The present work, a portrait of the second Arthur Guinness (1768-1855), was exhibited at the RHA in 1827 and is also listed in Strickland. Arthur was the second son of Guinness founder, Arthur Guinness (1725-1803) and is credited with greatly developing the business at a time of great change economically and politically. He also extended the operations of the family into such areas as flour milling and banking. Arthurs interest in banking led him to being appointed to the Court of Directors of the Bank of Ireland and later becoming its Govenor. He was also chairman of Dublin Chamber of Commerce and was elected a member of Dublin Corporation. He married Ann Lee in 1793 and had nine children, including Benjamin Lee Guinness who was born in 1798. The letter held by the sitter identifies him and is addressed at Beaumont House, his childhood home, which is now part of Beaumont Hospital on the north side of Dublin. Views of Beaumont House were drawn by his daughter, Mary Jane after some remodeling in the 1850s (see Painting Ireland, Topographical Views from Glin Castle, ref. nos.143 & 144).
Benjamin Lee Guinness by Stephen Catterson Smith Jr courtesy of Adam’s auction 13 Oct 2015, Provenance: St. Annes, Clontarf, and by descent in the family. Born in Dublin in 1849, Stephen was eldest son of portrait painter Stephen Catterson Smith, PRHA and Anne Wyke, herself an artist who exhibited occasionally at the RHA. Stephen Jun. had intended to join the army but owing to financial issues he was unable to enter that profession and instead settled down as a painter in his fathers studio. He is listed in the RHA records as having first exhibited there in 1871 with a Portrait. His father died the following year and he effectively took over the practice and continued the family tradition of painting the great and the good of Irish society. He was a regular visitor to Scotland and it was whilst there in 1905 that he caught a severe cold which permanently affected his health. He died on November 24th 1912, at his home, 42 St. Stephens Green in the same room in which he was born. Walter Strickland notes that Smith Jun. made a number of copies of pictures painted by his father, including portraits of the present Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness and his wife Lady Guinness, which were done, we must presume, for Lord Ardilaun. The original portrait of Benjamin Lee Guinness was painted in 1862/3 and exhibited at the RHA in 1863.
Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, 1st Baronet (1798 – 1868) was the third son of Arthur Guinness II and his wife Anne Lee and grandson of the first Arthur Guinness, founder of the eponymous brewery. While his father had developed the family business and had extended the familys range of commercial interests, it was Benjamin Lee that brought the brewery onto a different level altogether. By the time of his fathers death in 1855, he had become Irelands richest man by developing a huge export trade.
He enjoyed a successful political career, being elected Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1851 and taking a seat in the House of Commons in 1865, a position he retained until his death. His philanthropy was well known, particularly in his home city of Dublin. He undertook in the 1860s the restoration of St. Patricks Cathedral and is reported as having spent the enormous sum of £150,000 on the enterprise. His Dublin home was what is now known as Iveagh House at 80, St. Stephens Green and in 1852 he purchased Ashford Castle in Co.Mayo adding two large Victorian extensions to the castellated mansion. An avid gardener, he extended the estate to 26,000 acres and planted many thousands of trees and oversaw the development of the massive woodlands. On his death in 1868, he was succeeded in the baronetcy by his eldest son, Arthur (later Lord Ardilaum) who took over the brewery with his brother Edward (later Lord Iveagh). His daughter, Anne (1839 – 1889) married William, Lord Plunket in 1863. He is buried in the family vault in Mount Jerome Cemetery in Dublin.
James Gunning of Castle Coote, County Roscommon (d.1767), Father of the Celebrated beauties, Elizabeth, Maria and Catherine, with Medallion Portrait of his Daughter, Maria Date/ c.1760 Engraver Richard Houston, Irish, 1721/22-1775, courtesy of National Gallery of Ireland.Elizabeth Gunning (1733-1790) was a famous Irish beauty who married the 6th Duke of Hamilton in 1752. She then married John Campbell, the future 5th Duke of Argyll.Elizabeth, Duchess of Hamilton and Brandon (née Gunning), (1734-1770) Engraver Richard Houston, Irish, 1721/22-1775 After Francis Cotes, English, 1726-1770, courtesy of National Gallery of Ireland.She was the daughter of Colonel John Gunning (1700-1767) of Castle Coote, County Roscommon and of Bridget Bourke (1716-1779), daughter of Theobald Bourke (1681-1741) 6th Viscount of Mayo.Elizabeth married James Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton of Scotland.Photograph courtesy of Glin castle website.The portrait is Margaretta Maria Gwyn (1769-1801), wife of John Bateman Fitzgerald (1765-1803) 23rd Knightof Glin, I believe.
