Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo
Mark Bence-Jones. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.
p. 19. “(Kenny/IFR) A two storey Georgian house at Ballinrobe, built ca 1740 by Courtney Kenny so that he could keep an eye on the family corn mill here; the former family seat, Rosburgh, being too far from the town to be convenient. Seven bay front, which must have been altered towards the end of C18 or at the beginning of C19, since it has a central Wyuatt window above a late Georgian fanlighted doorway with recessed Ionic columns. At one end of the house is an archway. The house now has a road running immediately in front of it; but before the road was made, it faced over a pleasure ground by the River Robe. After the advent of the road, a tunnel was contructed under it to enable the family to read their pleasure grounds without, as was said, being run over by donkey carts. There are attractive grounds behind the house, including a formal garden and beech walk. The home of Courtney Kenny, the well-known concert pianist.”
https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/31215014/robe-villa-sometimes-ballinrobe-house-high-street-knockanotish-ballinrobe-co-mayo
Detached seven-bay two-storey over part raised basement house, begun 1739; built 1740; dated 1741, on a T-shaped plan originally three-bay two-storey with single-bay (three-bay deep) full-height central return (north). Occupied, 1901. Vacant, 1911. Vacated, 1982. Sold, 1992. Now disused. Hipped slate roof on a T-shaped plan on timber construction with roll moulded clay ridge tiles, rendered, ruled and lined chimney stacks off-centred on rendered, ruled and lined chimney stack having dragged cut-limestone stringcourse below capping supporting yellow terracotta octagonal or tapered pots, and no rainwater goods surviving on dragged cut-limestone eaves retaining some cast-iron octagonal or ogee hoppers and downpipes. Part creeper- or ivy-covered coursed rubble limestone walls originally rendered; fine roughcast surface finish to rear (north) elevation. Hipped segmental-headed central door opening approached by flight of five dragged cut-limestone steps between spear head-detailed flat iron railings, dragged cut-limestone doorcase with panelled pilasters centred on three quarter-engaged Ionic columns supporting “Cyma Recta” or “Cyma Reversa” cornice, and red brick voussoirs framing timber panelled door with sidelights below fanlight now boarded-up. Square-headed window openings centred on square-headed window opening in tripartite arrangement (first floor) with drag edged dragged cut-limestone sills, and cut-limestone or red brick voussoirs with one-over-one timber sash windows now boarded-up. Interior including (ground floor): central hall retaining carved timber Classical-style surrounds to door openings framing timber panelled doors, and decorative plasterwork cornice to ceiling centred on decorative plasterwork ceiling rose; and carved timber surrounds to door openings to remainder framing timber panelled doors with carved timber surrounds to window openings framing timber panelled shutters on panelled risers. Street fronted with spear head-detailed flat iron railings to perimeter.
A house erected by Captain Courtney Kenny (1702-79) on a site leased (1739) from Michael Cuffe MP (1694-1744) representing an important component of the eighteenth-century domestic built heritage of Ballinrobe with the architectural value of the composition, ‘a house…made of Lyme and Stone’ (Kenny Papers 1730-1939), confirmed by such attributes as the deliberate alignment maximising on scenic vistas overlooking the Robe River; the symmetrical or near-symmetrical footprint centred on a Classically-detailed doorcase demonstrating good quality workmanship; and the diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a graduated visual impression: meanwhile, feint masonry breaks illustrate the continued linear development of the house at the turn of the nineteenth century. A prolonged period of neglect notwithstanding, the elementary form and massing surviving intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior where contemporary joinery; and decorative plasterwork enrichments attributed without substantiation to the Lafranchini Brothers, all highlight the artistic potential of a house having historic connections with the Kenny family including Courtney Kenny JP (1736-1809); Courtney Kenny JP (1781-1863) ‘late of Ballinrobe in the County of Mayo’ (Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1863, 172); Stanhope William Fenton Kenny JP (1827-1910), ‘Paymaster Connaught Rangers late of Ballinrobe County Mayo’ (NA 1901; Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1910, 322); Stanhope Lloyd Kenny (1874-1945); and Courtney Arthur Lloyd Kenny (b. 1933), Head of Music Staff and Senior Répétiteur with the Wexford Festival Opera (Cummings 2000, 337).
http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/property-list.jsp?letter=B
A Bourke castle, restored by James Cuffe in 1752 and sold to the War Office in 1821 for use as a military barracks though a barracks existed there in the 18th century as Wilson refers to the town having a barracks with two companies of foot in 1786. The barracks were valued at £75 at the time of Griffith’s Valuation. It ceased to be a barracks in the 1920s but substantial ruins of the buildings remain.
https://www.igs.ie/conservation/project/ballinrobe-house-2
Seven-bay two-storey over basement house. Hipped slate roof, rubble limestone walls (formerly rendered), one-over-one sash windows having limestone cills. Central bay having tripartite window above ashlar limestone doorcase. Door surround in the ionic order, having sidelights and segmental-headed fanlight with radial leadwork. Timber door having twelve raised and fielded panels. Decorative plasterwork to interior reported to be by the Lafranchini Brothers.
Built in c. 1740 for Captain Courtney Kenny (1702-79), it remained in the Kenny family for over 200 years until it was sold in the late twentieth century to Ballinrobe Rugby Club. The Kennys were involved in the brewing and milling industries and an extensive mill complex survives to the rear.
Brief Description of Project: Conservation and repair works to principal door and doorcase which has suffered fire damage to the interior (including to the plasterwork), loss of glazing and some leadwork, and the addition of inapropriate ironmongery. Photographs of the door taken prior to the damage and alterations will inform the works.
Grants Awarded:
2017: £7,000 from IGS London towards repair works to principle door and casing, roofing, window, lime rendering and plaster-work
Irish Historic Houses 