Muckridge, Youghal, Co Cork

Bence-Jones, Mark. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.   

p. 220. “A two storey double bow-fronted Georgian house. The seat of a branch of the Fitzgerald family.” 

The Buildings of Ireland. Cork City and County. Frank Keohane. Yale University Press: New Haven and London. 2020. 

p. 27. Of mid-C18 Palladian interiors, good representative examples with panelled dados, lugged architraves, fielded panelling and chunky cornices are found at Coole Abbey House, Assolas, Cloghroe, Kilshannig, and Blackrock House. Curiously, the heavy Palladian lugged architrave remained in use in the county long after it fell out of fashion elsewhere. At Lisnabrin, Dunkathel, Burton, Rockforest and Muckridge, the form is encountered in late C18 Neoclassical interiors, suggesting an innate conservatism among local joiners. The finest joinery in most houses is reserved for the staircase, and in many cases these have survived. The best early C18 staircases, at the Red House and Annes Grove, have alternating barley-twist and columnar balusters, big Corinthian newel posts, ramped handrails and carved tread-end brackets. Mount Alvernia (Mallow), Carrigrohane and Cloghroe all have good mid-C18 staircases of a similar type; that at Lota is exceptional in its use of mahogany and for its imperial plan. Good Neoclassical staircases, geometrical in form with delicate ironwork balustrades, survive at Maryborough, Newmarket Court and Castle Hyde; the destruction of those at Vernon Mount is a particularly sad loss. 

The best early plasterwork is that of the Swiss-Italian brothers Paolo and Filippo Lafranchini at Riverstown, where highly sculptural late Baroque figurative ornament is applied to the walls and ceilings of the Saloon… Filippo alone decorated two rooms at Kilshannig, blending late Baroque figures with lighter acanthus arabesques and putti. Rococo plasterwork featuring scrolling acanthus and birds comparable to the Dublin school of the 1760s is encountered in the Saloon at Castlemartyr, and at Maryborough. At Laurentium (Doneraile) and the Old College (Youghal), it is rather more hesitant. For the most part, stucco workers remain anonymous, so it is a happy circumstance that Patrick Osborne’s accomplished work at the former Mansion House at Cork is recorded. He also probably worked at Lota, as well as at Castle Hyde. Good Neoclassical plasterwork in low relief and employing small-scale classical motifs of the type made fashionable by Robert Adam and James Wyatt is found at Maryborough, at Old Court House (Rochestown), and at the Old College and Loreto College at Youghal.  

Mount Rivers, Carrigaline, Co Cork

Bence-Jones, Mark. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.   

p. 216. “ (Roberts/LGI1958) A three storey Georgian house which seems originally to have had a front consisting of a centre recessed between two projections with rounded corners. At a later date, the centre in the two upper storeys was filled in, making a front of four bays; on the ground floor there is still a central convex-sided recess, which is fronted by a single-storey portico with slender columns. The rounded out corners of th front have curved windows and are frmaed by blocked quoins. Eaved roof. Staircase of good joinery behind entrance hall, rising to top of the house. Drawing room and dining room with rounded corners. A seat of the Robertses; now being restored by Leslie Roberts, having not been occupied by his family for some years.” 

Mount Prospect, Bandon, Co Cork

Bence-Jones, Mark. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.   

p. 216. “(Drake-Brockman/LG1972) A late Georgian house of two storeys over a basement and five bays. Large and elegant fanlighted doorway, with diamond glazed astragals. In 1837, the residence of Mrs Bradshaw; in late 1940s, of Mrs C.B. Drake-Brockman. Now owned by Mr and Mrs James Werner, who run a reproduction furniture businesss and a clothes boutique here.” 

Mount Pleasant (formerly Curravordy), Bandon, Co Cork

Bence-Jones, Mark. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London. 

p. 216. “Baldwin/LGI1958) A Georgian house consisting of a two storey block with lower wings. Entrance front with two round-headed windows on either side of the centre, lighting the man and secondary stairs. Large hall with arch opening into staircase hall; staircase with elegant ironwork balustrade. A seat of the Baldwin family by whom it was sold in C19. The property was bought ca 1949 by Mr Gerald Allen, who did not, however, restore the house, but used it to house a refrigerating plant.”   

