visitors from all corners of the globe.
Why Not Come And Join Them?
Ballywalter Park is a Grade A listed Italianate Palazzo that has been in the ownership of the Mulholland Family and Lord & Lady Dunleath since 1846.
Andrew Mulholland and his successors have added considerably to the original two storey over basement Georgian Springvale House.
Over the past 40 years it has undergone major restoration and is now a very comfortable Home, without losing any of its original historical grandeur. Tours of the house and of the gardens are available for interested groups on a by appointment basis only and are normally led by Lord or Lady Dunleath. The property is not open on a casual basis, and we cannot accommodate evening tours or tours on Saturdays or Sundays.
The tours of the main reception rooms in the house take some 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the interests of the Group and end in the magnificent Conservatory, designed by Sir Charles Lanyon and Thomas Turner. By prior arrangement, refreshments can be provided in the Conservatory at the end of the tour. The gardens and pleasure grounds comprise some 30 acres, including the Walled Garden of 2.8 acres, which includes the original ranges of seven glasshouses and the potting sheds. The grounds are the home to an outstanding collection of specimen trees and a notable collection of rhododendrons, including Rh Lady Dunleath, which was propagated by the 3rd Lord Dunleath.
Paradise Garden Club
The gardens were always known as the Pleasure Grounds. Hardly surprising as they have given so much pleasure to members of the family and in the years we have been here to many visitors.
My gardening career at Ballywalter Park started when I saw a tree, precisely framed by the kitchen table; where I stand to knead my bread dough. It looked like a blob. It is a Quercus ilex which has an untidy habit; it puts its branches down to the ground where they root and start a new tree which eventually splits the original trunk. I gathered what equipment I needed and started the job by giving the tree a fringe cut from inside the canopy. This revealed a beautiful trunk, many branches that had rooted as explained and a 50 old oak. The trunk was incredibly beautiful, a proper tree. It is a tree I look at daily and it gives me immense pleasure.
For many years my husband and I worked on the very overgrown parkland. Every year for about 6-8 weeks from the 1st of February till the end of March, we would cut and pull away branches recreating the vistas planned by our forebears. This is the policy we still follow. We are lucky to have the garden diaries of the 3rd Lord Dunleath who was an exceptional dendrologist. His plans and methods are used to inform the choices we now make in the Pleasure Grounds. These have all the features you would expect of an 18th and 19th century garden. There are many walks created to show off the most beautiful rhododendrons, shrubs and trees. During lockdown we recreated two walks that had become overgrown over the decades since 3rd Lord Dunleath’s death in 1956. One walk has the very uninviting name of Swamp Ride. It is quite swampy during the winter but in May – June it has a spectacular wetland with wild irises that flower all at once.
We also recreated a walk in what used to be known as Rose Hill. This area was so overgrown by invasive species it could not be cleared as a one off project. Instead the garden team created a romantic walk through what used to be the west side of the Rose Hill and now ensure it is maintained, whilst still cutting back and expanding the work started in 2020. It is now a charming walk with areas opened up giving view points where you glimpse a rare or overgrown specimens that has not been seen for years or further views of the Pleasure Grounds. The reflection pools and streams have in the last few years been weeded in the autumn with the aim of allowing the stream to look beautifully overgrown in the summer. This creates a habitat that benefits biodiversity both in the water and on land. In winter it does what it was designed for, reflect the trees and shrubs planted along the edges. We have a very diverse wildlife here. Ottars swim up the culvert from the Irish Sea and feed on the eels that swim through in the winter months. In the spring they galumph around the rockery looking for ground nesting ducks which offers a delicious morsel of duck egg. The Rose Hill is home to our hedgehogs and migrating and native birds sing their hearts out all year round but mostly in spring.
The Walled Garden is a particularly special sanctuary. In my research as a food historian I discovered that the word paradise is Pashto for walled garden. This is a paradise for humans as well as insects and birds. Not only do we grow all the fruit and vegetables that we need in the house we also sow and plant in such a way that we support a number of beehives. We have created pollinator bed with flowers that keep our biodiversity healthy. We use no spray, artificial fertiliser or fungicides to improve the environment and we have not for 6 years. From time to time we supply some of the restaurants in Belfast, mostly when we have a glut of produce. Like any garden it is in constant development which is one of the special joys of gardening… it is never ending.
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. 21. “(Douglas-Nugent/IFR) A Victorian Tudor-Baronial house, with pointed gables, mullioned windows and a battlemented tower and conical-roofed turret. Now an hotel.”
Ballyedmond Castle, County Down, photograph courtesy of Archiseek.
The Castle at Ballyedmond dates from the 1850s and was built to a design by famed architect Sir Charles Lanyon. While most of the mature trees were planted in the 1800s, the vast majority of the planting has taken place since Lord and Lady Ballyedmond purchased the estate in the early 1990s.
The collections include spring flowering shrubs such as rhododendron, camellia and azalea. Added to this are collections of shrubs, perennials and bulbs in various ‘garden rooms’ such as the Celtic Cross, Moonlight Garden, the Walled Garden, the Dry Garden, Rose garden, Fruit Garden and the Woodland Garden, and acres of wildflower meadows. Plantings of Himalayan rhododendrons, South American Andean shrubs and Australasian plants have been built up in recent years- the gardens being situated on the shores of Carlingford Lough are favoured with a mild maritime climate.
The various fountains and statuary were partly inspired by Lord and Lady Ballyedmond’s travels around classical Europe and further afield. There is also a range of ornamental greenhouses including a peach house, palm house, propagation house and an Orangery.
The Castle itself is a private residence and is not open to visitors.
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. 182. (Kyle/LGI1912) A house given a new Italianate front 1843 by Henry Kyle, to the design of Charles Lanyon. Two storey, five bay; one bay pedimented breakfront centre with three narrow round-headed windows above and a single-storey Corinthian portico below. Simple pierced balustrade round roof and on portico. Rusticated and vermiculated quoins; entablatures on console brackets above ground floor windows. Hall with columns at back, disguising the join with the earlier house. Some good plasterwork in reception rooms.”
Laurel Hill,Coleraine, County Derry, photograph courtesy of Mark Bence-Jones, A Guide to Irish Country Houses.
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. 37. “(Gage/IFR and LG1972; Heygate, Bt/PB) A predominantly late-Georgian house which evolved in several different phases around what is probably a late C17 core. Marcus McCausland, son of the heiress of Bellarena, who assumed the name of Gage, added to the house 1797; his son, Conolly Gage, made the present library and contrived to fit in a third storey at the back of the house 1822.
In the 1830s, Sir Charles Lanyon was employed to redecorate Bellarena, remodel the hall and add the present porch; it seems that Conolly Gage’s wife, Henrietta, did not wish to be outdone by her sister, Marianne, who was the wife of her husband’s cousin, Marcus McCausland, owner of the nearby Dernagh which was rebuilt in grand style to the design of Lanyon at this time.
A final addition seems to have been made by Conolly and Henrietta Gage’s daughter, Marianne, who married Sir Frederick Heygate, 2ndBaronet, in 1851.
For all its complicated evolution, the house has an air of compactness.
Two-storey, five-bay entrance front faced, like the other elevations, in dark-coloured basalt;
Unusually wide Venetian window in the centre of the upper storey, which rises into a baseless, floating pediment.
Below this window is Lanyon’s semi-circular porch, fronted by a pair of engaged Ionic columns either side of the doorway.
On one side of the entrance front there is a wing, set back.
The rear of the main block consists of four bays, all having Wyatt windows in both storeys. This is prolonged by the rear face of the wing, of the same height as the main block but with ordinary rectangular sashes. Along the top of the rear elevation is a row of squat Wyatt windows lighting Conolly Gage’s third storey; they are, in fact, half-dormers, breaking upwards through the cornice and into the roof.
The hall, as remodelled by Lanyon, who obtained the space necessary for the desired grant effect by adding the porch, contains a double staircase with cast-iron balusters, which rise between two Corinthian columns, painted to resemble marble.
The drawing-room ceiling has elaborate plasterwork, remarkably similar to that of Drenagh House.
The most noteworthy room in the house is probably the library of 1822, a tall, spacious room with a coved ceiling, surrounded on three sides by a gallery with a balustrade of exquisite ironwork.
This balustrading might possibly have originated from Ballyscullion, along with the library chimney-piece and that in the smoking-room.
To the rear of the house there is a commodious, cobbled office courtyard, with a central pond and fountain; while the impressive stable block boasts a spire and pediment.
Beyond the courtyard is a complete range of early 19thcentury farm buildings.
Bellarena was the home of Sir John Heygate, 4th Bt, novelist and journalist, who married, as his first wife, Hon. Evelyn, daughter of 1st and last Lord Burghclere, who was also 1st wife of Evelyn Waugh.”
Aaran Callan has kindly sent me some images of BELLARENA, the ancestral home of the GAGES and the HEYGATE BARONETS, and now the home of the Desmond family.
Click to Enlarge.
The type-written page recounts a brief history of the house, the hall, and the drawing-room.
The image is of Sir Frederick William Heygate, 2nd Baronet (1822-94).
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
2026 Diary of Irish Historic Houses (section 482 properties)
To purchase an A5 size 2026 Diary of Historic Houses (opening times and days are not listed so the calendar is for use for recording appointments and not as a reference for opening times) send your postal address to jennifer.baggot@gmail.com along with €20 via this payment button. The calendar of 84 pages includes space for writing your appointments as well as photographs of the historic houses. The price includes postage within Ireland. Postage to U.S. is a further €10 for the A5 size calendar, so I would appreciate a donation toward the postage – you can click on the donation link.
€20.00
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
Wexford:
1. Ballyhack Castle, Co. Wexford – open to publicOPW
“Ballymore is an old family property located away from main routes in a particularly scenic part of North Wexford. It retains many features which have survived from past periods of occupation in an attractive setting of mature trees, ordered landscape and views of the surrounding countryside.“
It is a country house erected by Richard Donovan (1697-1763). The National Inventory tells us it is:
“an estate having long-standing connections with the Donovan family including Richard Donovan (1752-1816); Richard Donovan (1781-1849) ‘of Ballymore’ (cf. 15612001); Richard Donovan (1819-84) ‘late of Ballymore Camolin County Wexford’ (Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1885, 217); Richard Donovan JP DL (1858-1916), ‘Gentleman late of Ballymore County Wexford’ (Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1916, 172); Richard Charlie Donovan (1898-1952); and Richard Alexander Donovan (1927-2005).“
Ballymore, photograph courtesy of National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.The house itself is not open to the public.The house was built in 1721.
“A large scale map indicates the route visitors are requested to follow. This route allows a leisurely ramble around several interesting features including the tea room, the museum, art gallery and display of old farming equipment in part of the farmyard. The residence itself is private and not open to the public.
“In the surrounding grounds you will find the church and ancient graveyard, holy well, former site of a 1798 rebel camp and the 14th century Norman castle ruins, which now is a simple labyrinth.
“The present church was built in 1869 on the site of a medieval building, of which nothing now survives except a carved wooden door lintel which can be seen at the museum.
“The holy well is covered completely by a large boulder. This was done some centuries ago to discourage its continued use for prayer and devotion.“
Ballymore, photograph courtesy of National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
“The castle mound is all that remains of the 14th century motte built by Norman settlers. The ruins of the stone-built tower were pulled down in the 19th century.
“The large reconstructed greenhouse is the setting for the tea room. Its design copies the original greenhouse built around 1820, along with the walled garden behind it.
“The museum and display area open out from the small courtyard. The museum itself is in a large converted hayloft in a period farmyard building. The contents of the museum are from the family home and farmyard. They illustrate many different aspects of earlier occupation and activity. Another feature is the old water wheel now on display in the same farm building.
