Open dates in 2025: Aug 1-31, Sept 1-30, 9.30am-1.30pm Fee: Free
2025 Diary of Irish Historic Houses (section 482 properties)
To purchase an A5 size 2025 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!
We contacted the owner of Kilcascan Castle, Alison Bailey, before heading across Cork during Heritage Week. She welcomed us to her home, which has been a work in progress for three decades for the family and is still undergoing a lot of renovation. Many family members have added their work to the process.
Kilcascan was built for the Daunt family and they owned it until it was sold to the current owners. Alison told us that members of the Daunt family fought with William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and held a large estate in Gloucestershire until modern times. Two of the younger descendant sons came to Ireland in the 16th century and ultimately established a large house (recently demolished) and estate at Gortnegrenane near Kinsale. A descendant came c. 1712 and built a residence at Kilcascan.
The current house, or castle, replaces an earlier house, and is thought to have been built in the early decades of the nineteenth century (around 1820) around the time of the second wedding of Joseph Daunt (1779-1826). Alison told us that there had been a Georgian house nearby, which was demolished in the 1960s.
According to Burke’s Irish Family Records Joseph Daunt (1702-1783) married Sarah Rashleigh in 1729. Their son William (1750-1809) inherited Kilcascan and married Jane Gumbleton (d. 1830), daughter of Richard (1721-1776) who was High Sheriff of County Waterford in 1772 and lived in Castlerichard, otherwise known as Glencairn Abbey in County Waterford. Jane’s mother was Elizabeth Conner.
William Daunt and Jane née Gumbleton had several children, including Richard, Robert and Joseph (1778-1826).
It was Joseph (1778-1826) who inherited Kilcascan, and who built the current house, at the time of his second marriage. His first marriage was to Jane Wilson, daughter of the Rev. Thomas Wilson, Rector of Ardstraw, County Tyrone, but she died in 1816, after giving birth to at least five children. Secondly he married Jane Gumbleton from Fort William in County Waterford, daughter of Robert Warren Gumbleton, in 1822.
It has been suggested that Kilcascan was designed by the Pain brothers, James and George Richard. We know that Kilcascan was under construction before 1819 because when a ground floor ceiling collapsed around 1990 a date of 1819 was discovered carved on a ceiling joist. This would make it, Alison told me, the earliest country house constructed to a design by the Pains.
James (1779–1877) and his brother George Richard Pain (ca. 1793-1838) worked in close partnership and together established a highly successful architectural practice in the south of Ireland. They were pupils of John Nash. They were commissioned to work for the Board of First Fruits in Ireland so designed many churches and glebe houses. A building they designed which has many similarities to Kilcascan is the larger Strancally Castle in County Waterford, built around 1830. The triple arch on the Kilcascan facade is repeated on the garden front at Strancally as a veranda.
Strancally Castle in County Waterford, by the Pain brothers.Lough Cutra castle, County Galway, courtesy of National Library of Ireland.Frank Keohane writes of Kilcascan that “At one end is a geometric stair with arcaded balustrading in a round tower which rises above the rest of the house; an arrangement similar to John Nash’s Lough Cutra castle, County Galway, as supervised by James and George R. Pain, whose work this may be.”
Frank Keohane writes that nearby Manche House in County Cork, built for a cousin of the Daunts, Daniel Conner, was designed around 1824 by George R. Pain. Keohane writes that the builder was Jeremiah Calnan of Enniskeane, who may have also worked on Kilcascan. [2]
Kilcascan is a five bay two storey house with the two end bays projecting and joined by a battlemented cloister, as Mark Bence-Jones describes it, or colonnade, of three Tudor-shaped arches. It was hard for me to make out the plan of the house as it nestles into its setting.
We approached the house from the side and were greeted at a side door in a one storey castellated hallway next to a three storey square tower and then a two-storey round tower. From this side the house looks very higgeldy piggeldy.
I admired the garden at this side of the house, a profusion of flowers, with a pond. Like the castle itself, the garden is laid out on different levels, with steps between.
We walked through the house, which is a maze of different floor levels and stairways. We then walked around the house to see the more symmetrical entrance front. The house has beautiful Gothic windows and stone mouldings over the windows. There’s a limestone stringcourse under the level of the eaves. The pilasters of the colonnade are topped with square bartizans.
Unfortunately, Joseph Daunt was killed in a duel in 1826, shot by his cousin Daniel Connor from Manch House. The duel was fought over a case brought to court by Joseph Daunt which Daniel Connor dismissed, saying it was ungentlemanly of Daunt to pursue a poor woman for the price of a cow. Enraged at the insult, Daunt wanted to challenge Connor to a duel.
However, duels were illegal and to kill a man in a duel would count as murder. Despite this, many cases against men who had killed their opponent in a duel did not result in harsh sentencing, because the jury consisted of gentry peers, and they often judged that the death was the unfortunate result of a “fair fight between gentlemen.” In other words, there had to be a good reason to kill someone in a duel, and if the jury felt that this was the case, punishment was extremely light. Daunt knew that if he challenged a judge to a duel over a judgement made by the judge in court, and he killed the judge, he would receive punishment as a murderer. Therefore, Alison told us, Daunt arranged the distribution of a scurrilous article defaming Connor’s wife, thus forcing Connor to issue the challenge.
Though Connor killed Daunt, he was judged not guilty of murder.
The house was inherited by Joseph’s son William Joseph O’Neill Daunt (1807-1894) when he was just 19 years old.
Young William O’Neill Daunt was raised Protestant, but he converted to Catholicism. The Dictionary of Irish Biography tells us that he was influenced by the Conners of Connerville, especially Feargus O’Connor (Feargus’s father Roger officially changed his name from Conner to O’Connor).
William O’Neill Daunt sought repeal of the Act of Union that had abolished the Irish Parliament. Together with Daniel O’Connell he was one of the founders of the Repeal Association and he was its director for Leinster. He was also opposed to tithes that all people had to pay to the Protestant church.
He served as MP for Mallow in 1832-33 but was unseated by a petition. He married Ellen Hickey in 1839.
Daniel O’Connell appointed him to be his secretary when O’Connell was elected Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1841.
Despite his active political work for the Home Rule movement, travelling around Ireland and to Scotland seeking support for repeal of the union, he managed to spend most of his time at Kilcascan.
Daunt kept a diary, which the National Biography describes “Though excessively gossipy, the diary reveals much of the life of an Irish country gentleman and of Irish politics viewed from County Cork.” He also wrote Catechism of the history of Ireland (1844), Ireland and her agitators (1845; new edition 1868), Eighty-five years of Irish history (1886) and Personal recollections of the late Daniel O’Connell (1848). Under the nom-de-plume Denis Ignatius Moriarty, he wrote five novels. One novel, The Wife Hunter, features a hero based on Feargus O’Connor.
William and Ellen had a son, Achilles Thomas, who inherited Kilcascan, and a daughter who edited Daunt’s diary and never married. [3]
Achilles Thomas Daunt (b. 1849) married Anna Maria Corballis, daughter of Bartholomew Corballis who was a proponent of Catholic Emancipation and Chair of the Catholic Association of Ireland between 1827 and 1832. Achilles Thomas served as Justice of the Peace.
Achilles and Anna Maria had two surviving sons and two daughters. The daughters did not have children. Both sons emigrated, Reginald to Africa and Achilles Thomas Wilson O’Neill (b. 1880) to Canada.
The son Achilles married Elizabeth Dey from Canada, and they had several children. Current owner Alison told us that Achilles wrote Boys Adventure books!
The Landed Estates database tells us that The Irish Tourist Association Survey of 1944 referred to Kilcascan as the residence of Miss M. O’Neill-Daunt, probably Mary Dorothea, born in 1910, the daughter of Achilles. Alison and her husband bought Kilcascan from a son of Achilles, Tom, in 1988. A second son, also named Achilles, was killed in WW2.
The house has not yet been completely renovated, but some rooms are finished, including a lovely drawing room.
A lateral corridor at the back of the house has a surprisingly ornate groin-vaulted ceiling with foliate bosses.
Upstairs has interesting Gothic decorative carving in the hallway, and one bedroom has lovely wood panelling on the ceiling and an impressive Gothic window.
The east side of the house, including the staircase, is still a work-in-progress. The work is, excuse the pun, “daunting”! The house sits in one hundred acres of farmland with sixty acres of woodland. Alison told us that descendants of the Kilcascan Daunts have visited the house. It’s great to see the house being preserved.
contact: Charles and Claire Chavasse Tel: 087-8290860, 086-8387420 www.cappaghhouse.ie
Open dates in 2025: April 1-4, 7-11, 14-18, 21-25, 28-30, May 1-31, June 1-7, Aug 16-24, 9.30am-1.30pm
Fee: adult €10, OAP/student €5, child free
Fee: adult/OAP/student/€5, child under 12 free
2025 Diary of Irish Historic Houses (section 482 properties)
To purchase an A5 size 2025 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!
The present Cappagh House, the “new” house, was built in 1874 for Richard John Ussher (1841-1913). Anyone who went to Trinity College in Dublin will be familiar with the name of Ussher as one of the lecture theatres is named after one of the family. Archbishop James Ussher (1581-1656) famously but incorrectly calculated the moment of the Earth’s creation: around 6pm on 22 October 4004 BC. He was from a different branch of the Ussher family.
Cappagh House, photograph courtesy of Claire Chavasse.Richard John Ussher (1841-1913), who built “new” Cappagh House, courtesy of The Irish Naturalist volume 22 (1913). [1] Archbishop James Ussher (1581-1656), from a different branch of the Ussher family.
A previous, “Old Cappagh” house, still stands, albeit currently derelict, by the stable yards, with a view overlooking a lake. Current owners attribute it to Richard John’s father Richard (1778-1854).
The lands were originally acquired by the Ussher family in the early eighteenth century through a marriage settlement. Beverly Ussher (d. 1683), son of Arthur Ussher and Judith Newcomen, married first Joan Smyth, daughter of Percy Smyth of Ballynatray in County Waterford (another section 482 property – write up coming soon!). Joan Smyth’s mother was a sister of Beverly’s so he seems to have married his niece!
Beverly and Joan had a daughter Mary, and then Joan died and Beverly remarried. It was through his second marriage that the land at Cappagh and also Camphire came into the Ussher family. He married Grace Osborne, daughter of Richard, 2nd Baronet Osborne, of Ballintaylor and Ballylemon, County Waterford. The Osbornes originally had their family seat in Cappagh in County Tyrone, which explains the name.
It was one of Beverly Ussher’s younger sons, Arthur (1683-1768), who came into ownership of Cappagh in County Waterford. He married Lucy Taylor of Askeaton, County Limerick.
The lake is part of an area called “The American Grounds.” The lake was dug around 1840, and formal grounds were laid out around the lake, and ruins of an early sixteenth century fortified house were partially restored as a folly. The work was reputedly overseen by an American which led to the unusual name for the area.
The American Grounds at Cappagh House, County Waterford August 14, 2023.
Arthur and Lucy’s son John (1743-1787) inherited Cappagh.
John married Elizabeth Musgrave, daughter of Christoper Musgrave (1715-1787) of Tourin, County Waterford, another section 482 property. Elizabeth’s mother was Susannah Ussher, a granddaughter of aforementioned Beverly Ussher (d. 1683)! A son of John and Elizabeth, Arthur (1764-1820) inherited Camphire, County Waterford. Elizabeth née Musgrave died and John married Elizabeth Paul. Richard (1778-1854) who inherited Cappagh and built Old Cappagh house in the early 1800s was a son of the second marriage.