Mount Long, Oyster Haven, County Cork

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. 

Mount Long, Oyster Haven, Co Cork: p. 215. “An early C17 semi-fortified house similar to Monkstown Castle. Romantically situated on the side of Oyster Haven; built 1631 by Dr John Long, who was afterwards hanged for his part in the Rising of 1641. The principal room had a plasterwork frieze of Scriptural and hunting scenes. Now a ruin.” 

The Buildings of Ireland. Cork City and County. Frank Keohane. Yale University Press: New Haven and London. 2020. 

The fortified houses of the late C16 and early C17 constitute a bridge between the medieval tower house and the modern mansion. They were built by old Norman families, at Castle Lyons and Ightermurragh (Ladysbridge); by city merchants, such as the Archdeacons at Monkstown; by English settlers, at Baltimore, Coppinger’s Court (Rosscarbery) and Mallow; and by Gaelic chiefs, at Coolnalong (Durrus), Mount Long (Oysterhaven), Kanturk, Dromaneen (Mallow) and Reendiseart (Ballylickey). Twenty-two such houses survive in Cork. 

In comparison to tower houses, these houses are better lit, have thinner walls, lack vaults, and feature timber floors and staircases as well as integral fireplaces. They are also notably symmetrical in plan and elevation, and some, such as Kanturk, incorporate proto-classical features. They generally retain some defensive features, such as door yetts, gunloops, bartizans and crenellated parapets, [p. 18] although their wall-walks were not all continuous, and in cases such as Mount Long and Monkstown were barely accessible. The other notable feature is the use of towers or turrets, influenced no doubt by the Elizabethan fashion for a quasi-military appearance derived from an earlier chivalric age. The arrangement of the towers gives rise to distinctive plan-forms: U plan (Coolnalong), Y-plan (Mallow and Coppinger’s court), L-plan (Dromaneen (Mallow) and Mossgrove (Templemartin), cross-plan (Kilmaclenine, Ightermurragh), X-plan (Kanturk, Monkstown, Mount Long, Aghadown), Z-plan (Ballyannan (Midleton), and T-Plan (Reendiseart). Baltimore, Carrigrohane, Castle Lyons, Myrtle Grove (Youghal) and Castlemartyr aer simple rectangular blocks. A number of Jacobean bawns with circular corner towers also survive, at Ballinterry (Rathcormac), Dromiscane (Millstreet), Dromagh, Clonmeen (Banteer) and Mossgrove.” 

https://historyireland.com/mountlong-castle/

Mountlong, Co. Cork

By Stephen Byrne

Mountlong Castle, begun in 1631 by John Long, is a fine example of a new building type that emerged in the early seventeenth century: the fortified house. An earlier type, the defensive tower-house, dominated from the early 1400s until the 1640s. Seventeenth-century builders owed a debt to the numerous tower-houses scattered across the country and superimposed onto their basic form new architectural features introduced by English settlers. Mountlong Castle, set on high ground overlooking the winding Belgooly River and Oyster Haven, exemplifies the new style. Its proportions and detailing, including large mullioned windows, mark the transition from dimly lit tower-houses with an overt defensive capability to properties boasting comfortable, well-lit rooms and a modicum of fortification.

One reason for being less preoccupied with defence was that this corner of Ireland was for the most part subdued by the English following the Munster Plantation. A new authority ruling the land, and less inter-tribal conflict between Gaelic lords, brought about a brief period of comparative political stability. In lieu of defence, builders could turn their attention to aesthetics and functionality.

Mountlong Castle boasts a flanker or tower on each of its four corners. These are features shared in common with the contemporary Monkstown Castle and, originating in English architecture, may have supplemented living accommodation. The mullioned windows, given chamfered frames and simple hood mouldings, were clearly not intended for defensive purposes. Nevertheless, gun loops covering most angles allowed some protection against potential enemies.

Another feature borrowed from English architecture was the gable-ended attic space, and it quickly became the custom to use the ‘garrets’ as servant accommodation. Unlike the earlier tower-houses, where the household might share the same cramped quarters, the new houses saw the separation of family and servants. In accommodating the servants in quarters ‘out of sight’, dwellings such as Mountlong Castle set the precedent for the ‘upstairs/downstairs’ way of living that continued through subsequent centuries.