Today I am continuing to publish the portraits I have gathered so far. I’ll be adding to this list as I go. Eventually I hope to create a new website with a virtual gallery of portraits. Maybe we can find a home for an in-person museum at some point! Wouldn’t the Bank of Ireland on College Green, the former Parliament House, make a wonderful building for a National Portrait Gallery?
Also, I notice that we can welcome a new property to the Section 482 list:
Millbrook House Kilkea, Beaconstown, Castledermot, Co. Kildare R14Y319 Open dates in 2024: May 17- 31, Aug 12-31, Sept 7-16, Dec 17-31, 9am-1pm Fee: Adult €8, student/OAP/groups €5
I look forward to visiting!
I usually like to publish a new post every Thursday, but I’m publishing one today as I’ll hopefully publish another tomorrow! I still have eighteen properties I have already visited to write up, so I’m working away. Also I’m gearing up for Heritage week August 12-20th when I hope to visit as many properties as possible. All of the Section 482 properties, except those listed as “Tourist Accommodation” should be open, so I hope you get to visit some as well!
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Edward Fitzgerald of New Park, County Wexford (1770-1807), Revolutionary Engraver W.T. Annis After Thomas Nugent, courtesy of National Gallery of Ireland.Gerald Fitzgerald (1487-1534) 9th Earl of Kildare, courtesy of Bodleian Libraries.
Gerald Fitzgerald (1487-1534) 9th Earl of Kildare was the son of Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare and Alison Eustace. He married, first, Elizabeth Zouche (d. 1517).
Their daughter Catherine married Jenico Preston, 3rd Viscount Gormanston, and secondly, Richard St. Lawrence 6th Baron Howth. Their daughter Cecilia married Cahir Mac Art Boy Kavanagh, Baron of Ballyanne, The MacMorrough. Their daughter Ellis married James Fleming 9th Lord Slane. Their son Thomas Fitzgerald (1513-1536/7) became 10th Earl of Kildare.
Thomas FitzGerald (1513-1536/7) 10th Earl of Kildare, “Silken Thomas,” c. 1530 attributed to Anthony Van Dyck.He had no offspring.
Gerald Fitzgerald (1487-1534) 9th Earl of Kildare married secondly Elizabeth daughter of Thomas Grey 1st Marquess of Dorset, and they had several more children. Their daughter Elizabeth (1528-1589/90) married first Anthony Browne, Joint Keeper of Windsor Great Park on 29 January 1528/29, with his brother 1st Earl of Southampton. She married secondly Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln. Gerald 9th Earl and Elizabeth had a son Gerald FitzGerald (1525-1585) who became 1st/11th Earl of Kildare. He was called ‘The Wizard Earl’. He held the office of Master of Horse to Cosimo de’ Medici, Duke of Florence.
A younger brother of the Wizard Earl, Edward (1528-1590), was the father of Gerald FitzGerald (d. 1611/12) 14th Earl of Kildare.
The 11th Earl, the Wizard Earl, married his cousin Mabel Browne. Their daughter Elizabeth (d. 1617) married Donough O’Brien 3rd Earl of Thomond. The 11th Earl’s daughter Mary (d. 1610) married Christopher Nugent 5th Baron Delvin.
A son of the 11th Earl, Henry (1562-1597) became the 12th Earl and was also known as “Henry of the Battleaxes.” He had only daughters so his brother became the 13th Earl. The 12th Earl’s daughter Elizabeth married Lucas Plunkett 1st Earl of Fingall. His daughter Bridget married first Ruaidhri O’Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, then Nicholas Barnewall, 1st Viscount Barnewall of Kingsland.