The family increased the size of the Cappagh estate to around 5,000 acres, most of which was farmed by tenant farmers and about 300 acres of which was farm and woodland managed by the Ussher family. The family held the estate for six generations, although it was much reduced in size after the land acts of the late nineteenth and early 20th century.
The Ussher Memoirs by Reverend William Ball Wright, published in Dublin and London in 1889, tells us more about Richard Ussher:
“Richard Keily Ussher, born 4th Feb, 1778, of Cappagh, Freeman of Waterford. 1st Dec, 1800 he entered the Royal Navy at the age of twelve, and when only sixteen, while going out to the West Indies such storms were encountered that his senior officers were all incapacitated by over-work, and he had to take the command, and work the ship. He was engaged in the capture of St. Lucia and Martinique from the French; while in the West Indies he nearly died of yellow fever.
“On his brother William’s death in 1796 (Thomas Paul Ussher having died in 1794), Richard succeeded to his estate, and left the Navy.“
“When Richard Ussher came into possession of the Cappagh estate, the old castle or house that his grandfather, Arthur, had lived in sixty years before was a ruin, and there was no house fit for him to live in, the property being held by a large number of small tenants. No trees stood on it, all the timber having been previously cut down. Where Cappagh Demesne now exists there were bare furze-covered hills above, and an undrained morass in front, that gave rise annually to fever and ague, while the property was financially encumbered by the mortgage of 1786 and subsequent incumbrances, to so large an amount that, with the lawlessness prevailing among the lower classes, Richard Ussher could hardly realize more than agent’s fees on the nominal rental at first.
“He built a house at Ballynahemery where he lived for a time.“
“In the early part of this century there were no police in Co. Waterford, and it was abandoned to lawlessness, murderers and robbers keeping the population in a state of terrorism, the frequent outrages by day as well as by night being by no means exclusively or even generally of an agrarian character while those who denounced outrages to the authorities were visited by death. It was dangerous even to sit in one’s house without bullet-proof shutters. Faction fights on a large scale were customary at certain fairs. The gentry had all quitted the country and Richard Ussher, with his brother- in-law, George Hewetson, and one other were the only magistrates who could be got to execute the laws. They had to perform the functions of police, and made many an expedition by night to the houses of criminals in mountainous parts of the country, whom they brought prisoners to Cappagh, where they had to keep them until they could be sent for trial to Waterford. In the detection and apprehension of criminals Richard Ussher was indefatigable and successful. He was said by his poorer neighbours to have been ” the friend of every honest man,” while he inspired a terror in criminals that seemed to render them powerless when in his hands.
“While he lived at Ballynahemery his out-offices were burned and his cows ripped open with reaping-hooks. He subsequently left it, and built the older house at Cappagh, which with its offices formed a quadrangle closed by two strong gates in archways. For some time he and his wife inhabited the upper rooms, the lower windows being built up and loop-holed for defence.
“Richard Ussher throughout his life at Cappagh continued to improve it. He built extensive farm-offices in connection with the house he had erected, reclaimed upland tracts of the property and made plantations along the hills, as well as about the demesne and lakes. These he excavated gradually by raising turf with boats in the morass, which being thereby drained ceased to produce ague. He consolidated the holdings and encouraged a more substantial tenantry.
“At the same time, while continually entertaining his numerous relations and those of his wife (to all of whom his house was open) he gradually paid off all the incumbrances on the estate which at his death was left perfectly clear, his 2nd wife’s fortune having enabled him to do this.” [2]
Richard married first Martha Hewetson but she died and he married Isabella Grant, daughter of Colonel Jasper Grant who had been Lieutenant Governor of Canada, and of Isabella Odell.
The Memoir tells us: “His first wife was a herbalist, and in the absence of medical charities she effected innumerable cures among the peasantry, carried on various household arts, such as weaving and spinning, candle making, etc., now not thought of in private homes. She, as well as Elizabeth Ussher, his mother, and all his sisters joined the Society of Friends who carried on an intense religious movement in the South of Ireland, the Church being then in a very dead state… Richard Ussher, though he did not conform to the Society of Friends, imbibed their conscientious objections to take or administer oaths, and accordingly ceased to act as a magistrate.” [2]
Richard and Isabella had a son, Richard John Ussher (1841-1913). It is he who built the newer Cappagh House, in 1874.
The newer Cappagh house was built on an elevated site near the older house. It is a two storey Victorian house with basement, built to the design of James Otway (1843-1906) and Robert Graeme Watt, who constructed the railway from Cork to Rosslare. Otway and Watt also prepared drawings for the building of Corbally More, Summerville in County Waterford for Dudley Fortescue, built few years later than the new Cappagh house, in 1878. They are not the first engineers whom we have come across who also designed houses.
The older house was subsequently used as outbuildings. The windows on the upper storey are “camber-headed” i.e. they form an arch, these ones have a keystone, and the windows interrupt the string course at this level. [3] The front has a one storey curved porch with pilasters and a balustrade. The front and back doors look unusually tall.
The south side has a double height bow, and a doorframe with stone arched pediment and carved corbels and decorative frieze over the fluted architrave.
A biography of Richard John Ussher by William Fraher, from the Waterford County Museum website tells us:
“In 1863 Richard John Ussher (1841-1913) was appointed a Justice of the Peace for Co. Waterford. On 20 January 1866 he married Elizabeth, daughter of John William Finlay of Corkagh House, Co Dublin. They had four boys and a girl.
“In 1875 he built a new house at Cappagh just above the old one which still survives. The new house was designed by James Otway and Robert Watt, railway engineers. He developed an interest in ornithology and became obsessed with collecting bird’s eggs. He later joined the Irish Society for the Protection of Birds. He began to study rare bird species and also explored caves for fossil remains of birds. He is said to have found remains of the Great Auk in the sand dunes at Tramore. In 1906 he was the co-author of an important book – Birds of Ireland. Towards the end of his life he spent much time excavating caves in Waterford, Cork, Sligo and Clare. His excavation results were published in various archaeological and natural history journals.” [3]
He was also High Sheriff and Deputy Lieutenant of County Waterford.
The house was occupied by three generations of Usshers before Arland Ussher sold it to Oonah and Kendal Chavasse in 1944. The house passed to Beverley Grant Ussher (1867-1956) and then to his son Percival Arnold “Arland” Ussher (1899-1980).
Beverley Ussher worked as a schools inspector for the Board of Education in England. The family lived in England until he retired in 1914, and they then moved to Ireland and lived at Cappagh House.
Arland Ussher wrote the books Postscript on Existentialism, The Face and Mind of Ireland, and Three Great Irishmen, a comparative study of Bernard Shaw, W.B. Yeats and James Joyce. He also taught himself Irish and translated The midnight court (1926), by Brian Merriman. With his interest in Existentialism, he wrote A journey through dread (1955), an account of Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and Sartre. He farmed at Cappagh until he sold it, claiming, according to the Dictionary of Irish Biography, that farming bored him. [4]
A collection of photographs (August 1922) illustrates the occupation of Cappagh House by the West Waterford Flying Column of the Irish Republican Army during “The Troubles” (1919-23). [5]
Claire told us that Oonah Chavasse, daughter of Henry Spencer Perceval-Maxwell of Moore Hill, Tallow, County Waterford, dreamed for three nights in a row that she would live at Cappagh House. She contacted her sister-in-law in Tallow who told her that indeed the house was for sale! The following week Oonah caught the train from West Cork and arrived at Cappagh train station just in time for the auction.
Oonah’s husband Kendal (“the Colonel”) was from Castletownshend in West Cork. He took up farming after he returned from the second world war, and was a founder member of the Irish Farmers’ Association. He was also secretary of the West Waterford Hunt. Kendal’s grandmother Anna Georgiana née Coghill’s husband died young and she took her children to live in Castletownshend. Her sister married Thomas Henry Somerville of Drishane, Castletownshend (another section 482 property).
The current owners Charlie and Claire are the third generation of Chavasses to live at Cappagh.
The spacious front hall of Cappagh House, photograph courtesy of Claire Chavasse.
The front door leads into a spacious hallway. Ahead lies the drawing room and beside that, the dining room, which was formerly the “morning room.” The original dining room was in the northeast corner facing the front of the house, and is now the kitchen. Previously the kitchen would have been in the basement.
Claire then brought us down to the basement. She showed us the service bells, which unfortunately no longer work although one can see the bell-pulls on either side of the fireplaces upstairs.
We then walked over to Old Cappagh and the stable yards. The Chavasses have some self-catering options, it would be a lovely base from which to explore more of County Waterford!
Access to the stable yards at both ends is through sandstone carriage arches. Claire and her husband renovated living quarters in the red barn and there’s also a small cottage next to the old mill. At the mill a mill wheel remains. A “leet” or channel of water travels from a stream over a mile away and was used to power the mill wheel and to provide water for the house. Over the mill wheel you can see a bell tower, the bell would have called farm workers from the fields at the end of the day.
Old Cappagh is situated by the stableyard. It must have been started but not completed, as the end bays are taller than the house attached! The end bays are two storeys, one bay across and two bays deep, and the middle section of the house is one storey, five bays across. It is split-level however, as the back of the house rises to two storeys and the staircase is in a bow visible at the back of the house.
Old Cappagh house has a fine central doorcase with fanlight and sidelights. The back of the house has a central rounded bow, visible from the stableyard.
[3] p. 56, Bence-Jones, Mark. A Guide to Irish Country Houses published by Constable and Company Limited, London, 1988, previously published by Burke’s Peerage Ltd as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses, vol. 1 Ireland, 1978.
2025 Diary of Irish Historic Houses (section 482 properties)
To purchase an A5 size 2025 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!
Postal address: Huntington Castle, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford www.huntingtoncastle.com Open dates in 2023, but check website as closed for special events: Feb 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26, Mar 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26, Apr 1-2, 7-10, 15-16, 22-23, May 1-31, June 1-30, July 1-31, Aug 1-31, Sept 1-30, Oct 1, 7-8, 14-15, 21-22, 28-29, 31, Nov 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26, Dec 2-3, 9-10, 16-17, 11am-5pm
Fee: house/garden, adult €12, garden €6, OAP/student, house/garden €10, garden €5, child, house/garden €6, garden €3, group and family discounts available
Open for accommodation: all year Althugh listed under Accommodation Facility they have a fee on this listing so if you contact them in advance perhaps they will give you a tour: adult €5, family €15
Ballyvolane, County Cork, photo taken 2014 for Tourism Ireland, Ireland’s Content Pool.