In its ruined state, the exact function of the rooms on each of the three main floors is unclear, but it is reasonable to speculate that the ground floor was given over to the kitchens. The living accommodation overhead gives an insight into how much value was placed on aesthetics and, writing in 1907, J.F. Fuller describes cornices ‘with figures representing scriptural subjects and field sports’. No fireplaces survive in the main block, but chimneys in the corner towers suggest that those rooms were well heated.

Unfortunately for its builder, the glory days of Mountlong Castle were brief. In 1641 a rebellion in Ulster quickly spread across Ireland. John Long sided with the Catholic rebels in a conflict that has since been known as a war between Catholic natives and Protestant settlers. He and his sons set up camp on top of a hill near Belgooly, but the following April saw the defeat of the rebels near Bandon. It was the beginning of the end for the Long family; John was convicted of treason and hanged alongside many of his fellow rebels. Legend tells us that, aware that he would be captured and executed, John instructed a relative—some sources say his daughter and others his sister—to burn Mountlong Castle to prevent the Cromwellian army from using it. Remarkably, some timbers, including lintels over door and window openings, still carry scorch marks to this day.

Stephen Byrne is currently working in collections conservation with the National Trust. Series based on the NIAH’s ‘building of the month’, www.buildingsofireland.com.

https://17thcenturyirishhouses.wordpress.com/2018/10/02/mountlong-castle-county-cork/

Set on high ground overlooking the winding Belgooly River and Oyster Haven, the ivy-covered Mountlong Castle makes a picturesque impression in the lush rural landscape, epitomising the romantic vista anticipated by the tourist visiting Ireland who expects to see an abundance of castles and to hear tales of ancient mythology.

Mountlong Castle, begun in 1631 by John Long, is a fine example of a new building type emerging in the early seventeenth century: the fortified house.  An earlier type, the defensive towerhouse, dominated from the early 1400s until the 1640s.  Seventeenth-century builders owed a debt to the numerous towerhouses scattered across the country and superimposed onto their basic form new architectural features introduced by English settlers.  Mountlong Castle exemplifies the new style.  Its proportions and detailing, including large mullioned windows, mark the transition from dimly-lit towerhouses with an overt defensive capability to properties boasting comfortable well-lit rooms and a modicum of fortification.  One reason for being less preoccupied with defence was that this corner of Ireland was, for the most part, subdued by the English following the Munster Plantation.  A new authority ruling the land, and less inter-tribal conflict between Gaelic lords, brought about a brief period of comparative political stability.  In lieu of defence, builders could turn their attentions to aesthetics and functionality.

Mountlong Castle boasts a flanker or tower on each of the four corners of the central tower.  These are features shared in common with the contemporary Monkstown Castle (1636) and, originating in English architecture, may have been intended to supplement living accommodation.  The mullioned windows, given chamfered frames and simple hood mouldings, were clearly not intended for defensive purposes.  Nevertheless, gun loops covering most angles allowed a measure of protection against any potential enemies.

Another feature borrowed from English architecture was the gable-ended attic space and it quickly became the custom to use the “garrets” as accommodations for servants.  Unlike the earlier towerhouses, where the household might share the same cramped quarters, the new houses saw the separation of the family and their servants into specially designated areas of the building.  In accommodating the servants in quarters “out of sight”, houses such as Mountlong Castle set the precedent for the “upstairs downstairs” way of living that continued through the subsequent Georgian and Victorian periods.

In its ruined state it is difficult to decipher the exact function of the rooms on each of the three tiers of Mountlong Castle, however, it is reasonable to speculate that the ground floor was given over to the kitchens and ovens.  The living accommodation overhead gives an insight into how much value was placed on aesthetics and, writing in 1907, J.F. Fuller describes cornices ‘with figures representing scriptural subjects and fieldsports’.  No fireplaces survive in the main block but chimneys in the corner towers suggest that at least those rooms were well heated.