“The old dairy room will take you back in time. It adjoins the 1798 Room, containing a display of items from this period and from the house and family records. The further display area includes pieces of older farm equipment and hand tools used when the horse was the only source of motive power.“
Ballymore, photograph courtesy of National Inventory of Architectural Heritage – the house is not open to the public.
“The art gallery is located below the museum in what was the farm stables. It displays a selection of paintings and drawings of local scenes and activities by the much admired artist Phoebe Donovan.
“Take one of our exclusive tours, which encompasses many features including the museum of local and family history spanning over 300 years, dairy and farming display, 1798 memorabilia room and the Phoebe Donovan art gallery.
“Venture out into the surrounding grounds and you will find the ruins of a Norman castle dating back to the 14th century, Ballymore Church and graveyard (1869), and a former 1798 rebel camp site. You may even spot a buzzard or some of the other varied wildlife in the area.
“Finally, relax and enjoy a beverage in our greenhouse tea room.Ballymore Historic Features is also part of the Wexford Heritage Trail.”
Berkeley Forest House, photograph courtesy of the house’s website.
This website tells us:
“Berkeley Forest is unusual as a period house as it has a bright and uncluttered look with a strong Scandinavian flavour -painted floors, hand stencilled wallpaper and bedcoverings designed by artist Ann Griffin-Bernstorff who lives and works here during part of the year.
“The house offers a beguiling experience. With a beautiful faded brick walled garden with a terrace, summer house and an outdoor fireplace, it is a delight throughout the day.
“In easy reach of the Wexford beaches to the South and East and the picturesque villages of Inistioge, Thomastown and Graiguenamanagh, the cities of Kilkenny (Medieval) and Waterford (Viking) are also nearby. Just off the N30, less than 2 hours from Dublin Airport, 45 mins from Kilkenny, 20 mins from Wexford or Waterford, the house is perfectly situated to visit a host of interesting historical, cultural or sporting amenities, or to hide away in complete peace and quiet.
“The house was once the home of the family of 18th century philosopher George Berkeley. It also houses a 19th Costume museum which was created by Ann Griffin-Bernstorff and is available to costume and fashion students on request (her original 18th century Costume Collection is now to be seen at Rathfarnham Castle in Dublin) She is also the designer of the internationally acclaimed Ros Tapestry.“
Berkeley Forest House, photograph courtesy of the house’s website.Berkeley Forest House, photograph courtesy of the house’s website.
“The property consists of the main house, lawns and gardens; beyond that are pasture and woodland, some mature, some more recently planted; as well as original farm buildings. All of which ideal for exploring and wandering. There is a beautifully proportioned upper drawing room (28ftx18ft) which is suitable for music rehearsal, fine dining and specialist conferences.”
Berkeley Forest House, photograph courtesy of the house’s website.George Berkeley (1685-1753), Philosopher; Bishop of Cloyne, by John Smibert 1730 courtesy of National Portrait Gallery NPG 653.
Enniscorthy castle, Co Wexford_Courtesy Patrick Brown 2014, for Tourism Ireland, Ireland’s Content Pool. [1]
The website tells us:
“Enniscorthy Castle, in the heart of Enniscorthy town, was originally built in the 13th century, and has been ‘home’ to Norman knights, English armies, Irish rebels and prisoners, and local merchant families. Why not visit our dungeon to see the rare medieval wall art –The Swordsman, or our battlements at the top of the castle to marvel at the amazing views of Vinegar Hill Battlefield, Enniscorthy town, and the sights, flora and fauna of the surrounding countryside. Enniscorthy Castle explores the development of the Castle and town from its earliest Anglo-Norman origins, with a special focus on the Castle as a family home. Visitors can also view the ‘Enniscorthy Industries ‘exhibition on the ground floor from the early 1600’s onwards when Enniscorthy began to grow and prosper as a market town. Visitors can explore the work of the renowned Irish furniture designer and architect Eileen Gray (born in 1878 just outside the town). The roof of the castle is also accessible, with spectacular views of the surrounding buildings, Vinegar Hill, and countryside. Note that access to the roof is only possible when accompanied by a staff member. Tours of the Castle are self guided. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing. Our facilities include: craft and gift shop, toilets and baby changing area, wheelchair access to all floors (including roof) , and visitor information point (tourist office for town). We look forward to welcoming you to our town’s most public ‘home’.“
Enniscorthy castle, Co Wexford_Courtesy Patrick Brown 2014, for Tourism Ireland, Ireland’s Content Pool. [1]
Mark Bence-Jones writes in his A Guide to Irish Country Houses (1988):
p. 121. “(Wallop, Portsmouth, E/IFR) A C13 four-towered keep, like the ruined castles at Carlow and Ferns, restored at various dates and rising above the surrounding rooftops of the town of Enniscorthy like a French chateau-fort, with its near row of tourelles. Once the home of Edmund Spenser, the poet. Now a museum.” [2]
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage tells us that it is a two-bay three-stage over basement castle, built 1588, on a rectangular plan with single-bay full-height engaged drum towers to corners on circular plans. [3]
Enniscorthy, Co Wexford_Courtesy Celtic Routes 2019, for Tourism Ireland, Ireland’s Content Pool. (see [1])Enniscorthy, Co Wexford_Courtesy Celtic Routes 2020, for Tourism Ireland, Ireland’s Content Pool. (see [1])
The website tells us more about the history of the castle:
“Maud de Quency (granddaughter of the famous Strongbow) marries Philip de Prendergast (son of Anglo-Norman Knight Maurice de Prendergast) and they reside at Enniscorthy Castle from 1190 to his death in 1229. From then until the 1370’s, their descendants, and other Anglo-Norman families rule the Duffry and reside in Enniscorthy Castle.
“In 1375: The fief (a defined area of land or territory) of the Duffry and Enniscorthy Castle are forcefully retaken by Art MacMurrough Kavanagh who regains his ancestral lands. This marks a time of Gaelic Irish revival. The MacMurrough Kavanagh dynasty rule until they eventually surrender the Castle and lands to Lord Leonard Grey in 1536. At this time Enniscorthy Castle is reported be in a ruined condition.
Enniscorthy, Co Wexford_Courtesy Celtic Routes 2020, for Tourism Ireland, Ireland’s Content Pool. (see [1])
“In 1569, The Butlers of Kilkenny and the Earl of Kildare lead a raid on Enniscorthy town on a fair day, killing numerous civilians and burning the castle.In 1581, The poet Edmund Spenser leases the Castle but never lives in it. Historians speculate that this was because Spenser feared the MacMurrough Kavanaghs.
“In 1585, Henry Wallop receives ownership of the Duffry by Royal Appointment. He exploits the dense forests (the Duffry, An Dubh Tír in Irish, meaning “The Black Country”) surrounding Enniscorthy which brings considerable wealth to the town, and funds the rebuilding of Enniscorthy Castle which we see standing today. Enniscorthy begins to rapidly develop as a plantation town.
“1649: Oliver Cromwell arrives in Co. Wexford. Enniscorthy Castle is beseiged by his forces; its defenders surrender, leaving it intact. In December of the same year the Castle once again fell to the Irish (under Captain Daniel Farrell), but two months later Colonel Cooke, the Governor of Wexford, reoccupied the castle.
“1898: The Castle is leased by Patrick J. Roche from the Earl of Portsmouth. P.J. Roche restores and extends the Castle making it into a residence for his son Henry J. Roche.
“1951: Roche family leaves.
“1962: Castle opens as Wexford County Museum.“
Enniscorthy, Co Wexford_Courtesy Celtic Routes 2020, for Tourism Ireland, Ireland’s Content Pool. (see [1])
Open dates in 2026: Feb 4-5, 8-11, Mar 11-12, 16-19, May 10-11, 22-31, July 4-5, 13-14, Aug 3-30, Dec 19-22 12 noon-4pm
Fee: adult €10, student/OAP €5, child free
9. Kilmokea Country Manor & Gardens, Great Island, Campile, New Ross, Co. WexfordY34 TH58– section 482, gardens open to public
The main lawn at the rear of the house at Kilmokea – surrounded by perenniel borders – and some fine topiary, photograph 2014 by George Munday/Tourism Ireland. (see [1])
Newtownbarry House, County Wexford, photograph from National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.Newtownbarry House, County Wexford, photograph from National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Contact: Clody and Alice Norton
Tel: +353 (0) 53 937 6383
Email: clodynorton@gmail.com
Mark Bence-Jones writes (1988): p. 225. “(Barry/IFR; Maxwell, Farnham, B/PB; Hall-Dare;IFR) The estate of Newtownbarry originally belonged to a branch of the Barrys; passed to the Farnhams with the marriage of Judith Barry to John Maxwell, afterwards 1st Lord Farnham, 1719. Subsequently acquired by the Hall-Dare family, who built the present house 1860s, to the design of Sir Charles Lanyon. It is in a rather restrained Classical style, of rough ashlar; the windows have surrounds of smooth ashlar, with blocking. Two storey; asymmetrical entrance front, with two bays projecting at one end; against this projection is set a balustraded open porch. Lower two storey service wing. Eaved roof on plain cornice. Impressive staircase.”
Newtownbarry House, County Wexford, photograph from National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
The National Inventory tells us that it is a five-bay (five-bay deep) two-storey country house, built 1863-9, on an L-shaped plan off-centred on single-bay single-storey flat-roofed projecting porch to ground floor abutting two-bay two-storey projecting end bay; eight-bay two-storey rear (south) elevation. It continues:
Newtownbarry House, County Wexford, photograph from National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.Newtownbarry House, County Wexford, photograph from National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
“A country house erected for Robert Westley Hall-Dare JP DL (1840-76) to a design by Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon (formed 1860) of Belfast and Dublin (Dublin Builder 1864, 66) representing an important component of the mid nineteenth-century domestic built heritage of County Wexford with the architectural value of the composition, one succeeding the eighteenth-century ‘Woodfield…[a] mansion of long standing and of cottage-like character in the Grecian style of architecture’ (Lacy 1863, 485), confirmed by such attributes as the deliberate alignment maximising on panoramic vistas overlooking the meandering River Slaney with its mountainous backdrop in the near distance; the asymmetrical footprint off-centred on an Italianate porch; the construction in a rough cut granite offset by silver-grey dressings not only demonstrating good quality workmanship, but also providing an interplay of light and shade in an otherwise monochrome palette; and the slight diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a feint graduated visual impression. Having been well maintained, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior arranged around a top-lit staircase hall recalling the Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon-designed Stradbally Hall (1866-7), County Laois, where contemporary joinery; Classical-style chimneypieces; and plasterwork enrichments, all highlight the considerable artistic potential of the composition. Furthermore, adjacent outbuildings; walled gardens; all continue to contribute positively to the group and setting values of an estate having historic connections with the Hall-Dare family including Captain Robert Westley Hall-Dare JP DL (1866-1939), one-time High Sheriff of County Wexford (fl. 1891); and Robert Westley Hall-Dare (1899-1972).”
Open dates in 2026: Mar 13-15, 20-22, 27-29, April 3-6, 10-12, 24-26, May 1-4, 8-10, 15-17, 22-24, June 4-7, 11-14, 25-28, July 2-5, 9-12, 16-19, 23-28, Aug 1-3, 6-9, 13-23, 27-30, Sept 4-6, 11-13, 18-20, 25-27, 12noon-5pm
Fee: adult €12, child/OAP/student €10, groups of 6 or more €10 per person
“Wells House has a stunning Victorian Terrace garden, parterre garden and arboretum designed by the renowned architect and landscape designer, Daniel Robertson.