5. Blarney Castle & Rock Close, Blarney, County Cork
Open dates in 2023: Mar 30-31, Apr 1-2, 5-10, 12-16, 19-23, 26-30, May 1, 3-7, 10-14, 17-21, 24-28, 31, June 1-30, July 1-31, Aug 1-31, Sept 1-3, 6-10, 13-17, 20-24, 27-30, Oct 7-8, 14-15, Nov 29-30, Dec 1-23, Mar, Apr, May, Sept, Oct, 12 noon-6pm, June, July, Aug, 11am-6pm, Nov, Dec, 4pm-10pm,
Fee: adult €9, child €6, family and season passes under 3 years free
13. The Odeon(formerly the Old Harcourt Street Railway Station), 57 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2 www.odeon.ie Open in 2023: all year Tue-Sat, National Heritage Week, Aug 12-20, 12 noon to 12 midnight
Open dates in 2023: Feb 2-6, Mar 6-10, Apr 6-10, May 1-10, June 1-10, July 1-10 August 12-21, Nov 2-5, Dec 2-6, 2pm-6pm Fee: adult/OAP €6, child/student €3
Clonskeagh Castle, photograph courtesy of myhome.ie
Open in 2023: Jan 1-8, 9.30-4.30, Feb 8-Dec 20, 28-31, Feb-Dec 9.30am-5pm Fee: adult/OAP €8.50, child/student €6, student €6 up to 17 years, group discount €10 for >20 visitors, family ticket €26, 2 adults + up to 3 children
23. Farmersvale House, Badgerhill, Kill, Co. Kildare W91 PP99 Open dates in 2023: Jan 3-16, July 29-31, Aug 1-31, Sept 4-9, Dec 4-9, 9.30am-1.30pm Fee: adult €5, student/child/OAP €3, (Irish Georgian Society members free)
24. New entry: Millbrook House Kilkea, Beaconstown, Castledermot, Co. Kildare R14Y319 Open dates in 2023: May 17- 31, Aug 12-31, Sept 7-16, Dec 17-31, 9am-1pm Fee: Adult €8, student/OAP/groups €5
CountyKilkenny
25. Kilkenny Design Centre, Castle Yard, Kilkenny www.kilkennydesign.com Open dates in 2023: Jan 3-Dec 24, 28-31, Jan 10am-7pm, Feb-Mar, Oct- Dec, 9am-8pm, Apr-Sept, 9am-9am Fee: Free
CountyLaois
26. Ballaghmore Castle, Borris in Ossory, Co. Laois www.castleballaghmore.com Open dates in 2023: all year except Christmas Day, 10am-6pm
Fee: adult €15, child/OAP/student €5, family of 4, €25 with guide
Open dates in 2023: May 1-31, June 1-30, July 1-31, Aug 1-31, Sept 1-30, Oct 1-31, Nov 1-5, 8-12, 15-19, 22-26, 29-30, Dec 1-3, 6-10, 13-17, 20-23, 9am-4pm Fee: adult/OAP €5, child free
29. Cillghrian Glebe now known as Boyne House Slane, Chapel Street, Slane, Co. MeathC15 P657(hotel) www.boynehouseslane.ie Open dates in 2023: all year, National Heritage Week, Aug 12-20, 9am-1pm
Fee: Free
“Boyne House Slane boasts 6 tastefully appointed luxury ensuite Heritage Bedrooms in the Main House along with 4 additional Bedrooms in the Coach House, offering luxurious accommodation and private rental in the heart of Slane village.” Photograph courtesy of website.
30. Loughcrew House, Loughcrew, Old Castle, Co. Meath Tourist Accommodation Facility– house not open to the public
See my entry: https://irishhistorichouses.com/2019/07/19/slane-castle-county-meath/ www.slanecastle.ie Open dates in 2023: Mar 18-19, 25-26. April 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, May 5-7, June 23-25, July 1-2, 7-9, 14-16, 21-23, 28-30, Aug 4-6, 12-20, 25-27, Sept 2-3, 9-10, 16-17, 23-24, 30, Oct 1, 7-8, 14-15, 21-22, 28-29, Nov 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26, Dec 2-3, 9-10, 16-17, 23-24, 30-31, tours 11am, 1pm, 3pm
Fee: adult €14, OAP/student €12.50, child €8.40, concession family ticket (2 adults and 2 children €39, additional adults €1, additional children €6, concession group discounts available for over 3 guests, starting from 10%-32% for up to 25 guests
Slane Castle County Meath, photograph by Nomos Productions 2022 courtesy Failte Ireland.
Open dates in 2023: Jan 1-6, 1pm-5pm, Feb 11-13, April 9-13, May 6-8, 18-21, June 9-11, 16-18, 30, July 1-2, 7-9, Aug 12-31, Sept 1, 2pm-6pm, Dec 26-31, 1pm-5pm Fee: Free
Open for accommodation in 2023: April 1-December 31
CountyWaterford
40. The Presentation Convent, Waterford Healthpark, Slievekeel Road, Waterford Open in 2023: Jan 1-Dec 31, excluding Bank Holidays, National Heritage Week, Aug 12-20
8.30am-5.30pm Fee: Free
CountyWestmeath
41. Turbotstown, Coole, Co. Westmeath Open dates in 2023: July 22-31, Aug 1-31, Dec 1-20, 9am-1pm
42. Kilcarbry Mill Engine House, Sweetfarm, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford Open dates in 2023: Jan 1-2, Feb 10, 12-13, Mar 13-17, Apr 20-21, May 10-13, June 16-18, July14-16, Aug 1-30, Oct 26-28, Nov 30, Dec 1, 20-23, 12 noon-4pm Fee: adult €10, student/OAP €5
44. Back on again: Knockanree Garden Avoca, Co. Wicklow https://knockanree-gardens.business.site/?m=true Open dates in 2023: May 21- July 6, Sun-Thurs, August 12-20 National Heritage Week, Nov 27- Dec 21 Mon-Thurs, 9.30am-1.30pm Fee: Free
45. Mount Usher Gardens, Ashford, Co. Wicklow A67 VW22 – garden only
www.avoca.com/en Open dates in 2023: all year, except Christmas Day and St. Stephens Day, Jan-Mar, Nov-Dec, 10am-5pm, Apr-Oct, 10am-6pm Fee: adult €10, student/OAP €8, child €5, groups €7.50
See my entry: https://irishhistorichouses.com/2020/04/26/powerscourt-house-gardens-enniskerry-county-wicklow/ www.powerscourt.ie Open dates in 2023: Jan I-Dec 24, 27-31, house and garden, 9.30am-5.30pm, ballroom and garden rooms, 9.30am-1.30pm Fee: Mar-Oct, adult €12.50, OAP €9.50, student €9, child €5, family ticket 2 adults and 3 children under 18 years €28, Nov-Dec, adult €9, OAP €8, student €7.50, child €4, family ticket 2 adults and 3 children under 18 years €20
2025 Diary of Irish Historic Houses (section 482 properties)
To purchase an A5 size 2025 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!
Shankill Castle is now a family home for the Cope family, since 1991. It was first built as a Butler tower house beside the ruins of a pre-reformation church – you can still see the ruins of the church in the grounds. The Copes give tours of their home and there are lovely gardens to wander and a café
The website tells us that “Elizabeth, a painter, and Geoffrey, a historian, have hosted many creative people in their home over the last twenty-five years. They have shared with them their unique and beautiful setting in Ireland’s Ancient East and have dedicated Shankill Castle to the arts and culture.“
In 1708 the Castle was rebuilt and in the nineteenth century it was enlarged and castellated, adding a stable yard and the castellated entrance to the demesne. The stableyard and the castellated entrance to the demesne are attributed to Daniel Robertson. Other additions to the house include a Gothic porch bearing the Aylward crest and a conservatory.
In the garden there are remnants of an eighteenth century lime walk, nineteenth century laurel lawns and some trees that were favourites in the Victorian age such as giant Sequoias.
Shankill Castle County Kilkenny 3rd June 2023.
The website tells us that “In 1708, it was rebuilt by Peter Aylward who bought the land from his wife’s family. The new Shankill Castle was constructed as a Queen Anne house, set in a formal landscape, vista to the front and canal to the rear.“
Peter Aylward was a Roman Catholic who fought in the Jacobite army in 1688-90. For this he was was outlawed, but he later conformed to the established Protestant church. [1]
The house has battlemented full-height corner piers having slit-style blind apertures. The windows have hood mouldings. The house is delightfully higgeldy piggeldy with its enlargements and additions.
Elizabeth Butler’s family owned Paulstown Castle, which was rebuilt in 1828 but is now a ruin.
Paulstown Castle, County Kilkenny, courtesy of National Inventory.
Peter Aylward and Elizabeth Butler had a son, Nicholas (d. 1756). He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Thomastown and Sheriff of County Kilkenny in 1742. A website about landed families tells us that he was brought up Catholic but conformed to the established church in 1711. [see 1]. In August 1719 he married Catherine, second daughter of Maurice Keating of Narraghmore, Co. Kildare.
Their son, also named Nicholas (d. 1772), inherited Shankill Castle in 1756. That year, he married Mary Kearney, daughter of Benjamin Kearney of Blanchville (Co. Kilkenny). He held the office of High Sheriff in 1757. He died while his children were still young, and their mother had died in 1767, so the children were made wards of the Irish Court of Chancery, which in 1772 appointed their grandfather, Benjamin Kearney (d. 1784), as their guardian.
After Mary née Kearney died, Nicholas married Susanna (d. 1775), widow of Edmund Waring. Susanna married a third time after Nicholas’s death, in October 1772, Rev. Henry Candler, and she died 4 August 1775.
Nicholas and Mary née Kearney’s eldest son, Peter (1758-92), came of age in 1779. It is said that he was “of weak mind” and that his Guardian exercised a large influence over him. In 1780 he married Anne Kearney of New Ross (Co. Waterford). They had a son, Nicholas John Patrick Aylward (1787-1832).
This son was only five years old when his father died and he inherited Shankill Castle. He was educated at Kilkenny and Trinity College, Dublin (admitted 1804). [see 1] In 1805 at the age of just 18 he married Elizabeth (d. 1851), eldest daughter of James Kearney of Blanchville (Co. Kilkenny). This James was son of Benjamin Kearney (d. 1784), the guardian of Nicholas John Patrick’s father, so this was probably an influencing factor. He came of age three years later in 1808. He was High Sheriff of Co. Kilkenny, 1816-17. In the 1820s, he remodelled Shankill Castle, hiring William Robertson.
A watercolour probably dating from the 1820s attributed to William Robertson shows a design proposal for alterations. For this reason, the changes to the house which were made for Nicholas Aylward (d. 1832) in the 1820s are attributed to William Robertson, although the proposal in the watercolour were not executed exactly as pictured. The end bays were crenellated and linked by a Gothic porch, and one was raised to look like a tower. A new dining room running from the front of the house to the back was added on the left, and a castellated office wing on the right, effectively breaking up the symmetry of the original design. The back of the house, which is more irregular, is treated in much the same way, and adorned with a Gothic conservatory on the level of the half-landing of the stairs, carried on a stone arcade. [1]
The National Inventory describes it:
“An impressive large-scale house built c. 1825 to designs prepared by William Robertson (1770-1850) for the Aylward family forming a picturesque landmark of Romantic quality in the landscape. The complex form and massing of the composition attests to the evolution of the site over a number of centuries with the present house incorporating the fabric of an early eighteenth-century range together with a medieval tower house, thereby representing the continuation of a long-standing presence on site.” [2]
The architect William Robertson was born in Kilkenny in 1770. The Dictionary of Irish Architects tells us he was probably a son or close connection of the nurseryman, William Robertson, who traded as ‘William Robertson and Son’ in Kilkenny. [3] The Dictionary adds that identifying his works is complicated by the fact that the names ‘Robertson’ and ‘Robinson’ are often confused, but it is possible that he may already have received at least one architectural commission as early as 1794, for stables at Woodstock, Co. Kilkenny. He seems to have worked in London for a time then moved back to Kilkenny.