Unfortunately for its builder, the glory days of Mountlong Castle were brief.  In 1641 a rebellion broke out in Ulster which quickly spread across the whole of Ireland.  John sided with the Catholic rebels in a conflict that has since been known as a war between Catholic natives and Protestant settlers.  John and his sons set up camp on top of a hill near Belgooly but the following April saw the defeat of the rebels near Bandon.  It was the beginning of the end for the Long family and John was convicted of treason and hanged alongside many of his fellow rebels.  Legend tells us that, aware that he would ultimately be captured and executed, John instructed a relative – some sources say his daughter and others his sister – to burn Mountlong Castle in order to prevent the Cromwellian army from using it for their own purposes.  Remarkably, some timbers, including lintels over door and window openings, still carry scorch marks to this day!

Mount Leader, Millstreet, Co Cork

Bence-Jones, Mark. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.   

p. 215. “(Leader/IFR) A two storey pedimented Georgian house with a single-storey Ionic portico and an eaved roof.” 

The Buildings of Ireland. Cork City and County. Frank Keohane. Yale University Press: New Haven and London. 2020. 

p. 32. The bulk of Cork’s not inconsiderable stock of country houses were built between 1790 and 1820, a period of unprecendented agricultural prosperity: incomes from estates increased by 100-150 %, and in some cases by as much as 300%. Most of these houses are generous rectangular blocks without architectural ambitions, with symmetrical facades of two or three storeys. It is only in their detail that they differ from their C18 forebears. Roughcast begins to give way to stucco, and the availability of larger slates allowed the pitch of roofs to be lowered, so that parapets designed to disguise steep roofs fell out of fashion, and by the 1820s deep bracketed eaves were popular. Windows became larger, and were often filled with sashes of astonishing delicacy. [p. 34] The Wyatt window, a wide tripartite type, could be used to emphasize the centre of a façade in a similar way to the C18 Venetian window, but was also commonly paired on each side of the entrance. Doorways, of stone or timber, were given fanlights rather than pediments, often to a tripartite pattern incorporating narrow side-lights. All in all, the repetition of design suggests a taste for well-tested conformity over modish experimentation. 

There is generally little to differentiate glebe houses of the period from the smaller of these houses. A common and economical pattern was to place the entrance in the narrow side elevation to allow a pair of reception rooms to fill the view front. The origin of this plan is not known, but in 1788 the Rev. Daniel Beaufort inspected a glebe house being built at Midleton, describing it as ‘a very odd plan without a door in front.’ 

Larger Classical houses of this period are comparatively rare, many of course having been lost. Longueville (Mallow), Kilmoney Abbey (Carrigaline), Mount Leader (Millstreet) and Castle Park (Kanturk) all feature elegent cut-stone columnar porches. Gortshagh near Charleville, though modest in scale, is satisfyingly monumental, with a massive central stack, and a porch with pared-down Greek Doric columns in antis. A tour-de-force Greek Revival portico of sublime purity exists at Dromdihy at Killeagh, a house happily about to undergo rehabilitation after decades of ruination. Bearforest (Mallow) is a classic villa designed by Richard Morrison; the arrangement of Wyatt windows in shallow arched recesses and the central bow ringed with columns derives from the work of both James Wyat and John Soane. The finest house of the period is Fota, a mid-C18 house enlarged and remodelled in the 1820s by Richard and William Vitruvius Morrison, then the leading country house architects in Ireland. Within, they formed a spatially complex hallway with adjoining vestibules, to connect a sequence of opulent reception rooms decorated with their richest plasterwork. The sequence of lobbies and landings on the upper floors is no less thrilling. 

Mount Desert, Cork, Co Cork

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.   

“(Dunscombe/LGI1912) A two storey seven bay early C18 house with slightly projection end-bays, extended in the late-Georgian period by the addition of two storey wings running from the front of the house to the back, with forward facing ends of two bays. The wings are of the same height as the centre, but of different fenestration; havin a higher lower storey than that in the centre of the house and a correspondingly lower one above. Fine early C19 entrance gateway; rusticated stone piers wiht pineapples and urns, elaborate wrought-iron gates incorporating two pike-heads used by the insurgents 1798.  Now an institution.” 

Not in national inventory