“The terraced gardens which have been restored to their former glory sit beautifully into the large setting of his vast parkland design which spans for acres in the stunning Co. Wexford landscape.
“With two woodland walks, a craft courtyard, adventure playground, restaurant and a busy calendar of events this is a perfect day out for all the family. “
and “Discover the 400-year-old history of Wells House & Gardens by taking a guided exploration of the house. Our living house tour and expert guide in Victorian dress will bring you back to a time. To a time when the magnificent ground floor and bedrooms witnessed the stories of Cromwell, Rebellions and the Famine. Uncover the everyday lives of the wealthy, powerful families who lived in the estate and their famed architect Daniel Robertson. All giving you a unique insight into the life of previous generations all the way up until the current owners of Wells House.“
Places to Stay, County Wexford
1. Artramon House, Castlebridge, Co Wexford – B&B
Artramon House, County Wexford, photograph from National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.Artramon House, County Wexford, photograph from Artramon website.
Mark Bence-Jones writes: p. 12. “(Le Hunte/LGI 1912; Neave, Bt/Pb) A late C18 house, remodelled after being burnt 1923. 2 storey; entrance front with pediment of which the peak is level with the coping of the parapet, and the base is well below the level of the main cornice. In the breakfront central feature below the pediment are two windows and a tripartite Venetian doorway; two bays on either side of the central feature.”
Artramon – by Ulrike von Walderdorff in Wexford / Ireland
The National Inventory tells us it is a five-bay two-storey country house, rebuilt 1928-32, on an L-shaped plan centred on single-bay two-storey pedimented breakfront; seven-bay two-storey side (west) elevation… “A country house erected for Richard “Dick” Richards (Wexford County Council 17th June 1927) to a design by Patrick Joseph Brady (d. 1936) of Ballyhaise, County Cavan (Irish Builder 1928, 602), representing an important component of the domestic built heritage of County Wexford with the architectural value of the composition, one retaining at least the footings of an eighteenth-century house destroyed (1923) during “The Troubles” (1919-23), confirmed by such attributes as the deliberate alignment maximising on scenic vistas overlooking gently rolling grounds with ‘fine views of the estuary, harbour and town of Wexford’ as a backdrop (Fraser 1844, 118); the symmetrical frontage centred on a curiously compressed breakfront; the diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a graduated visual impression; and the monolithic parapeted roofline. Having been well maintained, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior where contemporary joinery; reclaimed Classical-style chimneypieces; and sleek plasterwork refinements, all highlight the artistic potential of the composition. Furthermore, adjacent outbuildings (extant 1840); and a substantial walled garden (extant 1840), all continue to contribute positively to the group and setting values of an estate having historic connections with the Le Hunte family including Captain George Le Hunte (d. 1799); William Augustus Le Hunte (1774-1820), one-time High Sheriff of County Wexford (fl. 1817); George Le Hunte (1814-91), ‘late of Artramont [sic] County Waterford [sic]’ (Calendars of Wills and Administrations (1892, 481); and the largely absentee Sir George Ruthven Le Hunte KCMG (1852-1925), one-time Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Trinidad and Tobago (fl. 1908-15); and Major Sir Arundell Thomas Clifton Neave (1916-92), sixth Baronet.“
2. Ballytrent House, Broadway, Co Wexford– one wing rental.
p. 28. “Redmond/Hughes. A two storey Georgian house, 5 bays, projecting ends, each with a Wyatt window in both storeys. Adamesque plasterwork. Home of John Redmond MP, leader of Irish Parliamentary Party.”
The website tells us:
“Welcome to the Ballytrent website. Visitors to Wexford seeking a quiet, secluded location,could not choose a better location than Ballytrent. Ballytrent is a magnificent 18th century heritage house set in extensive grounds overlooking the sea towards Tuskar Rock Lighthouse.
“In the grounds of the house is located a Ráth or earthen mound dating back to prechristian times and, measuring 650 yards in circumference, is reputed to be the largest in Europe. The grounds also contain a large flag pole that was once the tallest mast in the British Isles. The Rath garden is a haven for songbirds & a visit, either early morning or late evening, is pure magic!
“Ballytrent is tranquil and secluded. The garden & lawns cover three acres and include some rare plants. Our farm is a mix of cattle, cereals and root crops. We extend a warm welcome to those interested in visiting the farm. We are fortunate in having the best weather in Ireland – the annual rainfall is approximately 35 inches and each year the Weather Station at Rosslare records the highest mean sunshine hours. We are indeed the Sunny South East!
“Situated in St Helen’s E.D., Ballytrent, with its double ringed ráth, is an 18th century home set in extensive ground. The history of Ballytrent is a collection of works and illustrations put together after several years of research by Mary Stratton Ryan, wife of the present owner, James Power Ryan.
“A brief look at this work could keep the most avid historian content for quite a while. It is from this book that the following list of names and facts are taken, all having connections to Ballytrent.
Aymer De Valance; Earl of Pembroke, buried in Westminster Abbey, London.
Robert Fitzstephens; Ballytrent bestowed on him by Strongbow.
John le Boteller (Butler); Constable of the Kings Castle at Ballytrent.
John Sinnot; Listed as a Juror of the Inquisition at Wexford (c1420).
Patrick Synnot; In a 1656 Curl Survey of Ireland shown as owner of 96 acres 24 perches at Ballytrent.
Abraham Deane; Given Ballytrent by Cromwell.
Sarah Hughes; Daughter of Abraham Deane.
Walter Redmond; Purchased Ballytrent from Henry Hughes.
William Archer Redmond MP; Father of John and William – both also MP’s.
John Redmond (1856-1918) by Harry Jones Thaddeus, 1901, National Gallery of Ireland NGI889.
John Edward Redmond MP; Represented North Wexford, succeeded Parnell as leader of the Nationalist Party.
William Hoey Kearney Redmond MP; MP for Wexford and Fermanagh.
John H. Talbot (the younger); Inherited Ballytrent from his sister Matilda Seagrave.
William Ryan; Grandson of Sir James Power. Purchased Ballytrent from Emily Talbot (nee Considine).
James Edward Power Ryan; Present owner and grandson of William Ryan.
“This clearly illustrates the influence and power that is part of the documented history of Ballytrent, without even considering the possibilities of the time when the ráth was in its prime.”
3. Bellfry at Old Boley, County Wexford – self catering
The website tells us: “Clonganny House is a fine country Georgian residence originally erected for Hawtry White (1758-1837) and sympathetically restored in the late twentieth century. Retaining many original features, Clonganny is a fine example of late Georgian architecture. Set in eight acres embracing gently rolling lawns, serene woodland, and a stunning walled garden, Clonganny House is only a short drive to a beautiful, award winning coastline and miles of golden sandy beaches.“
6. Dunbrody Park, Arthurstown, County Wexford – accommodation
Mark Bence-Jones writes (1988): p. 114. “(Chichester, Templemore, B/PB; and Donegall, M/PB) A pleasant, comfortable unassuming house of ca 1860 which from its appearance might be a C20 house of vaguely Queen Anne flavour. Two storey, five bay centre, with middle bay breaking forward and three-sided single-storey central bow; two bay projecting ends. Moderately high roof on bracket cornice; windows with cambered heads and astragals. Wyatt windows in side elevation.”
Dunbrody House, courtesy of their website.Dunbrody House, courtesy of their website.
The National Inventory tells us:
“nine-bay two-storey country house with dormer attic, extant 1819, on an E-shaped plan with two-bay two-storey advanced end bays centred on single-bay two-storey breakfront originally single-bay three-storey on a rectangular plan. “Improved”, 1909-10, producing present composition…A country house erected by Lord Spencer Stanley Chichester (1775-1819) representing an integral component of the domestic built heritage of south County Wexford with the architectural value of the composition, one sometimes known as “Dunbrody Park” (Lacy 1863, 516) or “Harriet’s Lodge” after Lady Anne Harriet Chichester (née Stewart) (c.1770-1850), suggested by such attributes as the deliberate alignment maximising on scenic vistas overlooking gently rolling grounds with Waterford Harbour as a backdrop; the near-symmetrical frontage centred on a truncated breakfront; the diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a graduated visual impression; and the decorative timber work embellishing the roofline: meanwhile, a photograph (30th August 1910) by A.H. Poole of Waterford captures recent “improvements” to the country house with those works ‘[presenting the] appearance [of] a twentieth-century house of vaguely “Queen Anne” flavour’ (Bence-Jones 1978, 114). Having been well maintained, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original or sympathetically replicated fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior where contemporary joinery; Classical-style chimneypieces; and sleek plasterwork refinements, all highlight the artistic potential of the composition. Furthermore, adjacent outbuildings (extant 1840); a private burial ground; and distant gate lodges, all continue to contribute positively to the group and setting values of an estate having historic connections with the Barons Templemore including Henry “Harry” Spencer Chichester (1821-1906), second Baron Templemore ‘late of Great Cumberland-place Middlesex’ (Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1907, 508); Arthur Henry Chichester (1854-1924), third Baron Templemore; Arthur Claud Spencer Chichester (1880-1953), fourth Baron Templemore; and Dermot Richard Claud Chichester (1916-2007), fifth Baron Templemore.“
7. Fruit Hill Cottages, Fruit Hill House, Campile, New Ross, County Wexford
“Set in the landscaped grounds of 18th Century Fruit Hill House, these traditional self-catering farm cottages make an ideal base for touring South-East Ireland.“
“The Crosbies take special care of people and justifiably garnered much praise in various publications and tour guides for the splendour and comfort of its rooms, and the hospitality of its proprietors, Tom and Ann. Glendine House was presented with Georgina Campbell’s Irish Farmhouse/Guesthouse of The Year award for 2006. This much-coveted accolade confirms Glendine’s status as the establishment par excellence. Glendine Country House has also been featured in the Irish Times, Sunday Independent, Food and Wine Magazine and several other publications.
Glendine Country House is a family run period house set on its own grounds and overlooking the Barrow Estuary on the Hook Peninsula. The 18th Century former Dower House of the Marquis of Donegal was built in 1830. It was first occupied by the Chichester family and later by land agents. Home to the Crosbie family for over 70 years, Glendine retains many of its original 1830 features and is full of old world charm. The House is set high up over the village of Arthurstown and all of the rooms are stylishly beautiful and have magnificent sea views.“
9. Killiane Castle, County Wexford– B&B and self-catering
The website tells us: “The castle history is a remarkable tale of survival. Killiane Castle, a landmark in this cornerstone of Ireland’s Ancient East, has been in the Mernagh family for over one hundred years. However, its origins date back to medieval times to the Norman conquests and possibly even further to the early Irish settlers 500 years ago.
“The name ‘Killiane’ derives from ‘Cill Liadhaine’ in Gaelic, meaning the church of St Leonard which lies within the grounds of the Castle. “
Killiane Castle, courtesy of their website.
Medieval Times
“Pre-dating the castle history, it is likely that there was some form of native Irish settlement here before the Normans. However, the first recorded owner of the lands wasRichard de Hayin the 13th century. Richard de Hay came over with Fitzstephen in the first Norman invasion.
“The Norman tower house is approximately 50ft high and measures 39ft x 27ft externally. The walls are between 4ft and 9ft in thick. The Normans built the tower around 1470. It is most likely one of the “£10 castles”. King Henry VIII awarded a grant of £10 for the building of fortresses in his kingdom that became known as the “£10 castles”. In recent years, an Australian visitor brought us a photo of the original deeds for Killiane Castle signed by King Henry VIII no less!