The Dictionary of Irish Architects tells us of William Robertson:
“Robertson was back in Kilkenny by 1801, when he was entrusted with the design of the new county gaol. In Kilkenny he developed a busy architectural practice. It appears that he may have had the Earl of Ormonde as a client as early as 1802 and that he was working with a partner named Wylie for a time circa 1804. Joseph Bourke, Dean of Ossory, suggesting to William Gregory in 1813 that Robertson might be employed to enlarge the barracks at Kilkenny, describes him, perhaps with some exaggeration, as ‘a very eminent architect in this part of the world, who has had the building of most of the public Edifices in the South, &c.’. In the same year Robertson reported to the Dean and Chapter of St Canice’s Cathedral on the fabric of the cathedral.
William Robertson died at Rosehill, the house which he had built for himself on the Callan road, in May 1850.” [4]
The history of Shankill Castle and Blanchville were further linked in the next generation. Nicholas John Patrick Aylward and Elizabeth née Kearney had a son, James Kearney Aylward (later Kearney-Aylward) (1811-84). He assumed the additional name of Kearney in 1876, on succeeding to a part of the estates of his cousin James Charles Kearney of Blanchville.
Blanchville, County Kilkenny, courtesy National Inventory.
Blanchville still stands and it has notable Tudor Revival stable building, built 1834, in the style of Daniel Robertson, which are now available for accommodation (see https://blanchville.ie/ ). Daniel Robertson built a memorial for Captain James Kearney, sometime between 1834-47, according to the National Inventory.
Single-bay four-stage Tudor Gothic-style bell and clock tower, built 1834/47, on a square plan, set back from road in grounds shared with Blanchville House, County Kilkenny. Built for Captain James Kearney, to designs prepared by Daniel Robertson, reputedly citing Sir Christopher Wren’s (1632-1723) Saint Mary’s Church (1670), Aldermanbury. Courtesy National Inventory.
The Heritage Council provided a grant to restore the tower in 2004.
Tudor Gothic-style bell and clock tower, built 1834/47, on a square plan, set back from road in grounds shared with Blanchville House, County Kilkenny. Built for Captain James Kearney, to designs prepared by Daniel Robertson. Photograph courtesy National Inventory.Tudor Gothic-style bell and clock tower, built 1834/47, on a square plan, set back from road in grounds shared with Blanchville House, County Kilkenny. Built for Captain James Kearney, to designs prepared by Daniel Robertson. Photograph courtesy National Inventory.Tudor Gothic-style bell and clock tower, built 1834/47, on a square plan, set back from road in grounds shared with Blanchville House, County Kilkenny. Built for Captain James Kearney, to designs prepared by Daniel Robertson. Photograph courtesy National Inventory.Tudor Gothic-style bell and clock tower, built 1834/47, on a square plan, set back from road in grounds shared with Blanchville House, County Kilkenny. Built for Captain James Kearney, to designs prepared by Daniel Robertson. Photograph courtesy National Inventory.
James Kearney Aylward held roles as Sheriff, Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace. In 1853 he married Isabella Forbes. She was the widow of Beauchamp Bartholomew Newton (1798-1850) of Rathwade, County Carlow (a house attributed to Daniel Robertson). However, she did not have children by either of her marriages.
Rathwade, County Carlow, attributed to Daniel Robertson, courtesy of Colliers estate agents and myhome.ie
Therefore when James Kearney-Aylward died in 1884, Shankill Castle passed to his nephew, Hector James Charles Toler (1839-1918, later Toler-Aylward). [see 1] Hector was the son of James Kearney-Aylward’s sister Mary (d. 1880) who had married Reverend Peter Toler (d. 1883) of Bloomfield, County Roscommon.
Before James Kearney-Aylward died, he undertook further renovations of Shankill Castle, under the direction of William Deane Butler. The Archiseek website tells us that William Deane Butler (1793-1857) studied at the Dublin Society Schools and was a founding member of the Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland as well as the Society of Irish Artists, and he was also an engineer. Among his most important works are Amiens Street Station (now called Conolly Station) in Dublin, Kilkenny’s Catholic Cathedral, and Sligo Asylum. [5]
A conservatory attributed to Richard Turner or Joseph Paxton was added, but this has been removed.
An old postcard of Shankill Castle, with the original conservatory, which was removed.
The National Inventory continues: “Meanwhile the traces of renovation works carried out under the direction of William Deane Butler (c.1794-1857) together with accounts of a conservatory (post-1859; dismantled, post-1902) attributable to Richard Turner (1798-1881) indicate the continued development of the house well into the latter half of the nineteenth century. A riot of advanced and recessed bays, battlements, crow-stepped gables, and so on are carefully orchestrated to disguise the earlier disparate ranges in a cohesive architectural skin while supplementary fine details further embellish the architectural design value of the composition. Having been well maintained the house presents an early aspect with most of the historic fabric surviving in place both to the exterior and to the interior where it is believed that an original decorative scheme of artistic significance survives largely intact.” [2]
The front porch was in place when the original conservatory was still at the side of the house, as in the old postcard.
Mark Bence-Jones writes in his A Guide to Irish Country Houses (1988):
“(Toler-Aylward/IFR) ….This early C18 house appears to have had a recessed centre and projecting end bays. Some time ante 1828, the end bays were crenelated, one of them being raised to look like a tower; and they were joined by a Gothic porch. The front was extended by one bay to the left, so as to provide a new drawing room running from the front of the house to the back; and by a castellated office wing to the right. The back of the house, which is more irregular, is treated in much the same way, and adorned with a delightful Gothic conservatory on the level of the half-landing of the stairs, carried on a stone arcade.” [6]
The early conservatory was removed but one was later added to the back of the house.
Hector James Charles Toler (1839-1918) who inherited Shankill Castle in 1884 from his uncle, then assumed the additional surname of Aylward to become Toler-Aylward. He served as High Sheriff, Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace of County Kilkenny. He married Emily Mary Eliza Butler (1853-1934), daughter of James Butler of Verona, Monkstown, County Dublin. Hector undertook further redecoration at Shankill in 1894.
They had a son, Hector James Toler-Aylward (1895-1974). He inherited the Shankill Castle estate from his father in 1918. He married Zinna Ethel Knox from Greenwood Park, Crossmolina, County Mayo (now a ruin). They had three daughters. At his death Shankill Castle passed to his widow, and on her death in 1980 to his elder daughter, who sold it in 1991.
The interior of the house retains much of its early 18th century character. The central hall on the entrance front has wood panelling and a handsome black Kilkenny marble chimneypiece. The house is full of the art work of Elizabeth Cope.
The hall is flanked by smaller rooms with corner fireplaces, which were the original dining and drawing rooms and are part of the old towerhouse.
William Deane Butler refitted the hall with floor-to-ceiling timber panelling while the room beyond, previously a saloon, became the new dining room and was given a large Tudor-headed buffet niche and a new Gothic bay window. Surviving plans show that the room to the north of the hall was intended as a billiard room while a study was provided in the new wing. [see 1]
Mark Bence-Jones describes the interior in his Guide to Irish County Houses (1988): “Late-Georgian staircase hall with graceful wooden stairs and walls marbled Siena 1894. Dining room with Gothic plasterwork in ceiling and Gothic pelmet. The drawing room is charmingly Victorian, with flowered paper and curtains of faded gold dating from 1894 and an Italian white marble chimneypiece brought back from Milan ca. 1860 by James Aylward. It formerly opened into a conservatory built 1861 to the design of Sir Joseph Paxton, but this was removed 1961. The entrance front faces along an avenue of trees to a Claire-voie [“clear view”] with rusticated stone piers which was part of C18 layout.”
William Deane Butler transformed the dining room into a Victorian drawing room featuring an impressively-carved white marble chimneypiece which James Kearney-Aylward purchased in Milan in 1860.
The Landed family website further describes the interior:
“The principal and secondary staircases occupy the space behind the original tower, and while the main staircase was renewed in the late 18th century, the secondary stair remains largely in its original form. Beyond the hall a saloon overlooked the grounds to the rear of the house. On the first floor, a transverse corridor down the middle of the house gives access to the principal bedrooms.” [see 1]
The website adds: “Steeped in such culture and heritage, Shankill Castle and Gardens has been a place of inspiration for artists for the past twenty-five years. The Cope family have dedicated themselves to the preservation and restoration of this historic house while celebrating the unique and eclectic character of the building. Consisting of three artists, one historian, and one archaeologist, the combined talents and passions of the Cope family are reflected in the inventive and lively activities offered at the castle. Exhibitions are frequently hosted in the castle and farmyard, which are also used as artists’ studios, attracting visitors not just locally, but from the whole of Ireland and internationally.“
The gardens are beautiful and the Copes are so generous to share them with visitors. They run an organic farm. Our visit from Dublin was a lovely day outing.
“In 1796, 1797 and 1798 he was in England, possibly working in the office of a London architect. His diary-cum-notebook in the National Library of Ireland records excursions from London in August 1796 and April and September 1797. Places which he visited included Painshill, Woburn Park (Surrey), Oatlands, Wanstead, Wotton House, Blenheim and Tintern. The notebook shows clearly that his main interests were architecture and gardening. He had a London address when he exhibited two views of Kilkenny and a design for the garden front of a villa at the Royal Academy in 1797 and 1798 respectively. He is almost certainly the ‘W. Robertson’ who was the author of two works published by Ackermann in London at about this time: A Collection of Various Forms of Stoves, Used for forcing Pine Plants, Fruit Trees, And Preserving Tender Exotics (1798)and Designs in Architecture, For Garden Chairs, Small Gates for Villas, Park Entrances, Aviarys, Temples, Boat Houses, Mausoleums, and Bridges (1800).
“…His large library – ‘the result of Fifty Years’ collecting’ – was sold at auction in Dublin over a number of days the following April. For many years he had been keenly interested in local history and topography. In about 1808 he had ‘employed two talented Artists to make drawings of every object remarkable for its antiquity or picturesque beauty, then to be found in the County of Kilkenny, with the intention of publishing a Topographical Work‘. Some of these he had had engraved. After building up a large collection of material, he had never found time to produce the proposed book. This task fell to James George Robertson, a Scottish-born relative, who, in about 1828, when he was a boy of about twelve, had joined William Robertson and had presumably become his pupil and assistant. James George Robertson published a selection of the material with some additional notes of his own in a rather haphazard series of parts from 1851-53 under the title The Antiquities and Scenery of the County of Kilkenny. In 1853 James George Robertson presented the Kilkenny Archaeological Society with the manuscript report on the fabric of St Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny, which William Robertson had prepared in 1813.
“…The Irish Architectural Archive holds presentation elevations by Robertson for the enlargement and Gothicization of Kilkenny Castle, 1826 (Acc. 80/35) and sketch designs for Powerstown glebe house, Co. Kilkenny, with a related letter from Robertson to the Rev. Thomas Mercer Vigors, dated William Street, 5 April 1818 (Acc.78/36.B4,4a). It also holds a letter from Robertson, written from Kilkenny on 7 November 1813 to the London bookseller Joseph Taylor (Acc. 2006/112) in which he discusses Sir James Hall’s Essay on the Origin, History and Principles of Gothic Architecture (1813).“
[6] 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.
Open in 2025: Aug 1-31, Sept 1-9, Dec 1-20, 9am-1pm
Fee: adult/student/OAP €8, child €4
2025 Diary of Irish Historic Houses (section 482 properties)
To purchase an A5 size 2025 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!
