Aghamarta Castle, Carrigaline, Co Cork – house with ruined castle
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.
“(O’Grady.LGI1912; Clarke/IFR) An irregular two storey house faced in cement, with an enclosed porch fronted by Doric columns and some dormer-gables. The house stands in a fine position overlooking the Owenboy estuary. There is a ruined castle in the grounds.”
Detached irregular-plan two- and three-storey over-basement house, built c.1860, comprising four-bay south entrance front with projecting single-storey flat-roofed porch, with two-bay two-storey wing to south-east corner having single-bay addition and attached carriage arch to south gable. Two-bay single-storey former ballroom attached to west gable, entrance front. Full-height canted bays to north-east and north-west corners. Single-storey addition with curved end to east elevation. Hipped and pitched slate roofs with rendered chimneystacks, moulded eaves course and cast-iron rainwater goods. Gabled dormers to front elevation. Rendered walls. Square-headed openings having one-over-one and two-over-two timber sliding sash windows, in single, paired and tripartite arrangements. Timber panelled internal shutters. Timber panelled door having moulded render surround with vermiculated quoins, flanked by pair of Doric columns with entablature above. Polychrome tiles to porch interior. Garden pavillion to north-east. Farmyard complex to south-west. Remains of mill and lime kilns to site.
Appraisal
Built in the nineteenth century when the tower house to the north-west fell into ruin, this handsome house is thought to have been built by the O’Grady family. With remains of related structures including a mill, lime kilns and extensive outbuildings in the demesne, this house once formed the centre piece of a grand estate. The irregular plan and form are typical features of architectural fashions in the latter part of the nineteenth century. It retains much of its traditional fabric including timber sliding sash windows, decorative render details and internal features including timber panelled shutters and polychrome tiles.
http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/property-list.jsp?letter=A
This property was held in fee by the representatives of Carew O’Grady at the time of Griffith’s Valuation, when it was valued at £22. Lewis noted it as the seat of Carew O’Grady in 1837. Local sources suggest that he had purchased it, c.1824, from the Pomeroy family, who had purchased it from the Earl of Shannon in the later seventeenth century. The original castle was replaced by the existing house in the 1830s. The property is now a farm and cookery school. See www.thompsonsfarmshop.com
https://www.geni.com/projects/Historic-Buildings-of-County-Cork/29338
probably built in the 12th century. In the late 17th century the castle was sold by the Earl of Shannon to the Pomeroy family. In 1824 Aghamarta Castle was bought by the O’Grady family. Then the castle was in great disrepair, and the O’Grady’s used stone from the castle in the construction of the present mansion in 1830. The O’Grady’s sold the property in 1916.
https://www.castles.nl/aghamarta-castle
Aghamarta Castle, lies in a field, east of the town of Carrigaline, in County Cork in Ireland.
Aghamarta Castle was probably built in the 12th century. In the late 17th century the castle was sold by the Earl of Shannon to the Pomeroy family.
In 1824 Aghamarta Castle was bought by the O’Grady family. Then the castle was in great disrepair, and the O’Grady’s used stone from the castle in the construction of the present mansion in 1830. The O’Grady’s sold the property in 1916.
At present the mansion is used as a school and the ruin of Aghamarta Castle lies in the grounds of this school. These grounds are used as a school garden. It is a small but nice ruin.
Irish Historic Houses 