“Thomas Hay, a descendant of Richard, probably built the tower in the late 15th century c.1470. The present castle and surrounding walls bear testimony to the building genius of the Normans, over 500 years old and quite sound! Built in a prominent position, the tower most likely overlooked a harbour. However, in the intervening years, reclaimed land replaced the harbour. The surrounding lands feature a canal, slob lands and slightly further down the coast, Rosslare strand.
Local Legend…
“Legend has it that below the ground floor underneath the stair way is a dungeon leading to a passageway to a doorway that no longer exists.
“In the early 16th century c.1520, Killiane passed to the Cheevers family by marriage. They continued to fortify the site. By 1543 one Howard Cheevers held Killiane, 2000 acres of land and the office of Mayor of Wexford. The ‘Laughing Cheevers’, as they were then known, held prominence in Wexford for another 100 years until the great rebellion. They built the house sometime in the early 17th century.
“The 17th century was a tumultuous part of the castle history. George Cheevers took part in the Irish Rebellion of 1641. He played a role in both the Siege of Duncannon, and the Confederation of Kilkenny. Following the Sacking of Wexford, Cromwell dispossessed him for his part in these rebellions. Georges son, Didicus, was a blind Franciscan monk. Infamously, several clergy were murdered in Wexford town’s Bullring at this time. Didicus was one of them. Sent to Connaught by Cromwell, the Cheevers family left Killiane. Just a few remained as tenants. The last of the them, an old man, who died in 1849.
“Nearby stands the ruins of the small medieval church of Saint Helen which was in ruins by 1835. Enclosed by a wall is the adjoining cemetery. It is reputed to be the burial place of the Cheevers family.”
Killiane Castle, courtesy of their website.Killiane Castle, courtesy of their website.
Cromwell’s Rule
“In 1656 the property, along with 1500 acres, was granted to one of Cromwell’s soldiers, a Colonel Bunbury. He sold it on to his friends, the Harveys of Lyme Regis. The first of these, Francis Harvey, became MP for Clonmines and Mayor of Wexford, positions his son John also held. A famous beauty known as the Rose of Killiane, a daughter of the Harveys, married the Dean of Dublin in 1809.
Victorian Times
“As time went by, the Harveys increasingly became absentee landlords. They leased the land to their tenants. Both the condition of the castle and the size of the estate materially diminished during this dark time in the castle hsitory.
“Throughout the 19th century there are references to tenants ‘Aylward’, ‘Elard’ and ‘Ellard’, possibly all the one family. By this time, the Harveys overwintered in their townhouse in Wexford at 38 Selskar Street. The family considered Killiane Castle too damp to stay at in winter.
“In 1908 Crown Solicitor, Kennan Cooper, bought the property for £1515. Cooper, a renowned character, kept racehorses and the 1911 census shows Killiane occupied by his tenant, George Grant and family. The census records Grant’s occupation as a ‘Horse trainer/jockey’.
“In 1920John Mernagh, father of Jack the present owner, bought Killiane with 230 acres for £2000. At that time there was no roof on the tower-house. Ivy covered it. John re-roofed it and used it to store grain and potatoes. Today the castle is home to Jack & Kathleen Mernagh who run the property along with their son Paul & his wife Patrycja and their family.
The Structure of the Building
Original Norman Features
“The castle still contains one original window that dates from the 15th century. The original window is an ogee style window featuring two lights. Over the years, incumbents replaced the other windows. The main entrance to the castle was originally on the east side. It provided an adjoining door to the house at one time. The original door is bricked-up. On the south side of the tower a new door has been opened.
Murder Holes!
“Looking at the front of the castle. There are murder holes over each of the doors on the ground floor. Perfectly located to pour hot tar over any unwelcome visitors! This practice, we assure you, is not in place today!
“The third floor contains a fine granite fireplace. Small smooth stones from the beach line the chimney rising on the outer wall. Also in evidence on this floor, is a cupboard recess.
“Corrugated iron replaced the original slate roof. The parapet consists of large sloping slabs. The battlements are of the steeply stepped type. There is a square turret on each corner. On the outside of the southern turret is a carved head.
“The large bawn has a round tower on the south east corner and a square tower on the south west corner, castle occupying the north west corner. The north east tower has been removed. In order to accommodate the facade of the house, the northern apron wall was taken down.
Original 17th Century House
“The original 17th century house consisted of two storeys with a garret on top. The incumbents raised the roof at a date unknown to us. This action incorporated the original dormer windows of the garrets,converting it into a third storey. Furthermore, they also reduced the great slant on the original 17th-century roof. The staircase of the house is of a simple very wide design, typical of the 17th century. “
9. Kilmokea Country Manor & Gardens, Kilmokea, Great Island, Campile, New Ross, Co. Wexford – accommodation
The main lawn at the rear of the house at Kilmokea – surrounded by perenniel borders – and some fine topiary, photograph 2014 by George Munday/Tourism Ireland. (see [1])
Marlfield House, photograph courtesy of the website.
The website tells us:
“Marlfield House is renowned for its hospitality and service, welcoming guests for over 40 years, and is recognised as one of the most luxurious boutique hotels in Wexford, Ireland with the focus on environmentally sustainable practices. All rooms and suites at Marlfield House luxury hotel in County Wexford, Ireland are styled to provide you with elegant, comfortable interiors, furnished with antiques and paintings. Set in 36 acres of woodland, ornamental lake, rose, vegetable and herb gardens, it is a haven of tranquillity, with peacocks, hens, dogs and ponies waiting to greet you on your garden walk.“
Marlfield House, photograph courtesy of the website.Marlfield House, photograph courtesy of the website.Marlfield House, photograph courtesy of the website.
“The house is set in 40 acres of manicured gardens, encompassing a large kitchen garden, woodland walks, lake and fowl reserve, lawns and herbaceous borders. The interior bears all the signs of a much loved house filled with fresh flowers, gleaming antiques and mirrors, blazing fires and period paintings.“
Marlfield House, photograph courtesy of the website.
Mark Bence-Jones writes of Marlfield (1988):
Supplement
P. 299. (Stopford, Courtown, E/PB) “A three storey Regency house of random stone with brick facings; four bay front with two bay breakfront centre, eaved roof on bracket cornice, massive chimneystacks. Originally the dower house of the [Stopford] Earls of Courtown, it eventually replaced Courtown House as their Irish seat. Sold in 1979 to Mary Bowe, who has opened it as an hotel. As an extension to the dining room, a veranda and an elegant curvilinear conservatory were added to the front of the house 1983; the architects of this addition being Messrs Cochrane, Flynn-Rogers and Williams.”
Marlfield House, photograph courtesy of the website.Marlfield House, photograph courtesy of the website.
The National Inventory tells us it is a four-bay (two-bay deep) three-storey land agent’s house, built 1852, on a T-shaped plan; four-bay three-storey rear (south) elevation centred on two-bay full-height breakfront. Occupied, 1901; 1911. In occasional use, 1916-75. Vacated, 1975. Sold, 1977. Modified, 1989, producing present composition to accommodate continued alternative use… “A land agent’s house erected by James Thomas Stopford (1794-1858), fourth Earl of Courtown (Walsh 1996, 68), representing an important component of the mid nineteenth-century domestic built heritage of the outskirts of Gorey with the architectural value of the composition, one succeeding an adjacent house occupied by Reverend James Bentley Gordon (1750-1819), author of “History of the Rebellion in Ireland in the Year 1798” (1803), confirmed by such attributes as the compact plan form centred on a much-modified doorcase; the construction in an ochre-coloured fieldstone offset by vibrant red brick dressings producing a mild polychromatic palette; the diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a graduated visual impression; and the monolithic timber work embellishing the roofline. Having been well maintained, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior, including some crown or cylinder glazing panels in hornless sash frames: meanwhile, contemporary joinery; Classical-style chimneypieces; and the decorative plasterwork enrichments, all highlight the artistic potential of the composition. Furthermore, adjacent outbuildings (extant 1904); a walled garden (extant 1904); and a nearby gate lodge (see 15700718), all continue to contribute positively to the group and setting values of a self-contained estate having historic connections with Colonel Robert Owen (1784-1867) and Charlotte Owen (1796-1853) ‘late of Marlfield County Wexford’ (Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1870, 447); and the Stopford family following the sale (1947) and demolition (1948-9) of Courtown House (see 15701216) including James Walter Milles Stopford (1853-1933), sixth Earl of Courtown; Major James Richard Neville Stopford DL OBE (1877-1957), seventh Earl of Courtown; and Brevet Colonel James Montagu Burgoyne Stopford OBE (1908-75), eighth Earl of Courtown.“
Marlfield House, photograph courtesy of the website.Marlfield House, photograph courtesy of the website.Marlfield House, photograph courtesy of the website.Marlfield House, photograph courtesy of the website.Marlfield House, photograph courtesy of the website.
Monart Spa Wexford Annica Jansson 2016, for Tourism Ireland, Ireland’s Content Pool.
Nestled in over 100 acres of lush countryside in County Wexford, Monart offers two types of accommodation, 68 deluxe bedrooms with lake or woodland views and two luxurious suites located in the 18th century Monart House.
Mark Bence-Jones writes (1988): p. 208. “Cookman/IFR) A three storey mid-C18 house of sandstone and limestone dressings Five bay front with breakfront centre; Venetian windows in centre of middle storey, with Diocletian windows over it; modified Gibbsian doorcase. Later additions.”
The National Inventory tells us:
“A country house erected by Edward Cookman JP (d. 1774), one-time High Sheriff of County Wexford (fl. 1763), representing an important component of the eighteenth-century domestic built heritage of County Wexford with the architectural value of the composition, ‘a handsome mansion pleasantly situated on a gentle eminence above the Urrin [River] in a highly improved and richly wooded demesne’ (Lewis 1837 II, 385), confirmed by such attributes as the neo-Palladian plan form centred on a Classically-detailed breakfront; the construction in an ochre-coloured fieldstone offset by silver-grey granite dressings not only demonstrating good quality workmanship, but also producing a mild polychromatic palette; the diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a graduated visual impression; and the parapeted roofline. Having been sympathetically restored following a prolonged period of unoccupancy in the later twentieth century, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior, including crown or cylinder glazing panels in hornless sash frames: meanwhile, contemporary joinery; Classical-style chimneypieces; and “bas-relief” plasterwork enrichments, all highlight the artistic potential of a country house having historic connections with the Cookman family including Nathaniel Cookman (—-); Edward Rogers Cookman JP (1788-1865) ‘late of Monart House in the County of Wexford’ (Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1865, 70); Nathaniel Narcissus Cookman JP DL (1827-1908), ‘Country Gentleman late of Monart House Enniscorthy County Wexford’ (Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1908, 96; cf. 15701922); and Captain Nathaniel Edward Rogers Cookman JP DL (1894-1983); and a succession of tenants including Lowry Cliffe Tottenham (1858-1937), ‘Gentleman [and] District Inspector of Royal Irish Constabulary’ (NA 1911).”
“Located in the heart of the lush Waterford countryside, on the grounds of the historic 18th-century Mount Congreve estate, this tastefully restored gate lodge is the perfect choice if you’re looking for a luxury self-catering stay in Ireland.
“Originally built in 1775, the newly renovated Gate Lodge at Mount Congreve is home to a fully fitted galley kitchen with marble countertops, a living room with a 19th-century French walnut fold-out day bed, two mustard wingback armchairs, Smart TV, an antique bio-ethanol stove, and a bathroom complete with a walk-in shower.”Originally built in 1775, the newly renovated Gate Lodge at Mount Congreve is home to a fully fitted galley kitchen with marble countertops, a living room with a 19th-century French walnut fold-out day bed, two mustard wingback armchairs, Smart TV, an antique bio-ethanol stove, and a bathroom complete with a walk-in shower.