I was excited to visit Turbotstown in County Westmeath because it was owned by the Dease family, and a branch of the Baggot family married into the Dease family, though I have not established that my ancestors were related to this branch of Baggots.
It is currently owned by Peter Bland and his family, and Peter kindly welcomed us and showed us around. Peter’s grandmother was from the Dease family. When Peter purchased the property, which had been sold out of the family, it had been unoccupied, except for grain and sheep!
I only learned upon visiting that the house was designed by Francis Johnston, and has many elements characteristic of his work. The house was built around 1810 and Johnston was carrying out extensive work at nearby Tullynally for the Pakenham Earls of Longford (another Section 482 property, see my entry https://irishhistorichouses.com/2020/11/19/tullynally-castle-and-gardens-castlepollard-county-westmeath/ ). Francis Johnston also worked on Killeen Castle in County Meath and the Dease family intermarried with the Plunkett family, and Johnston built the Protestant church in Castlepollard, Peter told us.
Francis Johnston (1761-1829), 1823 by engraver Henry Hoppner Meyer after Thomas Clement Thompson, courtesy of National Gallery of Ireland.
The house is in the Greek Revival style and is composed of a large two storey three bay block, four bays on the side, the front facade’s centre bay breaking forward slightly, with a single storey Ionic portico, and a Wyatt window in the upper storey. There is a two storey service wing to one side, which the owner Peter thinks might be older than the Greek Revival block.
Along with Peter, a donkey came to meet us, walking slowly on his arthritic legs. Later the friendly donkey tried to join us by entering the French doors to the kitchen in the wing of the house!
The Dease family lived in the area since the 1270s. In Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd’s Burke’s Irish Family Records, we are told that an Edmond Dease reportedly purchased Turbotstown in 1272. [1] A James Dease of Turbotstown occured in the roll of gentry of Liberty of Trim in 1436, and a Richard Dease succeeded to Turbotstown around 1568. He was appointed Commissioner for Musters, County Westmeath.
A prominent Catholic family after the Reformation, the Dease family intermarried with the Plunketts and the Nugents who also remained Catholic. For their Catholicism and perhaps loyalty to the Stuart monarchy, the Deases lost their Turbotstown property five times but they always managed to get it back.
Richard Dease married Elizabeth Nugent. He had sons James, Thomas and Lawrence. James and Lawrence had families and the Deases of Turbotstown descended from the elder, James. Another son, Thomas (1568-1652), held the office of Catholic Bishop of Meath between 1621 and 1652. He also, Peter told us, wrote bawdy verse in Irish! He studied in Paris and was also a Rector in the Irish College in Paris.
James lived at Turbotstown and married Margaret Leicester. Their son Richard (1603-1650) was the ancestor of the Deases of Turbotstown. They had several other children. Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd tells us that Richard Dease forfeited his estates after the 1641 Rebellion, but bought them back from the Pakenhams with the proceeds of a Cavan property which had been held in trust by the Pollards of Castle Pollard.
During the time of the Penal Laws, the property was held by “Occlusive Trust” i.e. by a Protestant relative, in this case, a Nugent cousin who had converted to the Established religion.
Richard Dease married Mary Browne, and had several children, the ancestor of the Deases of Turbotstown was James (d. 1707) who lived at Turbotstown. His son Richard predeceased him in France and his son William (d. 1751) inherited. William was a Colonel in King Charles’s army, I believe – that must be Charles II’s army. William married Eleanor Nangle and they had several children. The ancestor of the Turbotstown Deases is William and Eleanor’s son Garret Dease (d. 1790).
Garret Dease married Susan Plunkett, daughter of Oliver of Rathmore Castle, Athboy, County Meath.
On his website Meath History Hub, Noel French tells us a lovely story about how Rathmore Castle came into the hands of the Plunkett family:
“Rathmore Castle and Church was built by the de Verdons, the Norman family who conquered this area. They built a church on the site of the present ruin.
“The last de Vernon Lord of Rathmore had only one child, a daughter, Matilda. Sir Christopher Cruise, then an old man held considerable property in the area and had a castle at Cruisetown. Sir Christopher succeeded in winning the hand of Matilda and married her in 1406 and thus acquired Rathmore. Cruise’s nephews regarded themselves as his heir and were very disappointed to see him marry and thus raising the possibility of a son and closer heir. The nephews decided to murder Sir Christopher and his wife. Their hired killers and attacked the couple as they walked along the avenue of Cruisetown Castle. Sir Christopher held off the attackers while his wife made a run for refuge at the castle. Sir Christopher died from his wounds before help arrived but Lady Cruise just made it to the castle before the pursuing murderers. Little did the attackers know but she was carrying her husband’s child at the time.
“Knowing she was in a dangerous situation she packed all the plate and other treasures into strong chests and sunk them in the lake in the grounds of the castle. A report was spread that Lady Cruise was ill and would not survive the night. Men were sent from Rathmore to bear her remains to the home of her father. Her coffin was taken to Rathmore and brought to the castle, but her coffin had airholes in it.
“Gathering all the Rathmore plate and placing it in the coffin Lady Cruise buried it in the graveyard. It was commonly thought for many centuries that there was treasure buried in Rathmore church. In the nineteenth century one man dug up a portion of the floor near the altar one dark night. A ghost priest with robes appeared behind him and the treasure-seeker left in quite a hurry.
“Lady Cruise fled to England with the title deeds of Rathmore and Cruisetown to escape from her husband’s “inheritors”. In London she gave birth to a daughter who was christened Mary Ann Cruise. Lady Cruise’s money and jewels were gradually eroded in her fight to prove her claim and establish her child’s rights. She lost all the cases she brought for the restoration of her property and was eventually forced to find work. The only job she could get was as a washerwoman. Mother and daughter took in washing and washed and bleached the clothes on the banks of the Thames near London Bridge.
“One day Mary Ann had to go wash on her own as her mother was ill. She started to sing a lament in Irish that her mother had composed on the loss of her estates. A passing gentleman stopped and listened to the song. Sir Thomas Plunkett, the third son of the first Baron of Killeen, understood the Irish song and indeed knew the places mentioned in the song. He approached the girl and she told him the full story. He explained that he was a lawyer and Mary Ann took him to her mother where he was shown the title deeds and other papers. Taking the case he won back Rathmore and Cruisestown castles and their estates and also won the heart and hand of Mary Ann Cruise and so the Plunketts became Lords of Rathmore. That is the legend of Rathmore.” [2]
John Baggot of Castle Bagot married Eleanor Dease (d.1843), daughter of Garret Dease of Turbotstown, and his wife Lady Susan Plunkett. John Baggot bought Castle Bagot in Rathcoole, County Dublin, which still stands. I think he was married before, to Mary (Anne) Walsh, and had daughter Anne who married Ambrose More O’Ferrall (1752-1835).
John Baggot and Eleanor Dease’s sons William Gerald Baggot (d. 1821) and James John Baggot (1784-1860) were involved with Daniel O’Connell and the fight for Catholic Emancipation. William Gerald died young, unfortunately, and James John married but had no children, so the Baggot inheritance passed through their half-sister Anne (d. 1810) who married Ambrose More O’Ferrall, of another strongly Catholic family. Ambrose More O’Ferrall went overseas and fought as a Major in the Royal Sardinian Army (1752-1835). His family was from Balyna in County Kildare. The house is now part of the Moyvalley Hotel. [3]
Eleanor Dease’s brother Gerald (1790-1854) inherited Turbotstown. He married Elizabeth O’Callaghan (d. 1846), daughter of Edmond O’Callaghan of Kilgory, County Clare. Interestingly, aforementioned James John Bagot married her sister, Ellen Maria O’Callaghan. Their sister Catherine married Thomas Browne 3rd Earl of Kenmare.
It was Gerald Dease who had the new Greek Revival house built, perhaps added on to an older house.
The interior of Turbotstown surprised us with an inner hall with a circular opening to an upper floor gallery which is toplit by an octagonal shaped lantern skylight not visible from the front of the house, the octagonal walls of the lantern composed of eight by eight panelled windows. This is a Francis Johnston feature. You can see photographs on Robert O’Byrne’s website. [4]
The staircase hall is also rather grand, the cantilevered staircase winding around in a square shape with a lovely stucco ceiling at the top, and a large arched window provides illumination.
A window detail in the main rooms indicates Francis Johnston’s attention to detail, as they slant upwards, letting in more sunlight, and there are lovely sunbursts carved into the corner timber frames. I didn’t take a photograph but they are similar to those in Rokeby in County Louth (another section 482 house, see my entry ( https://irishhistorichouses.com/2020/08/17/rokeby-hall-grangebellew-county-louth/ ). Another house by Francis Johnston is Townley Hall in County Louth.
Francis Johnston attic window detail, from Sean O’Reilly’s Irish Houses and Gardens, from the Archives of “Country Life.” Aurum Press Ltd, 2008.
Some of the rooms have decorative cornices, and they have lovely high ceilings. Another detail is that the door edge is slightly slanted to prevent drafts!
In the older part of the house is a chapel, still consecrated, which was built by the Dease family. Robert O’Byrnes writes that this was presumably where they worshipped prior to providing the land for the construction of a Roman Catholic church nearby.
One of Gerald Dease’s sons, Gerald Richard, went on to live in Celbridge Abbey in County Kildare, a house which when we last saw it was badly in need of repair.
Celbridge Abbey, Lawrence Photographic Collection National Library of Ireland, French, Robert, 1841-1917 photographer.
Another son, Edmund Gerald Dease (1829-1904), married Mary Grattan, daughter of Henry Grattan. A son of theirs, Major Edmund James Dease (1861-1945) lived at Rath House, Ballybrittas, County Laois and married Mabel More O’Ferrall, a descendant of aforementioned Ambrose More O’Ferrall of Balyna, County Kildare, Mabel was great-granddaughter of Anne Baggot of Castle Bagot, Rathcoole.
Another son, James Arthur Dease, married Charlotte Jerningham and they went on to have many children, and lived in Turbotstown. Of the two sons, one, Gerald, didn’t have children, the other, Edmond Fitzlaurence, sold Turbotstown after his son Maurice died in 1914 in the First World War.
Peter Bland, the current owner of Turbotstown, is a descendant of Major Edmund James Dease (1861-1945) and Mabel More O’Ferrall! Their daughter Marion (1900-1969) married William Bland (1901-1963) of Blandsfort, Abbeyleix, County Laois, Peter’s grandfather. My Dad also was from Abbeyleix, but his father only moved there after his marriage in 1920. Blandsfort house was built by Blands in around 1715.
Another well-known member of the Dease family is from another branch, from Lisney or Lisanny, County Cavan. William Dease (1752-1798) was one of the founders of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. At the time, surgeons were still members of the “Barber-Surgeons Guild.” The red and white stripes one sees on poles outside barber shops hearkens to this time, and represents blood and bandages! The Dictionary of Irish Biography tells us that Dease pointed out that people who trained as doctors were not taught surgery, and that they had to go abroad, as he did to France, to learn surgery. He founded the Dublin Society of Surgeons in 1780, and chaired the committee that successfully campaigned for a royal charter, which was granted in 1784, and the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland was established.