William FitzGerald (d. 1599) 3rd/13th Earl of Kildare was another son of Gerald FitzGerald, 1st/11th Earl of Kildare. He died circa April 1599, lost at sea while crossing from England to Ireland, unmarried. The title went to his uncle Edward’s (1528-1590) son Gerald FitzGerald (d. 1611/12) who became 14th Earl of Kildare.
Gerald FitzGerald (d. 1611/12) 14th Earl of Kildare married Elizabeth daughter of Christopher Nugent, 5th Baron Delvin, who gave birth to Gerald FitzGerald (1611-1620) who became 15th Earl of Kildare. The 15th Earl died young. The title passed the 14th Earl’s younger brother’s son, George FitzGerald (1611/12-1660) who became 16th Earl of Kildare.
The 16th Earl married Joan Boyle (1611-1656/7), daughter of Richard Boyle 1st Earl of Cork. Their daughter Elizabeth (d. 1697/98) married Callaghan MacCarty, 3rd Earl of Clancarty. Their daughter Eleanor (d. 1681) married Walter Borrowes, 2nd Bt of Grangemellon, County Kildare. Their son Wentworth FitzGerald (1634-1663/64) became 17th Earl of Kildare.
The 17th Earl married Elizabeth daughter of John Holles, 2nd Earl of Clare.
Elizabeth FitzGerald, née Holles, Countess of Kildare, 1660, by John Michael Wright, wife of Wentworth Fitzgerald 17th Earl of Kildare.
Elizabeth and the 17th Earl of Kildare had a son, John FitzGerald (1661-1707) who became 18th Earl of Kildare. The 18th Earl married Mary O’Brien (1662-1683), daughter of Henry O’Brien (d. 1678) , MP for Clare. She gave birth to a son but he died in his first year. The 18th Earl then married Elizabeth daughter Richard Jones, 1st and last Earl of Ranelagh but they had no children.
Elizabeth née Jones (d. 1758), Countess of Kildare wife of 18th Earl, daughter of Richard Jones 1st Earl of Ranelagh by Peter Lely.Traditionally identified as Lady Elizabeth Jones, Countess of Kildare (1665-1758), English school c. 1680 courtesy Christies Irish Sale 2003
The title passed to a cousin, Robert Fitzgerald (1675-1744), who became 19th Earl of Kildare. He was the son of Robert Fitzgerald (d. 1697/98), a younger son of George Fitzgerald 16th Earl of Kildare. The 19th Earl’s sister Mary (1666-1697) married John Allen, 1st Viscount Allen of County Kildare.
Robert, 19th Earl of Kildare (1675-1744) after Frederick Graves, courtesy of Adam’s auction 15th Oct 2019. Robert FitzGerald was married to Mary O’Brien, daughter of William O’Brien 3rd Earl of Inchiquin. They had 12 children but only 2 survived to majority. They had lived quietly at Kilkea Castle, near Athy, but in 1739 Robert bought back the lease of Carton, in Maynooth, for £8,000. He commissioned Richard Castle, the eminent architect, to reconstruct the existing house. In the pediment over the South front, previously the main entrance, is the coat of arms of Robert FitzGerald and his wife Mary O’Brien. Robert also employed the La Franchini brothers to construct the wonderful ceiling in the Gold Salon. The additions to Carton were not finished when Robert died in 1744 but he left instructions in his will to finish the restoration according to his plans. A monument dedicated to Robert FitzGerald is situated in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.(This portrait hung in Carton until 1949 when the Fitzgerald family sold the estate. It hung in Kilkea Castle until 1960. It was in the FitzGerald family collection in Oxfordshire until 2013.)
Robert FitzGerald 19th Earl of Kildare married Mary O’Brien, daughter of William O’Brien 3rd Earl of Inchiquin. Their daughter Margaretta (d. 1766) married Wills Hill, 1st Earl of Hillsborough, Co. Down, 1st Marquess of Downshire.
Margaretta Fitzgerald (d. 1766) Countess of Hillsborough, daughter of Robert Fitzgerald, 19th Earl of Kildare, attributed to Charles Jervas, courtesy of Fonsie Mealy auction.She married Wills Hill, 1st Earl of Hillsborough, Co. Down, 1st Marquess of Downshire.