“With two cosy double bedrooms (sleeping up to four adults*), the Gate Lodge is the perfect choice if you’re looking for a luxury self-catering stay in Ireland.“
13. Rathaspeck Manor “doll’s house” gate lodge, County Wexfordand the Manor B&B
“Rathaspeck Manor Georgian House Wexford was built between 1680-1720 by the Codd Family who came to Ireland circa 1169. William Codd’s son Sir Osborne Codd settled at Rathaspeck and erected a castle there in 1351.
“A descendant Loftus Codd was succeeded by daughters, one of whom, Jane Codd, married Thomas Richards. The Richards Family came to Ireland in 1570 approx. It was this marriage which placed Rathaspeck in the Richards Family.
“Jane and Thomas had 6 sons and 2 daughters. The eldest son Thomas, born 1722 had a Family of two daughters, the oldest Martha married Count Willimsdorf from the Kingdom of Hannover in 1802. This couple had one son, Thomas William Fredrick Von Preberton Willimsdorf who died in 1834 unmarried. There were also three daughters, one of whom Elizabeth, born in 1778, died in 1863 in Holland.
“Elizabeth married Count Von Leinburg Slirrin on April 15th 1802 and they proceeded to have a Family of ten children born between 1803 and 1820 . It is believed that sometime after this the family moved to Holland. Rathaspeck was in the hands of an English Family called Moody after this until the early 1900’s. The Moody built the present gate lodge – or “Doll’s House” in 1900.
“The Meyler Family came to Rathaspeck in 1911 when it was offered for sale and it was from the Meyler Family that the Manor passed to the Cuddihy Family.
“The site of the original Castle is unknown, but it is considered that the present Rathaspeck Manor Georgian Country Home, Ireland is built on the site.
“Rath” means Fort , so the name of Rathaspeck stems from the Gaelic Ratheasbuig , meaning “Fort of the Bishop”. “
14. Riverbank House Hotel, The Bridge, Wexford, Ireland Y35 AH33
“Rosegarland Estate offers visitors a unique opportunity to stay on an extremely old and unspoilt country estate. It allows you to step back in time when you walk along the avenues, woodland paths and old bridle paths which pass through the ancient woodlands and beside the River Corach.
“Relax and unwind in one of our luxury self-catering cottages in Rosegarland Estate. Our four cottages are registered with Failte Ireland (the Irish Tourist Board) and have been awarded a 4 star rating. Old world charm has been combined with modern day luxury in the cottages which are set in a picturesque courtyard. A welcome basket of home baked goodies will greet you when you arrive.
“All the cottages have complimentary WiFi and satellite television channels which can be enjoyed in front of a Waterford Stanley wood burning stove.“
Rosegarland Estate, courtesy of website.Rosegarland Estate, courtesy of website.
Mark Bence-Jones writes (1988):
p. 245. “(Synnott/IFR; Leigh/IFR) An early C18 house of two storeys over a high basement was built by Leigh family, close to an old tower house of the Synnotts, the original owners of the estate. Later in C18, a larger two storey gable-ended range was added at right angles to the earlier building, giving the house a new seven bay front, with a very elegant columned and fanlighted doorway, in which the delicately leaded fanlight extends over the door and the sidelights. There is resemblance between this doorway and that of William Morris’s town house in Waterford (now the Chamber of Commerce) which is attributed to the Waterford architect, John Roberts; the fact is that it is also possible to see a resemblance between the gracefully curving and cantilevered top-lit staircase at Rosegarland – which is separated from the entrance hall by a doorway with an internal fanlight – and the staircase of the Morris house, would suggest that the newer range at Rosegarland and the Morris house are by the same architect. At the back of the house, the two ranges form a corner of a large and impressive office courtyard, one side of which has a pediment and a Venetian window. In another corner of the courtyard stands the old Synnott tower house, which, in C19, was decorated with little battlemented turrets and a tall and slender turret like a folly tower, with battlements and rectangular and pointed openings; this fantasy rises above the front of the house. The early C18 range contains a contemporary stair of good joinery, with panelling curved to reflect the curve of the handrail. The drawing room, in the later range, has a cornice of early C19 plasterowrk and an elaborately carved chimneypiece of white marble. The dining room, also in this range, was redecorated ca 1874, and given a timber ceiling and a carved oak chimneypiece.”
Rosegarland House, courtesy of National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
The National Inventory tells us:
“A country house erected by Robert Leigh MP (1729-1803) representing an important component of the eighteenth-century domestic built heritage of south County Wexford with the architectural value of the composition, one attributable with near certainty to John Roberts (1712-96) of Waterford, confirmed by such attributes as the deliberate alignment maximising on scenic vistas overlooking gently rolling grounds and the meandering Corock River; the symmetrical footprint centred on a Classically-detailed doorcase not only demonstrating good quality workmanship, but also showing a pretty fanlight; and the diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a graduated visual impression. A prolonged period of unoccupancy notwithstanding, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior including not only crown or cylinder glazing panels in hornless sash frames, but also a partial slate hung surface finish widely regarded as an increasingly endangered hallmark of the architectural heritage of County Wexford: meanwhile, contemporary joinery; ‘elaborately carved chimneypieces of white marble’ (Bence-Jones 1978, 246); plasterwork enrichments; and a top-lit staircase recalling the Roberts-designed Morris House [Chamber of Commerce] in neighbouring Waterford (Craig and Garner 1975, 68), all highlight the considerable artistic potential of the composition. Furthermore, an adjacent stable complex (see 15704041); a walled garden (see 15704042); a nearby farmyard complex (extant 1902; coordinates 685132,615236); and a distant gate lodge (extant 1840; coordinates 685381,616928), all continue to contribute positively to the group and setting values of an estate having long-standing connections with the Leigh family including Francis Robert Leigh MP (1758-1839); Francis Augustine Leigh (1822-1900), ‘late of Rosegarland County Wexford’ (Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1900, 277); Francis Robert Leigh DL (1853-1916), ‘late of Rosegarland Wellington Bridge County Wexford’ (Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1916, 371); Francis Edward Leigh (1907-2003); and Robert Edward Francis Leigh (1937-2005).“
16. Wells House, County Wexford – self-catering cottage accommodation, see above
Woodbrook, County Wexford, courtesy Hidden Ireland.
The Historic Houses of Ireland website tells us:
“Nestling beneath the Backstairs Mountains near Enniscorthy in County Wexford, Woodbrook, which was first built in the 1770s, was occupied by a group of local rebels during the 1798 rebellion. Allegedly the leader was John Kelly, the ‘giant with the gold curling hair’ in the well known song ‘The Boy from Killanne’. It is said that Kelly made a will leaving Woodbrook to his sons but he was hanged on Wexford bridge, along with many others after the rebels defeat at Vinegar Hill. He was later given an imposing monument in nearby Killanne cemetery.
“Arthur Jacob, who originally came from Enniscorthy and became Archdeacon of Armagh, built Woodbrook for his daughter Susan, who had married Captain William Blacker, a younger son of the family at Carrigblacker near Portadown. The house was badly knocked about by the rebels and substantially rebuilt in about 1820 as a regular three storey Regency pile with overhanging eaves, a correct Ionic porch surmounted by a balcony and three bays of unusually large Wyatt windows on each floor of the facade.“
Woodbrook House, photograph courtesy of Woodbrook website.Woodbrook House, photograph courtesy of Woodbrook website.
“Woodbrook lay empty for some years after E. C. Blacker’s death in 1932. The house was occupied by the Irish army during the Second World War and was then extensively modernised when his nephew Robert moved back to County Wexford with his wife and family after the sale of Carrickblacker in the 1950s. Eventually sold in the mid 1990s, Woodbrook and the remains of a once substantial estate was bought by Giles and Alexandra FitzHerbert in 1998. They continue to live in the house with their family today.” https://www.ihh.ie/index.cfm/houses/house/name/Woodbrook
19. Woodlands Country House, Killinierin, County WexfordB&B
“Relax in comfortable old world charm in the heart of the Wexford Countryside at Woodlands Country House, a magnificently well preserved Georgian House with beautiful antiques. It is a charming and intimate place to relax, where fine food and furnishings are matched by warm and impeccable service that says you are special.
“Woodlands Country House Bed & Breakfast is ideally situated near the market town of Gorey and the picturesque seaside resort of Courtown Harbour on the Wexford/Wicklow border in South East Ireland. The Country House B&B is only 1 hour from Dublin off the M11 making it an ideal location for touring the South East of Ireland.“
Whole House rental County Wexford:
1. Ballinkeele, whole house rental(sleeps up to 19 people)
Ballinkeele House, photograph courtesy of website.Ballinkeele House, photograph courtesy of website.
The website says:
“Make yourselves comfortable in your grand home from home. This Irish country house was built to entertain and is perfect for gathering family & friends together for a holiday, a special birthday or anniversary. With 7 bedrooms and dining table for 19 guests – there’s space for everyone. You’ll be the hero for booking Ballinkeele!
“Built in the 1840s by your host’s family, it’s a the perfect blend of modern and antique with a bespoke modern kitchen, WiFi and (Joy of Joys!) a modern heating system!”
Ballinkeele House, photograph courtesy of website.
The Historic Houses of Ireland website tells us:
“In the first quarter of the 19th century the Maher family, who were famous for their hunting and racing exploits in County Tipperary, moved to County Wexford. They purchased Ballinkeele, near Enniscorthy, from the Hay family, one of whose members had been hanged for rebellion on Wexford bridge in 1798. John Maher, MP for County Wexford, began work on a new house in 1840 and Ballinkeele is one of Daniel Robertson’s few houses in the classical taste. The other was Lord Carew’s magnificent Castleboro, on the opposite side of the River Slaney, sadly burnt by the IRA in 1922 and now a spectacular ruin.
“The house is comprised of a ground floor and a single upper storey, with a long, slightly lower, service wing to one side in lieu of a basement. The facades are rendered with cut-granite decoration, including a grandiose central porch, supported by six Tuscan columns and surmounted by an elaborate balustrade, which projects to form a porte cochère.”
Ballinkeele House, photograph courtesy of website.
“The garden front has a central breakfront with a shallow bow, flanked by wide piers of rusticated granite. These are repeated at each corner as coigns.
“The interior is classical, with baroque overtones, and is largely unaltered with most of its original contents. The hall runs from left to right and is consequently lit from one side, with a screen of scagliola Corinthian columns at one end and an elaborate cast-iron stove at the other.
“The library and drawing room both have splendid chimneypieces of inlaid marble in the manner of Pietro Bossi, while the fine suite of interconnecting rooms on the garden front open onto a raised terrace.”
Ballinkeele House, photograph courtesy of website.
“The staircase hall has a spectacularly cantilevered stone staircase, with decorative metal balusters. As it approaches the ground floor the swooping mahogany handrail wraps itself around a Tuscan column supporting a bronze statue of Mercury, in a style that anticipates Art Nouveau by more than forty years.
“Outside, two avenues approach the house, one which provides a glimpse of a ruined keep reflected in an artificial lake, while both entrances were built to Robertson’s designs.
The present owners are Valentine and Laura Maher who live at Ballinkeele with their children.”
“Horetown House is a private country house wedding venue in County Wexford in the South-East corner of Ireland. Situated among rolling hills in the heart of rural Wexford, Horetown House is the perfect venue for a stylish, laid back wedding. Our charming country house is yours exclusively for the duration of your stay with us.