There is a prominent crack on the leg of the statue of William Dease in the College of Surgeons. Dease was sympathetic to the rebels cause in 1798 and legend has it that he heard that he was suspected of being a United Irishman. To avoid capture, he is said to have severed his femoral artery, and bled to death. This artery runs along exactly where the crack is in the sculpture! This story is told by Richard Robert Madden who wrote The United Irishmen, their lives and times. [7]
The Dease family died out, Peter told us. The last Dease, Dorothy, granddaughter of Major Edmond James Dease and Mabel née More O’Ferrall, grew up in Rath House, Ballybrittas, County Laois, and married Major George Geoffrey Robert Edward de Stacpoole, 6th Duc de Stackpoole, a Papal Duke. They lived in Errisbeg House in County Galway, now a bed and breakfast run by the 7th Duke and his family. [6]
A branch of the Bland family used to own Derryquin Castle in County Kerry, now the hotel Parknasilla. The hotel website tells us “The Blands of Derryquin Castle Demense were a Yorkshire family, the first of whom Rev. James Bland came to Ireland in 1692 and from 1693 was vicar of Killarney. His son Nathaniel, a judge and vicar general of Ardfert and Aghadoe obtained a grant of land in 1732 which would later become the Derryquin Estate. Derryquin Castle was the third house of the Blands on this land but it is not known when it was first constructed, its earliest written mention being in 1837, however it was indicated some decades earlier by Nimmo in his 1812 map.” [5]
Nathaniel Bland (1695-1760), Vicar General of Diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe, Picture from The Story of Dorothy Jordan by Clare Jerrold, 1914, courtesy of Teresa Stokes, flickr
It’s wonderful that a descendant of the Dease family is now living in Turbotstown and has renovated it back into a family home.
[1] p. 132, Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh (ed.) Burke’s Irish Family Records. London, U.K.: Burkes Peerage Ltd, 1976.
In August 2012, we visited the Catholic church of St. Finian’s in Kilamactalway, near Newcastle-Lyons, to see the baptismal font donated by Ellen Maria Bagot née O’Callaghan in memory of her husband James John Baggot, who died in 1860 and who had lived in Castle Bagot in Rathcoole/ Kilmactalway.
Tel: 087-9003283 Open dates in 2025: Mar 14-17, 21-23, April 4-6, 11-13, 18-21, May 2-5, 9-11, 16-18, 23-25, June 6-8, 13-15, 20-22, 27-29, July 4-6, 11-13, 18-20, 25-27, Aug 1-4, 8-10, 15-24, Sept 6-7, 13-14, 20-21, 27-28, 1pm-5pm
Fee: adult €10, child/OAP/student €8, groups of 6 or more €8 per person
We went on holidays to County Wexford in May 2023 to visit some Section 482 properties. We visited Kilmokea, Woodville and Sigginstown Castle, as well as the Heritage Trust run Johnstown Castle and OPW owned Tintern Abbey. Unforunately Wells House was only open at the weekend so we have to save that, along with the other Section 482 Wexford properties, for another visit!
The owners of Sigginstown Castle are very brave to have taken on a derelict tower house. They have created something wonderful with its restoration. They restored not only the sixteenth century tower house but also the adjoining house, which was built in the seventeenth century.
When the current owners, Gordon and Liz Jones, purchased the house it had no roof. Liz showed us some photographs of how the house and castle used to look before renovation.
The house as it used to look.The castle as it used to look, along with the house.You can see that the house was completely unroofed and empty.
The Siggins family who owed the castle originally lived in the area from around 1342, and were of Anglo-Norman descent. The castle is built near the coast and would have been built to take advantage of sea trade. Many castles were built along the Wexford coast. The Siggins family also owned a mill nearby. They had rights to the mill as well as to fishing and to salvage of any shipwrecks in the area.
After Cromwell’s invasion and the Down Survey, the Siggins family were dispossessed and they moved to Mayo. The castle passed to William Jacob, a lieutenant in Oliver Cromwell’s army. He purchased more land in the area and his family built the house attached to the castle. Liz pointed out some ceramics which they set into the wall of the house near the door that were dated to that time period.
Eventually the house, castle and lands passed through a daughter who married a farmer named Wilson. The castle remained in that family until sold to the Pierce family, who then sold to the current owners in 2016. The Jones’ began renovation in 2019. They have done much of the work themselves, and found master craftspeople to do what they could not. It is wonderful to see the skills utilised and promoted.
The Facebook page mentions, for example, obtaining flagstones from the Traditional Lime Company. The Jones’ even produced their own handwrought nails, and they limewashed the house and castle using traditional ingredients. They also researched the history of the castle.
You enter the castle through the house. The Jones’ created a wonderful space inside the house with a triple height room, with walkways across and a second entrance to the castle at an upper level.
The ground floor of the house has great entertaining space, with a long dining table and a kitchen and a built in ceramic stove.
Liz and Gordon are members of an international community, the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). It sounds like a great group, and they do medieval re-enactments and events. Liz and Gordon are also musicians and most recently participated in an event “W.B. Yeats, in Story and Song.” See their facebook page for details. The page also describes the journey of creating this beautiful space. During its creation they participated in some television programmes including “Castle Hunting in Ireland” and a renovation show with presenter and architect Hugh Wallace.
The ground floor room in the castle opens up to a vaulted ceiling with remains of the wickerwork on which the vaulted ceiling was originally built. The Jones’ only put in a half floor at the first level, resting on original corbels, to create a more spacious room than may have been in the original layout. The stone stairs in the tower were quite intact, with just the bottom steps removed to stop cattle from climbing upstairs!
The castle has some of the usual protective features, but not all, as it is a small castle. It has machicolation at the top, and an “oubliette,” a place where someone can be imprisoned and forgotten about! In this castle it’s a deep chimney type space or shaft.
The next level of the castle opens onto a beautifully decorated room. The painting uses sixteenth century sources. A friend of the Jones’ painted the murals. Some paintings copy a De Burgo manuscript, and the phrases are in “Yola,” “ye old language,” a mixture of Finnish, Norman and English.
The paintings are also personal to the Jones’. For example, the women painted represent family members and their interests in painting, poetry and music. They also represent virtues, such as courage, justice and mirth, as well as temperance.
The floor is made of ceramic tiles. Liz discovered clay on the land, and she found a man who could make tiles from scratch. He built a medieval style kiln and they fired the tiles they made. All of the decorative tiles on the floor were made on site, and the plain tiles were sources from Spain.
A door at this level opens into the upper floor of the house.
We then went up to the next floor. This has a maritime theme. A map on the wall is a 1610 map of Wexford. Ships used to come from Bristol, but the coast is treacherous.
I was tremendously impressed with the new roof of the castle, all hand-hewn and lifted into place. The trees that provided the green oak timber came from County Carlow, and the carpenter/joiner was James Grace. He put his own signature on the beams, with “Grace and Plenty.”
Liz and Gordon seem to embody the values on their castle walls of grace and strength, as well as hospitality, warmth and generosity. May the castle stand another 500 years and more as a testament to their spirit!
This calendar is A5 (14.8 x 21 cm) size 84 page date book with space to write your appointments, and 80 photographs of historic houses from this website. They do not have the Revenue Section 482 list for 2024 as that is not published until late February.
2024 Diary of Irish Historic Houses (section 482 properties)
To purchase an A5 size 2024 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 fund the maintenance and update of this website. It is created purely out of love for the subject and I receive no payment so any donation is appreciated!
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
As well as places to visit, I have listed separately places to stay, because some of them are worth visiting – you may be able to visit for afternoon tea or a meal.
For places to stay, I have made a rough estimate of prices at time of publication:
€ = up to approximately €150 per night for two people sharing (in yellow on map);
€€ – up to approx €250 per night for two;
€€€ – over €250 per night for two.
2025 Diary of Irish Historic Houses (section 482 properties)
To purchase an A5 size 2025 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 2025: Jan 1-4, 29-31, Feb 3-5, Mar 5-7, 10-11, Apr 3-4, 11-13, May 10-12, 19-23, July 5-7, Aug 2-31, Dec 19-23, 27-30, 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])
www.kilmokea.com Tourist Accommodation Facility Gardens Open in 2025: April 1-Nov 2, 10am-6pm
Fee: adult €9, OAP €6, student /child €5, family €25
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).”
www.sigginstowncastle.com Open dates in 2025: Mar 14-17, 21-23, April 4-6, 11-13, 18-21, May 2-5, 9-11, 16-18, 23-25, June 6-8, 13-15, 20-22, 27-29, July 4-6, 11-13, 18-20, 25-27, Aug 1-4, 8-10, 15-24, Sept 6-7, 13-14, 20-21, 27-28, 1pm-5pm
Fee: adult €10, child/OAP/student €8, groups of 6 or more €8 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.“
14. Woodville House, New Ross, Co. WexfordY34 WP93– section 482
www.woodvillegardens.ie Open dates in 2025: May 1-31, June 1-30, July 1-31, Aug 1-24, 10am-5pm
Fee: adult/OAP /student €7, child under 12 years free
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage tells us that it was allegedly erected for Edward William Tottenham (d. 1860) on the occasion of his marriage (1807) to Henrietta Alcock (d. 1861).
Woodville House, photograph courtesy of Woodville house website.Woodville House, photograph courtesy of Woodville house website.
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.”
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.“
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, see above
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.“
20. Woodville House, New Ross, Co Wexford – 482, see above
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.”
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.
2025 Diary of Irish Historic Houses (section 482 properties)
To purchase an A5 size 2025 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!
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General enquiries (01) 833 1618, casinomarino@opw.ie
From the website:
“The Casino is a remarkable building, both in terms of structure and history. Sir William Chambers designed it as a pleasure-house for James Caulfeild, first earl of Charlemont, beside his residence in what was then the countryside. It is a gem of eighteenth-century neo-classical architecture. In fact, it is one of the finest buildings of that style in Europe.
The term ‘casino’ in this case means ‘little house’, and from the outside it gives an impression of compactness. However, it contains 16 rooms, each of which is finely decorated and endlessly rich in subtle and rare design. The Zodiac Room, for example, has a domed ceiling which represents the sky with astrological symbols modelled around its base.“
The Casino website tells us that the plan of the Casino is in the shape of a Greek cross, and it is only fifty feet square. There are three floors containing sixteen rooms. Although small, they are entirely habitable, with service rooms in the basement, reception rooms on the main floor, and sleeping quarters on the upper floor. There is, however, no evidence of any long term occupation of the building. The exterior of the building is that of a one-room Greek temple, so the complexity of the interior was achieved by remarkable architectural design. This includes faux windows, gib doors, hollow columns, and disguised chimneys. Only half of the great front door actually swings open to admit entrance.
Very little is known about how the inside of the building originally looked. There are brief descriptions surviving in Charlemont’s own correspondence or in that of visitors, or rare mentions in sales catalogues. The exterior of the building is heavily decorated. Four statues adorn the attic storey; Bacchus, Ceres, Venus, and Apollo declare the abundance and love of good living that inspired the creation of the Casino. Around the chimney-urns curve mermaids and mermen. The ‘ceilings’ of the outside porches are densely carved to create a stucco effect. Four large Egyptian-style lions guard the corners. [1] Service tunnels underground surround the building, lit from above by grilles.