A son of Robert 19th Earl and Mary was Richard Fitzgerald who lived at Mount Ophaly in County Kildare and married Margaret (d. 1763) daughter of James King, 4th Baron Kingston. Their other son was James FitzGerald (1722-1773) who became 20th Earl of Kildare and later, 1st Duke of Leinster.
James Fitzgerald (1722-1773) 20th Earl of Kildare later 1st Duke of Leinster married Emilia Mary née Lennox (1731-1814), daughter of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond. They had many children, including William Robert Fitzgerald (1749-1804), 2nd Duke of Leinster.
Thomas Fitzgerald (d. 1730/31) was the son of Gerald Fitzgerald (d. 1689) 17th Knight of Glin and Joan daughter of Donough O’Brien of Carrigogunnell Castle, County Limerick. Gerald 17th Knight held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Limerick City in 1661, and High Sheriff of Limerick in 1680. He fought in the Battle of Windmill Hill in 1689, after the Siege of Derry. He was Member of Parliament (M.P.) for County Limerick in 1689, in King James II Patriot Parliament.
Thomas Fitzgerald (d. 1730/31) 18th Knight of Glin obtained a Certificate in 1701 for not having taken part in the wars of King James II, although he was an active supporter of Jacobite cause. In 1713/14 he was one of the Catholic nobility of Ireland licensed to carry arms. [1] His wife Mary née Fitzgerald of Ballymartyr gave birth to, among other children, the 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd Knights of Glin. A daughter, Catherine (d. 1759) married first Thomas Freke Crosbie and second, Robert Fitzgerald, 17th Knight of Kerry.
John Fitzgerald (d. 1737) 19th Knight of Glin courtesy of The Knights of Glin: A Geraldine family, by J. Anthony Gaughan (1978).Edmond Fitzgerald (d. 1763) 20th Knight of Glin, a brother of the 19th, 21st and 22nd Knights of Glin.Richard Fitzgerald (1710-1775) 21st Knight of Glin, by Heroman Van Der Mijn, photograph courtesy of Glin Castle website.He conformed to the Protestant faith. He had only daughters so the title passed to his brother.Thomas Fitzgerald, 22nd Knight of Glin By Philip Hussey courtesy ofhttps//:theirishaesthete.com/tag/knight-of-glin/, Public Domain, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81941595
Thomas Fitzgerald (d. 1781) 22nd Knight of Glin married Mary Bateman. She gave birth to his heir, John Bateman FitzGerald (d. 1803) who became 23rd Knight of Glin. His wife Margaretta Maria Gwyn (d. 1801) gave birth to their heir, John Fraunceis FitzGerald (1791-1854) 24th Knight of Glin.
Glin Castle, photograph courtesy of Glin Castle website.The picture of Colonel John Bateman FitzGerald (1765-1803) the 23rd Knight of Glin, the builder of the house, wearing the uniform of his volunteer regiment the Royal Glin Artillery. In his portrait, which hangs over the Portland stone chimneypiece, he is proudly pointing at his cannon.Photograph courtesy of Glin castle website.The portrait is Margaretta Maria Gwyn (1769-1801), wife of John Bateman Fitzgerald (1765-1803) 23rd Knightof Glin, I believe.John Fraunceis Fitzgerald (1803-1854), “Knight of the Women,” the 24th Knight, photograph courtesy of the castle website.
As well as the Earls of Kildare, who became Dukes of Leinster, and Knights of Glin, Fitzgeralds were also Lords of the Decies, and Knights of Kerry, and Earls of Desmond.
Maurice FitzGerald (d. 1729) 14th Knight of Kerry fought for King James II in the Battle of the Boyne. He married Elizabeth Crosbie, who gave birth to their heir, John FitzGerald (d. 1741) who became 15th Knight of Kerry.
John FitzGerald (d. 1741) 15th Knight of Kerry had a son Maurice (d. 1780) who became 16th Knight of Kerry, and a daughter Elizabeth who married Richard Townsend of Castletownshend in County Cork.
Maurice (d. 1780) 16th Knight of Kerry married Anna Maria, daughter of William FitzMaurice, 2nd Earl of Kerry. They did not have children, and Maurice’s uncle Robert (1716-1781) became the 17th Knight of Kerry.
Irish Historic Houses 