“Family owned and run, we can take care of everything from delicious food, bedrooms and Shepherds huts, to a fully licensed pub in the cellar. Horetown House is perfect for couples looking for something a little bit different, your very own country house to create your dream wedding.“
Mark Bence-Jones writes (1988): p. 155. “(Davis-Goff, Bt/PB) A three storey Georgian house. Front with two bays on either side of a recessed centre. Triple windows in centre and pillared portico joining the two projections.”
The National Inventory tells us it is:
“A country house erected to designs signed (1843) by Martin Day (d. 1861) of Gallagh (DIA; NLI) representing an important component of the mid nineteenth-century domestic built heritage of County Wexford with the architectural value of the composition, one succeeding a seventeenth-century house (1693) annotated as “Hoarstown [of] Goff Esquire” by Taylor and Skinner (1778 pl. 149), confirmed by such attributes as the deliberate alignment maximising on panoramic vistas overlooking gently rolling grounds; the symmetrical frontage centred on a pillared portico demonstrating good quality workmanship in a silver-grey granite; the diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a graduated visual impression; and the parapeted roofline. Having been well maintained, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior where contemporary joinery; restrained chimneypieces; and decorative plasterwork enrichments, all highlight the artistic potential of the composition. Furthermore, a nearby quadrangle erected (1846) by ‘S.D. Goff Esq Architect [and] Johnson Builder’ continues to contribute positively to the group and setting values of an estate having historic connections with the Goff family including Strangman Davis Goff (né Davis) (1810-83) ‘late of Horetown House County Wexford’ (Calendars of Wills and Administration 1883, 318); and Sir William Goff Davis Goff (1838-1918) of Glenville, County Waterford; a succession of tenants including Joseph Russell Morris (NA 1901) and Edward Naim Townsend (NA 1911); and Major Michael Lawrence Lakin DSO (1881-1960) and Kathleen Lakin (née FitzGerald) (1892-30) of Johnstown Castle.”
“A stunning period house set on its own 16 acres of gardens and woodland on the outskirts of Wexford Town and within 2 hours from Dublin.
“Newbay House has been lovingly restored to blend its historic past with a dash of contemporary elegance. Once through the doors, it shares its elegant character and friendly hospitable atmosphere that combines informality with quality.
“In addition to boasting the most intimate of atmospheres and dedication to traditional hospitality and service, this cherished period house is sure to capture your heart.“
History:
“According to Hore’s History of Wexford there was a township called ‘Newbane’ consisting of a castle and 60 acres of land in the tenure of Patrick Roche and belonging to the Prioy of Selskar situated at what we now call Newbay. Around 1641 198 acreas of land at Newbane was owned by John Roche but ended up forfeited to Cromwell and was given to one of his officers Colonel Thomas Scott who still had possession up to 1674. In 1715 Henry Hatton, a former Mayor of Wexford, owned Newbay and it remained in the Hatton family for the next century.
“Newbay House as it is now was the product of Architect John Meason whom worked on the house for Henry Hatton between June 29th 1822 and November 13th 1824. Notable additions during this time were the present front avenue and gatelodge. However by 1853 it was now owned by the Dowager Countess of Donoghmore and consisted of 138 acres leased to four tenants with Henry Lyster residing in the big house. The Countess herself lived at Belmont.
“Thomas Jefferies of Carne House purchased the house, offices and land at Newbay on Friday 16th July 1869 when he paid £1030 for it at a public auction in the Landed Estates Court in Dublin. He officially gained ownership on November 1st 1869. Jeffries added a wing to the house circa 1886. Jefferies daughter Annie Elizabeth married George Arthur French in 1899 and it was via this matrimony that the house and lands now passed to the French family.
“Circa 1952 the porch was taken down and the door was replaced by the existing front facing window. The present porch was built from the doors and windows of the old one and the same granite steps.
“Also around this time mains electricity was brought to the house and it was in 1955 that drinking water was provided from a well dug in the garden. (Prior to this it had been brought by pony and cart to Newbay from Clonard Hill).
“In 1959 a flat was made for Mrs French who was the first member of the French family to be born in Newbay – on March 11th 1870. She died September 3rd 1963.
“Mrs French was the last surviving member of the family of seven. Mrs French was described as “one of the most beautiful women in County Wexford in the last century and she retained her lovely looks right up to the end of her long and very Christian life” in her obituary in The Free Press (September 6th 1963). Mrs French’s last surviving son, Lieutenant-Colonel George French died at Newbay in 1979. Four years later his two son’s Dominic and Arthur sold the house to Paul Drumm from Dublin. Drumm opened the house and began accommodating guests and tourists.
“In 1996 Jane Coyle purchased and refurbished Newbay House, reopening its doors as a country house hotel in 1999.“
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!
[2] 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.
Tourist Accommodation Facility – since it is listed under Revenue Section 482 as a Tourist Accommodation Facility, Hilton Park House does not have to open to the public. However, it has some open house days for tours.
Open for accommodation: April 1- Sept 30 2026
Open dates in 2026: House tours, Feb 2-6, 16-20, 23-27, Mar 2-6, May 1-14, 19-22, 25-29, June 3-4, 9-14, Aug 15-23, 9am-1pm
Fee: adult €10, child/student €8, OAP €6
2026 Diary of Irish Historic Houses (section 482 properties)
To purchase an A5 size 2026 Diary of Historic Houses (opening times and days are not listed so the calendar is for use for recording appointments and not as a reference for opening times) send your postal address to jennifer.baggot@gmail.com along with €20 via this payment button. The calendar of 84 pages includes space for writing your appointments as well as photographs of the historic houses. The price includes postage within Ireland. Postage to U.S. is a further €10 for the A5 size calendar, so I would appreciate a donation toward the postage – you can click on the donation link.
€20.00
Donation
Help me to maintain my website by making a donation. I do not receive any funding for my research and visits. For this entry I paid for accommodation nearby and petrol – Fred waived the fee as we visited during Heritage Week.
In his The Buildings of Ireland: South Ulster: Armagh, Cavan and Monaghan, Kevin V. Mulligan tells us that Hilton Park house in a Late Victorian structure that conceals a more ancient house at its core. [1] The Madden family who built the current incarnation still occupy the estate.
Before the Maddens, the area was held by the MacMahons of Roosky, County Monaghan. They sold the property in 1624 to Sir William Temple, Provost of Trinity College Dublin. [see 1] The Trinity website tells us that he was elected Provost in 1609. He descended from an old Warwickshire family, and had previously held a fellowship at King’s College, Cambridge. Eminent as a scholar and logician, he was also experienced in public affairs, having been secretary to Sir Philip Sidney (who died in his arms at Arnheim) and then to the second Earl of Essex. He was the first layman to hold the position of Provost of Trinity. He defined the duties of various College Officers, including the Bursar and the Deans, on the Cambridge model. Temple confined participation in the government of College to the seven most senior fellows. He was responsible for introducing the distinction between Senior and Junior Fellows, which is still a significant feature of Trinity’s constitution. Temple was the first Provost to die in office, on 15th January 1627, at the age of 72. He was an ancestor of Viscount Palmerston, and of the Temples of Temple Bar in Dublin.
The property next passed to Robert Forth, and he and his descendants expanded the estate. I think this must be Robert Forth (c.1600-c.1663), who was a supporter of the Duke of Ormonde. He had served as MP for Kilbeggan in the Irish Parliament but retired to his property in Cavan and Monaghan in the Cromwellian period. After the Restoration of Charles II, he served as MP for County Meath.
A survey made for James Forth in 1713 indicated that a large house had been built in Kilshanlis, as the area was then called, in the preceding decades. It is shown as a seven bay two storey gable ended block with red brick stacks. The National Inventory tells us that the house was built originally in around 1650.
The Maddens were established at Hilton by Reverend Dr. Samuel Madden, who acquired the property in 1734 for one of his sons. [2] Samuel Madden had inherited an estate at Manor Waterhouse, Co. Fermanagh, while still an undergraduate. Manor Waterhouse, which no longer stands, came into the Madden family from Reverend Samuel Madden’s grandmother, Elizabeth Waterhouse, who married John Madden of Maddenstown, County Kildare. Her brother had died in 1641 and members of her family may have been killed in the uprising of 1641. She was the co-heiress of her father Charles.
Reverend Samuel Madden (1686-1765), Philanthropist Attributed to Thomas Hickey, Irish, 1741-1824, courtesy of National Gallery of Ireland.
Around the same time that he purchased what is now Hilton Park, Samuel Madden bought an estate at Spring Grove (or Rosslea Manor) County Monaghan (the house is also no longer in existence) for his youngest son, Edward, who married Charlotte Creighton, daughter of Abraham, 1st Baron Erne of Crom Castle, County Fermanagh.
Reverend Samuel Madden’s grandparents John and Elizabeth had a daughter Anne who married Josias Stewart, 4th Baron Castle Stuart of County Tyrone. Their son John (1649-1703), Reverend Samuel Madden’s father, lived at Manor Waterhouse and was a doctor. The Hilton Park website tells us that John was three times President of the Irish College of Physicians and clearly a most cultured man as he had a very valuable collection of early Irish and English historical manuscripts. He married Mary, daughter of Samuel Molyneux (d. 1693), sister of William (1656–98), the scientist and political writer, and of Thomas, 1st Baronet Molyneux, of Castle Dillon, Co. Armagh. After she died, he married Frances, daughter of Nicholas Bolton, of Brazeel, County Dublin.
William Molyneux (1656-1698) by Unknown, circa 1696 National Portrait Gallery of London ref. 5386.
John Madden and Mary (née Molyneux) had two sons who both joined the clergy. The younger son, John, was Vicar in St. Anne’s in Dublin and Dean of Kilmore in 1735. Samuel was the elder son.
After Samuel’s ordination he obtained a living in the nearby parish of Galloon (which included Newtownbutler, the nearest place to the family estate), to which was added (in 1727) the adjacent parish of Drumully, which was in the gift of the Madden family. [3]
Samuel Madden, 1686-1765, portrait by Philip Hussey, c. 1760, courtesy of National Gallery of Ireland.
We came across Reverend Samuel Madden before, under his nickname, “Premium Madden,” when I wrote about Riverstown in County Cork and its Lafranchini brothers’ stuccowork. The owner of Riverstown, Reverend Jemmet Browne (1703-1782), married Alice Waterhouse, daughter of Reverend Thomas Waterhouse, so the Brownes and the Maddens were probably related by marriages.
A portrait of Alice Waterhouse, wife of Bishop Jemmett Browne.
Jemmett Browne’s interest in fine stucco work, as we saw in Riverstown, was probably influenced by fellow clerics Samuel Madden, Bishop George Berkeley and Bishop Robert Clayton. Samuel Madden recommended, in his Reflections and Resolutions Proper to the Gentlemen of Ireland, that stucco be substituted for wainscot. [4] Bishop Clayton owned what is now called Iveagh House on St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin (see my entry, https://irishhistorichouses.com/2022/09/23/open-house-culture-night-and-heritage-week-dublin-visits/ ). This observation about stucco makes Madden look like an overly refine aesthete but in fact he was a principled, practical and philanthropic man.
George Berkeley (1685-1753) Protestant Bishop of Cloyne and Philosopher by John Smibert, American, 1688-1751, courtesy of National Gallery of Ireland.
Samuel’s nickname “Premium” is explained in the Dictionary of Irish Biography:
“In 1730 he submitted to Trinity College Dublin a plan for the encouragement of learning, which involved the establishment of premiums or grants of no less that £230, which he proposed to raise by subscription and taxing undergraduates. Madden contributed generously himself, to the tune of £600, and his scheme, with some modifications, was adopted by the university.” [5]
The Dictionary of Irish Biography tells us that Madden is best remembered for his Reflections and resolutions proper for the gentlemen of Ireland, as to their conduct for the service of their country (1738). In his book he condemned absenteeism by landlords. He encouraged the founding of enterprises to manufacture hemp and flax and advocated setting up schools and professorships of agriculture. He made the sensible suggestion that raw materials should not be exported to England, but rather that ‘value should be added at home.’
