Mount Hanover, Duleek, Co Meath
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.
“(Mathews/LGI1937 supp) A three storey house probably dating from the first half of C18. Windows with thick glazing bars; fanlighted doorway at the end of a flight of steps with railings of particularly good ironwork. Sold recently by Mathews family.”
Not in national inventory
Casey, Christine and Alistair Rowan. The Buildings of Ireland: North Leinster. Penguin Books, London, 1993.
p. 163.
https://theirishaesthete.com/2015/09/12/in-full-flight/
In Full Flight
Mount Hanover, County Meath is believed to date from the start of the 18th century: its name suggests some time around the accession of George I in 1714. Of three storeys over basement, this tall and slender house has a handsome but relatively modest appearance until one steps into the dining room where the ceiling displays an unexpected riot of rococo plasterwork. Scrolls and curlicues abound and in the area occupied by a canted bay are clusters of flowers and fruit, and swooping birds. Although stylistically it shows a lighter touch, given the house’s location not many miles from Drogheda, might this be another example of the handiwork of the stuccodore of St Peter’s, or at least of someone working with him?
https://fivestar.ie/luxury-property-sales/mount-hanover-house/
Mount Hanover House: Meath
Presented in wonderful condition and boasting 109 acres of prime agricultural lands. Positioned in a peaceful country setting yet within 25 minutes of Dublin Airport and 40 minutes of Dublin City.
Further Information
Mount Hanover House dates back to the Battle of the Boyne era when building commenced in 1690 and it is believed was probably completed in 1710.
It was the home to the Mathews family for over 150 years until the mid-1980’s when the current owners purchased the property.
They immediately set about a restoration project, investing considerable time and expenditure meticulously restoring the house to its former glory.
Their efforts went far beyond the residence and the house is now surrounded by wonderful formal gardens, while the lands also benefited from drainage and continued maintenance.
Today they present as top quality agricultural lands suitable for any farming enterprise, including stud farming.
Presented in excellent condition the house makes a superb family home, conveniently laid out and although it impresses by its grandeur, it very much feels like a home.
The rooms are bright, well-proportioned and are a showcase of early Georgian architecture.
Throughout the house there are exquisite features, such as ornate cornicing and decorative ceiling plaster work, grand antique marble chimney pieces, Doric columns in the hall, sash windows with shutters, large bay windows throwing light into the rooms.
A major feature of the house is the wonderful views with many different aspects such as the rolling fertile farmland, Bellewstown Hill, the gardens and woodland.
http://meathhistoryhub.ie/houses-k-p/
Mount Hanover is located between Julianstown and Duleek, near Kilsharvan. Maurice Craig said the Mount Hanover was an early 18th century house, noted for its fine ironwork. Craig said it probably dated to the first half of the eighteenth century. Casey and Rowan described Mount Hanover as a very tall gabled Georgian house with long fifteen pane sash windows with thick glazing bars. Mulligan dated the house to the early part of the eighteenth century possibly 1720. The ground floor rooms have plasterworks representing birds, fruit and foliage.
John Curtis of Mount Hanover married Martha Towers in 1744. He died in 1775. His second son, Richard, succeeded him at Mount Hanover. John’s daughter Sophia married John Forbes of Newstone, Drumconrath. John Forbes was M.P. for Drogheda and Lord Mayor of Dublin. He later served as governor of the Bahamas. He died in 1797. Rev. Richard Curtis lived at Mount Hanover. In 1786 Arthur Forbes was resident at Mount Hanover.
In 1801 George Ball was noted as resident. Mount Hanover was occupied by Gustavus Hamilton in 1814. The house then passed to the Matthews family.
In 1835 Mount Hanover was the residence of James Mathews and was a good house with offices. In 1837 James Mathews was one of the shareholder sin the Drogheda and Kells Railway company. The Mathews family were involved in the formation of the Drogheda Steampacket Company (1826-1902). In 1854 James Mathews held Mount Hanover.
Fr. Matthews from Mount Hanover was parish priest of St. Mary’s Drogheda. Fr. Mathews had been suspended for seven years for supporting his niece in a case against her superiors in a convent in England. His niece was Susan Saurin of Garballagh House, Duleek. In 1876 James Mathews of Mount Hanover House held 968 acres in County Meath. At Christmas the Matthews family put on a pantomime and tea party for the children of Mount Hanover School. Patrick, son of James Mathews died in 1895. In 1901 Elizabeth Mathews, widow, aged 41 was living at Mount Hanover. The house had twenty rooms, seventeen windows to the front and seventeen outbuildings. James Stanley Mathews, elder son of Patrick and Elizabeth Mathews of Mount Hanover, was educated at Oxford College and was called to the Irish Bar in 1911. He married Phillis Mary Lentaigne in 1914. He served with the South Irish Horse from 1915 to 1919.
According to ‘The parish of Duleek and over the ditches’ one of the Matthews family was caught in the 1916 ambush at Ashbourne. The car in which they were driving, a Rover, received a few bullet holes. There was a cricket club at Mount Hanover between 1949 and 1956. The house was sold in 1985.
Irish Historic Houses 