Mark Bence-Jones writes in his Guide to Irish Country Houses:
“… in the form of a Roman Doric temple, … built over the years 1758-76. It is one of the most exquisite miniature C18 buildings in Europe; within an exterior that appears to be sculptured rather than built are a number of little rooms, each of them perfectly proportioned and finished; with plasterwork ceilings, doorcases and inlaid floors. Sir Sacheverell Sitwell compares them to the little rooms in the Petit Trianon, and indeed the Casino shows considerable French influence, both inside and out. Among those who worked on the Casino was Simon Vierpyl, the sculptor and builder from Rome, and Joseph Wilton, the sculptor. The house [Marino] has long been demolished, but the Casino is maintained as a National Monument and has been restored by Mr Austin Dunphy of O’Neill Flanagan and Partners, in conjunction with the Office of Public Works.” [1]
The website of the Casino educates us about the family who owned the Casino. James Caulfeild succeeded to the titles 8th Lord Caulfeild, Baron of Charlemont and 4th Viscount Charlemont on the death of his father in 1734. It was not until 1763 that he was created 1st Earl of Charlemont, as recognition for keeping the peace in the Armagh/ Tyrone area. He was well-known for his love of the arts, and spent a record nine years on Grand Tour through Europe, Turkey, and Egypt. With the help of his stepfather, Thomas Adderley, he established himself at Marino on his return to Ireland in 1755. Here he began the improvements to his Marino estate, one of which was the celebrated Casino.
He was a leader in many different areas of eighteenth-century Irish society. Instrumental in setting up the Royal Irish Academy, he was also its first President. He was a member of the Royal Dublin Society, and a supporter of Grattan’s parliament. He was also a founding member of the Irish Volunteers (formed to protect Ireland from invasion while British troops served in the American Revolutionary War). His contribution to Irish culture was significant and lasting. [3]
The website tells us that while James was on his Grand Tour in Rome, he had become acquainted with those he would eventually hire to create his estate at Marino. This included William Chambers, Simon Vierpyl, Johann Heinrich Müntz, and Giovanni Battista Cipriani. Charlemont’s heavy involvement in the composition of the buildings at Marino, as well as his house in Rutland Square, is clear from the correspondence that has survived. In many ways, what he created at Marino was a living testament to the different cultures and styles he had experienced while travelling, and his buildings there were fitting exhibition spaces to the huge number of souvenirs and collectable items he brought home.
William Chambers in the style of Joshua Reynolds, courtesy of Adam’s auction 13 Oct 2015.The Casino, August 5th 2023: this diorama shows what the estate looked like when in its glory, with a large pentagon shaped garden.The Crescent at Clontarf and Lord Charlemount’s house from the North Wall in Dublin 1812.The light from the mobile phone is shining on the location of Lord Charlemont’s residence.
The website tells us of Lord Charlemont’s ancestor who came to Ireland:
“Toby Caulfeild was born in Oxfordshire, England, the son of Alexander Caulfeild (c. 1520 – c. 1581; also known as Alexander Calfhill). A military man, he was sent to Fort Charlemont on the border of Tyrone and Armagh in 1601 by Queen Elizabeth. For his services to the Crown, James I granted him over 25,000 acres of land in Northern Ireland over the next twenty years. This included land from the old O’Neill estates in Tyrone, the confiscation of which he supervised from 1607-10. It was on these lands that he build Castle Caulfeild, now in ruins. He died in Dublin and is buried at Christchurch Cathedral there.“
The website also tells us about his mother Elizabeth Bernard:
Elizabeth Caulfeild (née Bernard), Viscountess Charlemont (21 February 1703 – 20 May 1743):
“Elizabeth Bernard, from Castle Mahon, Co. Cork, married James Caulfeild, 3rd Viscount Charlemont (1682 – 1734), in 1723 when she was twenty years old. They lived in Jervis St, Dublin, where he attended parliament as MP for Charlemont in Armagh. Elizabeth and James had at least six children together before he died eleven years later; three survived beyond infancy. These were Francis, Alice, and James. On the death of his father, James became 4th Viscount Charlemont.
“Six years after the death of her husband, Elizabeth married Thomas Adderley (1713 – 1791) from Innishannon in Cork. They lived in Dublin, and had one child together; Elizabeth Adderley. Thomas Adderley was an active and involved stepfather to James Caulfeild, providing advice and help to him throughout his transition to adulthood and after. He was buried in St Mary’s Church on Mary St in Dublin; today his gravestone can been seen among those leaning against the back wall of what is now Wolfe Tone Park.“
The website also tells us more about the architect of the Casino, William Chambers:
“Born in Sweden to a Scottish father in 1723, he spent the first few years of his working life travelling to and from China as an agent of the Swedish East India Company. At the age of twenty-six, he began training as an architect in Paris, later living in Rome, where he was a member of Charlemont’s circle. He moved to London to establish his practice in the same year that Charlemont returned to Dublin (1755). He achieved great success in England, with much employment from King George III and his mother, the Dowager Princess Augusta. His Treatise on Civil Architecture, published in 1759, was a huge influence on Palladian neoclassicism in Britain. The Casino appeared in this Treatise as a plate illustration (image below). Chambers would go on to count James Gandon as one of his students.
“As well as the Casino at Marino, Chambers completed designs for Charlemont House and Trinity College, and for modifications to Rathfarnham Castle, Castletown House, and Leinster House, among others. He never, however, visited Ireland in person. His projects with Charlemont were discussed at great length, over two decades, in numerous letters; many of these can be read today in the Royal Irish Academy. One of his original drawings for the Casino is on display in the building.”
Photograph of the Casino taken 1951, Dublin City Library archives. [see 3]
It was London-born Simon Vierpyl who oversaw the building work. The website tells us:
“He was an accomplished sculptor and builder, who was living in Rome at the same time as Charlemont and Chambers. Impressed with his work on a commission of terracotta copies of statues and busts (now in the Royal Irish Academy), Charlemont invited him to come to Ireland. Vierpyl arrived in 1756, and supervised work on the Casino, something he was complimented for in Chambers’ Treatise. He stayed in Ireland for the rest of his life, working as a builder or developer on many central Dublin sites. He married twice, and died in Athy, Co. Kildare in 1810 at the age of around eighty-five.”
It was hard to take this photograph due to light, but you can just about make out the interior plan of the Casino.
The website also tells us about Giovanni Battista Cipriani, an Italian painter:
“He was another member of Charlemont’s circle in the early 1750s in Rome; in 1755, he also left the city, and travelled in England in the company of Joseph Wilton. Wilton was a sculptor whose work is represented at the Casino in the four lions which guard it. Cipriani’s contribution was the design of the four attic statues, and the dragon gates that formed the entrance to the estate. Copies of his original sketches for the four statues, as well as a revised sketch of Venus, can be seen on display in the State Bedroom today. The gods represented (Ceres, Bacchus, Venus, and Apollo) were chosen by Charlemont and Chambers, designed by Cipriani, and then sculpted by either Wilton or Vierpyl on site.“
James Caulfeild married Mary Hickman (d. 1807). The website tells us about her:
“Mary Hickman was from Brickhill in Co. Clare, and married James Caulfeild in 1768, when James was forty years of age. It was rumoured that James had left bachelorhood reluctantly, and only because he wanted to block his brother from inheriting his estate at Marino (Francis had differing architectural taste). However, James and Mary seem to have had a happy marriage; a letter describes how she read works of scholarship aloud to him after his eyesight had become weak with age.
“They had four children: Elizabeth, Francis, James, and Henry. On the death of his father in 1799, Francis became the 2nd Earl of Charlemont. After her husband’s death, Mary continued to live at Marino, until her own death in 1807. She is buried with her husband in Armagh Cathedral.“
The website gives us an “online tour.” The first room is the Vestibule. The website tells us:
“The entrance hall is known as the vestibule. The surprise in this room is the small rosewood mahogany front door. Outside, the front door is made of Irish oak and much larger in scale. Chambers stipulated the oak door should never be treated so it will eventually blend in with the Portland stone of the building. The reason for the deceptively large door outside is to give the impression the building is a one-roomed, one-storey Greek temple. As with all the rooms on the ground floor, below the faux bois (fake wood) floor covering, the parquet floors include many different types of wood (American black walnut, ebony, boxwood, Indian laurel, mahogany and maple) some now in danger (camwood and fustic). Each room features a different geometrical shape in the parquetry.“
Above the three doors on the curved wall to the south of the vestibule is a semi-circular apse. This recalls the full domed ceiling of the Pantheon in Rome with the same coffers (panels). The coffers give us the illusion of height in a room that is actually quite small, though perfectly proportioned.
“The higher, rectangular section of the ceiling holds a trophy which includes the lyre of Apollo at its centre surrounded by laurel leaves which appear throughout the building. We believe a statue of Apollo may have stood in one of the two niches. Just below the ceiling, in the frieze, you will notice many classical motifs representing Charlemont’s ideals. From north to south you have motifs musical instruments, the east shows agricultural tools and the west has carpentry tools, a a celebration of culture and agriculture. Other decorative details in this room, echoed throughout the building, are the waterleaf, the dentil mouldings (looking like large square teeth) and the egg and dart. The egg is the symbol of fertility and life and the dart is the symbol of death. In this room you also have the Vitruvian scroll in the chair rail and above which you have the Greek key, a symbol of eternity as the pattern is supposed to have no beginning, no middle and no end.“
“The oldest item in the building can be found in this room. It is under the window and is a Greek Stele, a headstone Lord Charlemont sent back from his Grand Tour which he found in Greece. It is from 350 BC. During his Grand Tour many antiquities were sent back and would have been on show around the estate or perhaps even in the tunnels, off the light-well, surrounding the basement.“
“The Blue Saloon, which was the main reception room, was sparsely furnished. Originally, there was a magnificent fireplace designed by Francis Harwood, made of white marble, featuring a life-size ram’s head and lapis lazuli inserts. The fireplace was balanced on the opposite side of the room by an equally elaborate table in marble with lapis lazuli inserts (by Joseph Wilton). Both had since been removed. The current fireplace with its smaller ram’s heads came from Marino House. The ram’s head was a signature trademark of Sir William Chambers and in the each corner of the room there are more 4 rams’ heads. The curved white ceiling set with octagonal coffers surrounds a single compartment representing a blue sky with Apollo’s head emerging from a sunburst. Apollo is the God of the sun. Below the curved ceiling in the carved mouldings are a series of pine cones. The ancient Romans associated pine cones with Venus, the goddess of love. Pine cones symbolise human enlightenment, resurrection, eternal life, regeneration and fertility.
“The colour scheme of the room was related to the ornaments it once displayed – primarily the white marble and blue lapis lazuli of the fireplace and table. In 1769, Charlemont wrote to Chambers and recommended that “…the Entablature, doorcase etc of the room should be dead white touched with blue and that the cove parts of the ceiling… be of a more brilliant white.” The blue silk wall hangings were possibly broken up with paintings. In the original design for this room, there were five wooden doors. The main entrance door, two doors giving access to rooms on each side and two more false doors to create symmetry. However, Lord Charlemont made alterations to simplify this space by removing the two fake doors and making the two other doors jib doors (hidden doors).