Many of Madden’s ideas came to fruition through the activities of the Dublin Society (now the Royal Dublin Society or RDS), which he and his brother John helped to establish in 1731. The Society promoted a spirit of improvement among the gentry.
By the way I hope I am related to another founding member of the earlier version, the Dublin Philosophical Society. Mark Baggot, who died in 1718 and is buried in St. Audoen’s in Dublin, was the only Catholic in the society, which was founded in 1683 by, amongst others, Samuel Madden’s uncles William and Thomas Molyneux, and was intended to be the equivalent of the Royal Society in London. I have not found a connection yet with Mark Baggot but perhaps my family comes from a junior line I haven’t yet traced. The Hilton Park website tells us that it was through Madden’s friendship with the Earl of Chesterfield that the Dublin Society received its Royal Charter.
The Hilton Park website tells us that Samuel Madden was a collector of works of art and left Trinity twenty of his best paintings to hang in the Provost’s House. As we will learn, this was fortuitous as the house of his descendants, Hilton Park, had a fire in which many of Madden’s possessions were destroyed.
As well as his book about Gentlemen, Premium Madden published, in 1729, Themistocles, the lover of his country, a verse tragedy in five acts, which played with considerable success at Lincoln’s Inn Fields in London.
In 1733 he anonymously produced his Memoirs of the twentieth century, a satire, in which the fictitious author, a Jacobite, was promised that his descendants would flourish under the Hanoverians, and that one would become prime minister at the end of the twentieth century. Originally intended for publication in six volumes, only one of which ever appeared, it was dedicated to Frederick, Prince of Wales, estranged son of George II, to whom Madden may have served as tutor and with whom he carried on a correspondence. A thousand copies were produced but nine hundred were soon afterwards delivered to the author and probably destroyed. Its content may have been a little too Jacobite or too critical of the church.
Baggotsrath Castle, 1792 sketch by Francis Grose.
Coincidentally, an ancestor of Samuel Madden, Thomas Madden (c. 1575-1640) moved from England to Ireland and settled in Baggotrath Castle in Dublin, which occupied the ground now covered by Upper Baggot Street. The area of Baggotrath in Dublin was probably the home of the first Baggots who came to Ireland, including Robert Bagod or Bagot, who was Chief Justice in Ireland and a “justice itinerant” in 1274 (he had to travel down to Limerick and established a seat there, Baggotstown Castle). Turtle Bunbury tells us that Baggotrath Castle was once amongst the most splendid addresses in Dublin, and that other occupants of the castle included Sir Anthony St. Leger, sometime Master of the Rolls, and Sir John King, ancestor of the Earls of Kingston of King House in County Roscommon, another Section 482 property (see my entry). Thomas Madden was Comptroller of the Household to Thomas Wentworth, subsequently Earl of Strafford, when Wentworth served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1632 – 1639). The castle at Baggotrath was destroyed in 1649 by Parliamentarian troops.
“Premium” Madden married Jane Magill (d. 1765) of Kirkstown, Co. Armagh, with whom he had five sons and five daughters. He died 31 December 1765 at Manor Waterhouse and was succeeded by his second son, also Samuel Molyneux Madden.
Rev. Samuel Madden, (1686-1765), Co-Founder of the Dublin Society. Engraver Charles Spooner, Irish, c.1720-1767 After John van Nost the Younger, Flemish, c.1710 – 1780. Photograph courtesy of National Gallery of Ireland.
In their book published in 2008 called Great Irish Houses, Desmond Guinness and Desmond Fitzgerald tell us that when Samuel Madden purchased the estate that later was called Hilton Park: “At that time the estate extended to some 4,000 acres and was purchased on a mortgage of about 80% from Trinity College, an unusual transaction at the time. An earlier house was almost certainly there at the time of purchase, but possibly not on the current site. All historical notes say the current house was built in 1734, but the purists argue it was more likely 1780.” [6]
The house there at the time of purchase would have been the one built for the Forth family. Samuel Madden gave the property of Hilton Park, which he called Maddentown, to his third son, John (1713-1791), in 1752, upon his marriage to Anne, daughter of Robert Cope MP, of Loughgall, County Armagh. John Madden was High Sheriff of County Monaghan.
The Hilton Park website tells us thatas both of the elder sons of Samuel Madden failed to bring children to majority, the Manor Waterhouse estate was inherited by John Madden of Hilton, but it appears to have been largely uninhabited after Premium Madden died in 1765. The old Manor Waterhouse castle had been sacked in the Jacobite wars and the new one may not have been well-built.
Robert O’Byrne tells us that John planted the oak wood on the estate which is called Cope’s Wood. [7]
Around 1780 the name of Maddenstown or Maddenton was changed to Hilltown or Hilton, and records in the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) tell us that the name is “from no other reason that is now remembered than for the sake of euphony, and fairly applicable from its situation commanding a beautiful and undulating prospect.”
John died in 1791, and the property passed to his son Lt.-Col. Samuel Madden (1756-1814). Colonel Madden laid out much of the park and planted many of the older trees.
Colonel Samuel Madden ran a “gambling school” at Hilton Park around 1780. (see [6]). Due to losses in gambling, in around 1796 he had to sell his wife Katherine Ryder’s inheritance, half of the Snarestone Estate in Leicestershire. Coincidentally, Katherine’s sister Anne inherited the other half of the Snarestone estate in 1796 and she married another inhabitant of County Monaghan, Charles Powell Leslie (1769-1831) of Castle Leslie.
A photograph of the house which Fred showed us, before the porte-cochére was addedand the basement dug out.The doorcase had taken the form of a Venetian window but side windows were filled in during a period of agrarian unrest in the 1860s. [see 1]
Originally, the house was of two storeys with twelve bays over a basement. A major fire occurred in 1803; in Great Irish Houses, Desmond Guinness and Desmond Fitzgerald tell us that family papers record that while the family was away a servant put down a bucket of glowing coals from a cleaned out grate and the fire broke out. The house is said to have burned for two days before it was extinguished and the main and upper floors were completely gutted. Many works of art and furniture perished, as did most of Reverend Samuel Madden’s archive. The likelihood is that the middle section of the 1770 house was not rebuilt and the staff quarters where the servants lived escaped the worst of the fire.
Archiseek describes the rebuilt house and attributes the 1804 rebuilding to Francis Johnston; this could be referring to a suggestion by Jeremy Williams in A Companion Guide to Architecture in Ireland, 1837-1921 (Dublin, 1994). However, the rebuilding is now attributed to James Jones of Dundalk. Furthermore, the rebuilding only seems to have taken place from 1815-1830. Progress on the build was slow due to lack of funds, and initially parts were thatched over just to protect the walls [see 1].
On his death in 1814, Col. Samuel Madden left debts of £52,000. Robert O’Byrne tells us that the estate itself was only preserved thanks to the prudence of the Colonel’s father-in-law, the Reverend Charles Dudley Ryder, who kept the greater part of his own fortune to pass on to his grandson. The Madden family lived over the stables from the time of the fire until around 1830, when the house was partly rebuilt. (see [6]) The property was inherited by Col. Samuel Madden’s son Col. John Madden (1782-1844). He married, in 1835, Sydney Anne, daughter of Admiral William Wolseley, of Rostrevor.
Reproduction of a portrait of Admiral William Wolseley (1756 – 1842) by Jules Laur fromInnes, Mary C. (1895) A Memoir of William Wolseley, Admiral of the Red Squadron, London, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner and Co Ltd.
Robert O’Byrne tells us:
“Rebuilding may have begun around 1815 when Ryder died, or not until the early 1830s, with the focus being on the rooms at the south side of the house which looked down to the lake: the dining room and a bedroom immediately above retain their decoration from this period. The finished house, the design of which is assigned to James Jones of Dundalk and the appearance of which can still be seen in old family photographs, had a long eastern facade of two storeys over basement and eleven bays. The centre five of these projected slightly, a flight of stone steps leading to the rather meanly proportioned entrance door. All this work and more (a new nursery wing to the north) was undertaken by Colonel John Madden of the Monaghan Militia who was able to benefit from his wise maternal grandfather’s inheritance and was as industrious as some of his forebears: he became a noted breeder of Shorthorn cattle and hackney horses, and built the Ride, a colonnade for exercising horses on wet days under his study window. A keen sailor and member of the Royal Yacht Squadron, he won a race around Ireland and sailed to the Mediterranean, bringing back from Naples a chimney piece now found in the drawing room. He also built a villa at Sandycove, Dublin and it was there he died in 1844. ” (see [7])
“The Ride” now makes a beautiful room for weddings.
The next generation carried out more renovations to the house. John and Sydney Anne’s son John (1836-1902) inherited when he was just six years old. He became a ward of court until he came of age at 21 years old, and to celebrate he built a bell-tower in around 1857 which he designed himself. Two years before this, at the age of just 19 he displayed his enterprising nature by sinking a well 135 feet into the ground, from which the family still get their water.
The National Inventory describes the bell-tower: It is a square bell-tower of four stages, with a narrow crenellated belfry at the top, and more crenellations on the parapet of the tower. The walls are of rubble stone, with dressed quoins and string courses between stages. It has round headed openings at each stage on each side with stone surrounds and an oculus on the south elevation of the third stage, which may have contained a clock, which has a thin stone hood-moulding. There is a round carriage arch with dressed stone surround, and a metal door on the north elevation – this was open so we did not see the hand-shaped cast-iron knockers.
The Hilton Park website describes John and his brothers:
“At twenty-four he travelled for months on horseback through the eastern states of America up to the Great Lakes; this only a year before the Civil War. Back home he joined Isaac Butt’s Home Rule Party, but failed to get elected in the three elections he fought. Disappointed, and particularly so when he saw Parnell take over the Home Rulers, he reverted to Toryism. The rest of his life he devoted to travel and improving – first the park, then the gardens and pleasure grounds and finally the house, and all the time writing. He kept a diary from 1868 onwards and published his magnum opus, The Wilderness and its Tenants in three volumes in 1897; this meticulous work is an inventory of the natural world prior to the industrial revolution. Having read widely of the early travellers and hunters, he found during his own travels in the latter half of the 19th Century that much had been altered since the start of the century: the great herds of buffalo had been reduced, and the Sahara had moved; he wanted to set a yardstick by which future depredations could be assessed. The public were not sufficiently concerned to buy his book and his warnings went unheeded.” He had great foresight, and we could learn lessons from him today.
John Madden (1836-1902) courtesy of David Madden, ancestry.co.uk
The website continues: “Of particular interest to the family is his journal, which records details of the estates in Monaghan, Fermanagh and Leitrim during and before his time. Another record of immense intrinsic value is the photographic record of his younger brother, Charles Dudley Ryder, who obtained a camera in 1858 when only 19 and his albums, up until his death in 1874 at Cork Barracks of typhoid fever, show the park, house and gardens as they were before being improved. Charles and his brother, William Wolseley, both served in the 8th King’s Liverpool Regiment and both died within 5 weeks of each other, William in Brighton. William was very involved in the loyal orders and built the Protestant Hall in Scotshouse. There is some mystery about him because, from his brother John’s diary, it is clear that he was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm and he served two years in Strangeways Gaol, Manchester. One can only surmise that some loyalist fracas led to his conviction, but it should also be remembered that a letter of his instructing Protestants not to interfere with Fenian processions had much to do with defusing local tensions.“
The diary and photo albums sound fascinating!
John Madden married Caroline Clements, daughter of Rev. Hon. Francis Nathanial Clements (son of Nathanial, 2nd Earl of Leitrim). John also inherited Manor Waterhouse. He was High Sheriff of County Fermanagh, 1859, and County Monaghan, 1863. [8]. However, he was “relieved of his duties” due to letters he had written to the Secretary of State which expressed opinions considered to be outrageous. (see [7]) The website clarifies this and they don’t seem to be outrageous to me! The website tells us: “On being appointed Deputy Lieutenant for Leitrim, he refused the honour saying that he was no longer prepared to serve an administration that had presided over a complete breakdown in law and order. He was summarily stripped of all his honours and appointments ‘for this studied insult to the Queen’. He at least had the satisfaction that all the magistrates in Ireland signed a petition in favour of his reinstatement.“
He carried out more improvements to the house in the 1870s. He hired William Hague, a young local architect, who had previously mostly worked on Catholic churches (Robert O’Byrne tells us that he designed or altered between forty and fifty Catholic churches across the country). [9] At first John had consulted Charles Lanyon, but in his Buildings of Ireland, Kevin V. Mulligan suggests that John’s radical plans may have been better suited to a young and ambitious architect than to a more staid figure like Lanyon. Furthermore, John had trained as an engineer in London and Paris and it suited him to be involved directly in the work. [see 1]
The ground around the basement was dug out and the basement made into the ground floor of the house. Mark Bence-Jones tells us in his Guide to Irish Country Houses (1988) that a similar treatment with the basement being dug out was done in Montalto, County Down. [10] Madden claimed that it was his idea to dig out the basement. It took three years, as it involved cutting into hard clay and rebuilding most of the front wall of the central block, and the entire structure was underpinned.
William Hague created a house in the style of an Italian palazzo.
The exterior was faced in cut Dungannon sandstone, and the porte-cochére was built. The window pediments were added and the old parapet removed and a deep parapet decorated by what Mulligan calls a “volley of blind discs” across the front.
The renovations made the house more secure against unwanted visitors. Bar were installed on all ground floor windows and all three entrances to the farmyard had large iron gates installed. Heavy steel shutters were added to the bedroom windows and the front door was reinforced with four inches of steel.
The Historic Houses of Ireland adds:
“There was a good deal of agrarian unrest in 19th century Ireland so the present owner’s great-great-grandfather looked to his defences… These new arrangements gave the main rooms an uninterrupted field of fire and the house could probably have withstood a small siege.” [11]
The porte-cochére has a triangular pediment with the coat of arms of the Madden family and ionic columns, and is two storeys high, topped with a balustrade and four stone urns. The columns in the centre are in pairs. The columns are mirrored by four ionic pilasters on the front of the house. The principal reception rooms were given decorative ceilings at this time. There are triangular pediments over the windows of the first storey.
The cast iron entrance gates were added in 1868. They have fleur de lys finials, and are flanked by square-plan panelled cast-iron piers on plinths, surmounted by crown and falcon ornaments. There are matching cast-iron pedestrian gates to each side, flanked by matching outer piers with mace-head ornaments. The National Inventory tells us that the falcon traditionally represents leadership and wisdom.
Since the basement became the ground floor, the entrance hall and rooms next to it have a lower ceiling than one would expect from such an impressive house. The entrance hall has lovely encaustic tiles, and a barrel vaulted ceiling. Encaustic means “to heat or burn in,” from an ancient Greek word, and encaustic materials are produced through a process which involves heating to seal in the dyes and clays. Traditional encaustic tiles are made using clay and powdered glazes, and are fired in a coal or wood-fired kiln. Mulligan tells us that Hague suggested an elaborate painted heraldic ceiling with gilding, but this was not executed. [see 1]
The pantry and housekeeper’s rooms in the former basement were converted into a study and smoking room. A new oak staircase was added between the ground and first floor, with a gallery, carved by a local carpenter, John Armstrong from Parkanaur Manor, near Dungannon, County Tyrone. This meets the original Georgian staircase on the first floor. The first floor became a “piano nobile” containing the main formal rooms, as it had originally been the ground floor. Great Irish Houses tells us that a ballroom and boudoir were introduced.
The stair hall is lit by two large round-headed windows filled with stained glass, with the family crest and motto, “He who conquers himself conquers all.” The walls of the lower portion of the hall were panelled with oak in 1935.
The interior of Hilton Park is described in Great Irish Houses (IMAGE Publications, 2008):
“The cosy upstairs sitting room, where guests generally meet before dinner, was originally part of a much larger drawing room accessed by an archway. The passage has been closed since the 1920s, thus creating two drawing rooms with separate entrances…The great great grandfather of the present owner brought the fireplace back from Naples in the hold of his yacht. The central chandelier is English and dates from the 1880s.“
“The other half of the drawing room, termed the long drawing room, now serves as a passage corridor to the boudoir. The family possessions perished in the fire and this room has been hung with recent family portraits rather than the original silk hangings.
Back in the drawing room, fans on the architraves would suggest that this room was not altered in the later renovations …while the dramatic fireplace showing Achilles carrying the corpse of Hector around the walls of Troy came from Lenihans in Dublin.
The room was last decorated in 1905 and the faded duck egg colouring of the wallpaper is typical of this period...The remarkable stained glass windows in the hall were supplied from Munich, via Meyer and Company.“
The ceilings are compartmented and impressive with heavy decorated cornice.
Image by unknown photographer, 2014, Tourism Ireland, from Ireland’s Content Pool. [13]
Mulligan tells us that only the central core was renovated in Hague’s time, and the north and south ends were left as they were: the dining room, stairs and nursery rooms. The dining room has shallow vaulting, Mulligan describes, “springing from foliate corbels in the corners with flat ribs inset with a cable moulding.” [see 1].
The principal drawing room was formed out of the previous billiard room and entrance hall at the centre of the old house. It has a flat panelled ceiling with enriched borders. It has parquetry borders by C.H. Davies of London and heavy oak cornices over the windows.
The boudoir was given a new ceiling, a bold geometric design formed with heavy foliate bands, and the adjoining bedrooms have more refine late eighteenth century cornices, Mulligan tells us in his Buildings of Ireland. Most of the redecoration of the interiors was by James Gibson & Son of Dublin.
p. 198 Great Irish Houses (IMAGE Publications, 2008): “The dining room, termed a “Nelson room” and almost certainly rebuilt in William IV’s time [1830-1837, so was unaltered in the later 1870 renovations], is arguably the best room in the house with its Nelson rope-twist plasterwork decoration… The original 1830s pelmet and curtains remain, as does the blue wallpaper in the bedroom directly above.“
Robert O’Byrne tells us that the rope motif was said to be in honour of Horatio Nelson. Colonel John Madden’s father-in-law Admiral William Wolseley was friendly with Nelson and had sailed with him.
Image by unknown, 2014, Tourism Ireland, from Ireland’s Content Pool. [13]Hilton Park, Monaghan, photograph taken 2018 for Tourism Ireland. (see [13]) The dining room was rebuilt in the 1830s by John Madden.
The parterre and the pleasure grounds, and the new avenue approach were laid out by Scots gardener and landscape architect Ninian Niven in 1870, curator of the Botanic Gardens, who also worked on the Iveagh Gardens in Dublin (see my entry on Office of Public Works properties).
John and Caroline’s son John Clements (Jack) Waterhouse Madden (1870-1935) succeeded to the property, and was High Sheriff of County Monaghan in 1906, and County Fermanagh in 1909. In 1908 he married Agnes Mary, third daughter of Sir William Henry Tate Bt, of Highfield, Woolton, Lancashire. We came across another son, Gerald Hugh Charles Madden, who served in the Irish Guards and died in active service, mentioned on a memorial in the garden.
Hilton Park’s website description of Jack gives a good picture of the difficulty that landowners had at the time of the transition of Ireland from being part of the United Kingdom to independence. Jack had held the usual posts that went with his status, such as Justice of the Peace, High Sheriff and Deputy Lieutenant. However, when the border was drawn up to separate Northern Ireland from the Republic, Hilton Park was on the southern side of the border. Having fully participated in administrative positions, and being a Standing Committee Member of the Ulster Unionist Council and a Deputy Grand Master of Ireland in the Orange Society, Jack felt betrayed by Northern Unionists. He would have preferred Hilton Park to be on the northern side of the border.
He wrote to the Boundary Commission but the border was not changed. After Independence he went on to serve as a Monaghan County Councillor. Despite this, he had trouble with the new government officials, as illustrated by a telling story told on the website:
“On one occasion he crossed swords with General Eoin O’Duffy of Blueshirt fame. Jack had been to Belfast by train on GNR business and on his return to Clones station found his car gone. He was told it had been commandeered in the name of the State by General O’Duffy and was thus forced to walk the 4 miles home in pouring rain.
He wrote complaining at this high handed treatment and he asked the General to tell him if his government wished people such as he to leave the country. The reply was noncommital, non apologetic and cited national business.“
A son of Jack and Agnes Mary, another John William Ryder Madden (1913-1996), rose to the position of Major in the Irish Guards, and married Nita Mellor. The website tells us that serving in the military, he landed in Normandy in 1944 but was wounded some three weeks later at La Marvindiere, losing a leg, which forced his retirement with the rank of Major. He brought his family to live at Hilton in 1945 and took a refresher course in agriculture at Cirencester. Encouraged by a neighbour, Jack Gibson, he established a Hereford herd, which became famous all over Ireland. Owning a great deal more land than the average in Ireland at that time, he saw it as his duty to use every square yard and to employ as many as possible on the land, the website tells us. He became a great innovator, introducing silage making to the area and planting orchards and Christmas trees which he exported to Britain. He also grew Dutch bulbs: at one time in the 1950s there were five acres of daffodils, gladioli and tulips as well as onions. He also gained expertise as a forester.
The pleasure grounds surrounding the house have also been restored, much as a result of the talented eye of Lucy Madden, a well-known cookery writer and author of The Potato Year, who has created a herb garden and revived the kitchen garden.
John and Lucy, the eighth generation of Maddens to live on the estate, which encompasses 500 acres of forests, parklands and lakes, began to take in guests. Taking on the estate in 1986, they restored the house and its gardens. They have handed over to their son Freddie and his wife Joanna, who live at Hilton with their family.
The website tells us that:
“The Hilton that John Madden bequeathed is today substantially as he altered it, except that it is electrified, centrally heated, every bedroom has its ‘en suite’ bathroom and the ballroom has been divided to make two drawing rooms.
As a ‘piano nobile’ the main floor commands outstanding views over the park, parterre and lake. Hague’s fine watercoloured architectural drawings for these works can be seen on the way downstairs to the breakfast room.“
Fred, who showed us around the house, continues the hospitality, although he acknowledged that with health and safety requirements it is becoming more difficult.
The view from the dining room to the south before 1870 was of shrubbery and trees and the lake behind. The framing trees were planted from 1752 to 1780.
There is a cottage on the grounds available for accommodation. [12]
We visited in 2022 during Heritage Week, when Fred gave us a tour of the house. Before that, we had attended the Flat Lakes Festival and camped at Hilton Park, back in 2011!
[1] p. 352. Mulligan, Kevin V. The Buildings of Ireland: South Ulster: Armagh, Cavan and Monaghan. Founding Editors of The Buildings of Ireland series: Nikolaus Pevsner and Alistair Rowan (2005). Yales University Press, New Haven and London, 2013.
[2] p. 194. Great Irish Houses. Forewards by Desmond FitzGerald, Desmond Guinness. IMAGE Publications, 2008.
[10] 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.
Irish Historic Houses 