“The Zodiac Room is accessed from the Blue Saloon via hidden or jib doors. One of the first things to notice in this room is that the window appears to only have twelve panes of glass. However, on the outside, the same window has thirty panes of glass. This is due to the Zodiac Room sharing its space with the lower and upper stairwell next door, therefore the window is also shared between the three spaces. The trick used to distract the visitor from this deception is the form of the glass itself. Outside, the glass panes are convex in shape, reflecting more of what you see behind you than what is going on inside. In this room, a sense of space and height is created by the domed ceiling that provides an optical illusion, making it almost impossible to tell if the height is one inch, one meter or three metres. Resting perfectly below this dome are the twelve signs of the zodiac which is the reason this room gets its name. Apart from the zodiac mouldings, this room is highly decorated with egg and dart mouldings which you see on the door frame, the panels/coffers in the door and in the sides/jambs of both the door and the windows. The egg is the symbol of fertility and life and the dart symbolises death.“
I found it impossible to capture the entire domed ceiling, which is bordered by signs of the zodiac, in a photograph.
“A letter from George Montagu to Horace Walpole in 1761 said that “I have been to see Lord Charlemont’s collection. He has some charming things that would merit a show even at Strawberry. His medals are very fine, a charming Titian of Borgia, two Carlo Marats, a Claude, two fine vases, a Queen Elizabeth, a lion’s skin of yellow that serves for a veil, a brave collection of books, etc.”
“The China Closet, originally called the Boudoir, is situated on the western arm of the ground floor. The ground and upper floors are laid out in the shape of a Greek cross while the basement is square in shape which acts as a plinth for the Casino to sit on, making the Casino one of the first sculptural buildings in Ireland. After a fire in the early 19th century, the walls of this room where redecorated by the 2nd Lady Charlemont, Anne Berminghan, who married Francis, the 2nd Earl, son of James Caufeild, in 1802. She was a wealthy heiress, which allowed Francis to maintain the Marino estate after the great debts he had inherited on the death of his father. Anne hung decorative china plates on the walls giving the room the new name of the China Closet.“
“The floor and ceiling details, original to the 18th century, highlight the use of symmetry and harmony in the building with their large lattice rectangles enclosing smaller rectangles and a central oval. In addition, on the floor, in the central oval, we have a geometrical sunburst while the ceiling’s oval is made up of fasces surrounded by laurel leaves which are symbols of excellence stemming back to the early Olympic Games in Greece. The appearance of the fasces bring us back to ancient Rome when soldiers used sticks or rods, tied together with bands, to control the crowd and these were called fasces. However, in times of insurgence, there was a sword or knife hidden within the fasces to kill people. Fasces in the Casino demonstrate authority and power. Everything in the Casino is symbolic, like the agricultural tools above the doorway and over the window including a scythe, fork, rake and shovel, representing Lord Charlemont’s ideals of culture and agriculture.
“The recess at the northern end of the China Closet has a hand-painted Chinese wallpaper which came from Rathbeale Hall, in Swords, Co Dublin, installed during the OPW restoration between 1974 and 1984.“
The landing: “All of the upstairs rooms suffered during the Casino’s period of dereliction, as the flat roof had fallen in. Therefore these rooms may have once been more highly decorated than they appear today. However, at the very top of the staircase, is an exuberant Rococo shell design in eighteenth-century plasterwork, which may give an idea of how the rest of the cornices and covings looked during the building’s original period. There are 5 doors on the landing, to the waiting room, the State Room, the pink room, the servant’s room and to a small stairs behind a cleverly-hinged door which once led to the viewing platform on the roof of the Casino. The roof was a very popular place to visit during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, due to the extravagant views it afforded down across the peaceful meadows to the seashore. Lord Charlemont likened this view to the Bay of Naples, and the peak of the Sugarloaf in the distance to Mount Vesuvius.“
The State Room:
“The first floor is also known as the Attic storey of the Casino or Temple as it is referred to on the maps here on this floor. Up here, our view our the window has been sacrificed so that no outside viewer could see this floor at all. What is visible from the windows, is how the floor slopes into a cavity which leads into a hollow column and the drainage system. There are four of these (nearest to each lion) neatly disguising a drainage system. Chambers designed this using engineering he had learned when he was in China. And it still works today. There are four rooms up on this level. Three of them are plain without stucco or plasterwork and very little decorative features. The grandest and largest upper room is called the State Room. The Casino is a neoclassical house, usually demonstrating restraint and austerity but here we have bling and ostentatiousness. The colour scheme here is consistent with later 18th century and the style more akin to Rococo or even Regency style.“
“We have gold painted Ionic fluted (grooved) columns separating the room. These are resplendent with pineapples proudly placed in the centre of the Scrolled Capitals (volutes). In the 19th century, lead from the roof was stolen and there was a lot of water damage particularly to this level of the house. While the hollow timber columns are not structural, they helped save the ceiling timbers from falling (so they were structural in the end). The inlaid floors and ceiling mouldings were mostly restored in the 1974-84 refurbishment by the OPW. It has been suggested that Chambers did not have a hand in its design but that Simon Vierpyl took charge here. There are no documented connections between Chambers and the top floor at all, and it is possible that when he ceased his work on the project (due to late payment of bills), it was intended to have just one floor above the basement level. On display in this room is Chambers’ original drawing for the Casino.“
“On the wall of the small (waiting) room adjacent to the State Room are the remains of a plinth on which a small daybed would have rested (like a chaise lounge). Imagine Lord Charlemont reclining on a bed practicing a Levee Ceremony. Levee, from the French lever – to rise, to get up, had, at the time, become a fashionable trend in aristocratic circles. Noblemen got dressed from their beds while receiving guests to discuss the day’s business. Here, it would have been practiced in a tongue-in-cheek way, much like a performance. Remember, this was a ‘pleasure house’ and a house for fun and entertainment. In any case, the State Room is a ‘show-off’ room and we believe that James Caulfeild, 4th Viscount and 1st Earl of Charlemont, was a bit of a show off.”
“Francis William Caulfeild, 2nd Earl of Charlemont (3 January 1775 – 26 December 1863) was the son of James and Mary above, and succeeded to the title of Earl on the death of his father in 1799. Until 1799, he had represented Armagh in the House of Commons. From 1806, he sat in the House of Lords. He had a keen interest in horticulture, and sat on the botany committee of the Royal Dublin Society. His name and that of his head gardener also frequently appeared in newspaper reports, as the winners of prizes for best flowers and fruit in agricultural shows in Dublin.
“He maintained and further improved the estate at Marino, as well as the other family residences in Charlemont House on Rutland Square, and Roxborough Castle in Co. Tyrone. It was at the house in Marino that he died in 1863, before being buried in the family crypt in Armagh.“
“Francis married Anne Caulfeild (née Bermingham), Countess of Charlemont (c. 1780 – 23 November 1876) on the 9th of February, 1802. She was a celebrated beauty in her youth. A bust of her by Joseph Nollekens was exhibited in Windsor Castle; Lord Byron wrote of his intense admiration for the beauty of this work and its muse. He wrote of Lady Charlemont’s beauty in other venues too, leading to speculation about their friendship.“
Anne’s sister Mary married Nathaniel Clements, 2nd Earl of Leitrim.
“Anne and Francis had four children – James, William, Maria, and Emily – all of whom died before the age of twenty-one. In later life, they seemed to live quite separate lives. On the accession of Queen Victoria, Anne was appointed Lady of the Bedchamber, and lived in London. Her address when she died, at the age of ninety-five, was Grosvenor St. Some watercolours and sketches she made while a young wife in Marino can be viewed in the National Library of Ireland. As Francis died with no living heirs, the title of Earl of Charlemont passed to his nephew, James Molyneux Caulfeild.“
In 1876, The 2nd Lady Charlemont (Anne Bermingham) died, after which the 3rd Earl, James Molyneux Caulfeild, son of the second Earl’s brother Henry Caulfeild (1779-1862), MP for County Armagh, and therefore grandson to the 1st Earl, inherited. He inherited the title from his uncle, Francis. He sold the estate lands. James the 3rd Earl married Elizabeth Jane Somerville, daughter of William Meredyth Somerville 1st Baron Athlumney, of Somerville and Dollarstown, Co. Meath
The website tells us: “He was born in Hockley, Armagh, and lived there until he moved to Cambridge for his education as an adult. He was later High Sheriff and MP for Armagh, as well as Lord Lieutenant for Co. Tyrone.
“Basing himself wholly in the north of Ireland, James lived at Roxborough Castle which, on the death of the 2nd Earl, he began remodelling and extending with the architect William Barre. Some items from the Dublin residences were transported north and reused in this house. On the death of Anne Caulfeild, he sold the estate (Casino included) at Marino to Cardinal Cullen, who donated most of it to the Christian Brothers. After James Molyneux Caulfeild, the title of Earl of Charlemont did not continue, although the title of Viscount continues down to the present day, the current holder being the 16th Viscount Charlemont.“
Cardinal Cullen who kept thirty acres for an orphanage (the O’Brien Institute), and gave the remaining land (over 300 acres) to the Christian Brothers.
[2] p. 201, 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.
I had a busy Open House Dublin this year as I made sure to be up and in front of my computer at 9am when booking started, to try to get a place to visit the Provost’s House. I didn’t manage to on the day, but I joined the Irish Architecture Foundation especially to try to see places not normally open to the public, and I was in luck! They later offered some tickets to see the Provost’s House on the Friday morning of Open House this year and I jumped at the chance.
I’m a bit late writing about it, as Stephen and I took a short jaunt to visit Venice for the first time! First of many, I hope, as I loved it. This time we only had time to see the Basilica di San Marco and the Doge’s Palace, and we went on a water bus trip up the Grand Canal.
The Provost’s House is a five bay two storey over basement house with later built wings, single-storey of seven bays each, which hold offices. It is built to impress, with a carved balustrade along the first floor stringcourse, and a row of Doric pilasters on the first storey facade topped with a frieze of metops and bucrania. The upper storey is limestone but the lower level has rusticated vermiculated stone which absorbs the pollution of the air and has become blackened.
Although Henry Keene is identified as the architect, it is said to copy Richard Boyle 3rd Earl of Burlington’s design for General Wade’s Mayfair house, but George Montague, in a letter to Horace Walpole in 1761, commented ‘The Provost’s House of the university is just finished after the plan of General Wade’s but half of the proportions and symmetry were lost at sea in coming over’.
The National Inventory tells us that it was commissioned for Provost Francis Andrews, and “Dr Frederick O’Dwyer has suggested that John Magill, the builder, conspired with Andrews to divert funds from the west front of Parliament Square for its building. Andrews was heavily criticised by contemporaries for removing his lodgings from the main college residences. It was extended in 1775 to designs by Christopher Myers and continued to be augmented and updated into the nineteenth century when John Mallet was paid £326 5s 3½d for plumbing works. According to Casey (2005), the interior is reminiscent of Richard Castle’s country house design for Bellinter in Co Meath, and of Castle’s design for number 85 Stephen’s Green. The octagonal stair supports an iron balustrade by Timothy Turner. The saloon chimneypiece decorative designs are derived from Boucher’s ‘Livres des Arts’. The interior plasterwork is by Patrick and John Wall and the carving by James Robinson and Richard Cranfield.“
Uptairs is a large salon which takes up nearly the entire floor and is perfect for the Provost’s entertaining. Traditionally, Provosts didn’t marry, so the house is not built for a family, it does not have large living quarters.
On Saturday Stephen and I went on a tour of Dun Laoghaire’s County Hall, and then to Loughlinstown House. Sunday I went to see a house in the Tenters in Dublin, then for an architect’s tour of the outside of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. I can’t wait until the inside is open again, now being renovated by the Office of Public Works.
Irish Historic Houses 