Castlerea House, Co Roscommon – lost 

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. 75. “(Sandford, Mount Sandford, B.BEP; Wills-Sandford/LGI1958) A large C18 block…The house is now demolished; the demesne is maintained as a public park by the town of Castlerea.”

Listed in Vanishing Country Houses of Ireland by The Knight of Glin, David J. Griffin and Nicholas K. Robinson, published by The Irish Architectural Archive and The Irish Georgian Society, 1988. 

p. 125. Very large 18C three storey house. Two storey wing added in 19C when the entrance doorway was moved to one end of the house. The roof of the original house was also altered at this time. The seat of the Sandford family. Demolished.

https://archiseek.com/2012/castlerea-house

1790s – Castlerea House, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon 

The earlier main block of seven bays was quite plain; while the 19th century wings had balustraded parapets. The three-bay side of the left wing served as the entrance front. In the later part of the 19th century, architects Millar & Symes were retained on a couple of occasions to work on the house. The house was demolished and the demesne serves as a public park. 

Castlerea House, constructed in the 1790’s and expanded in the 19th century. The central block of the house was destroyed by fire in 1895 and replaced with a rather crude looking pre-fabricated single storey structure. What remained of the original building was demolished in the 1960’s. The house was built by the Sandford family adjacent to an earlier O’Connor castle. Have completed the chapter on Castlerea House but need to tie up some loose ends, does anyone know were the demesne lands bequeathed to the town of were they purchased? Is the demesne still owned by a Trust? Besides the gatehouses (Gaynors funeral home) is there any other outbuilding, herds house, gatehouse etc still standing anywhere in Castlerea? And finally, does anyone have a photo of the original entrance gates? Very interesting chapter to write, relating to a house i knew very little about. (My email address is paulconnoll@gmail.com) 

http://lordbelmontinnorthernireland.blogspot.com/2014/02/castlerea-house.html

THE BARONS MOUNT SANDFORD WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY ROSCOMMON, WITH 24,410 ACRES

THEOPHILUS SANDFORD (1631-68), descended from a good family in Yorkshire, obtained grants of land in Ireland for his services during the civil wars, as a captain in Reynolds‘ regiment. He fixed his abode at Castlerea, County Roscommon; and from him lineally descended
COLONEL HENRY SANDFORD (ante 1671-1733), of Castlerea, MP for Roscommon Borough, 1692-1713, who married, in 1692, Elizabeth, daughter of the Rt Hon Robert FitzGerald, and was succeeded at his decease by his eldest son,

ROBERT SANDFORD (1692-1777), MP for Boyle, 1715-27, Newcastle, 1727-60, who wedded, in 1717, Henrietta, second daughter of William, 3rd Earl of Inchiquin, and had issue,

HENRY, his heir;
Robert, major-general, Governor of Galway;
Henrietta.

Mr Sandford was succeeded by his eldest son,

HENRY SANDFORD (1719-96), MP for County Roscommon, 1741-60, Kildare Borough, 1761-8, Carrick, 1768-76, who married, in 1750, Sarah, eldest daughter of Stephen, 1st Viscount Mount Cashell, and had issue,

HENRY MOORE, of whom we treat;
William (Rev); father of HENRY, 2nd Baron;
GEORGE, 3rd Baron;
Louisa.

Mr Sandford was succeeded by his eldest son,

HENRY MOORE SANDFORD (1751-1814), High Sheriff of County Roscommon, 1784, MP for Roscommon Borough, 1776, 1791-99, who was elevated to the peerage, in 1800, in the dignity of BARON MOUNT SANDFORD, of Castlerea, County Roscommon, with remainder, in default of male issue, to his brothers and their male descendants.

His lordship espoused, in 1780, Catherine, eldest daughter of the Rt Hon Silver Oliver, of Castle Oliver, County Limerick; but dying childless, in 1814, the barony devolved, according to the limitation, upon his nephew,

HENRY, 2nd Baron (1805-28); who, being brutally slain in a riot at Windsor, and dying unmarried, the barony reverted to his uncle,

GEORGE, 3rd Baron (1756-1846), MP for Roscommon, 1783-97.

The title became extinct in 1846 following the death of the 3rd Baron.

CASTLEREA HOUSE, near Castlerea, County Roscommon, was a large 17th century (ca 1640) block of three storeys over a basement, with 19th century wings of two storeys over a basement.

The main block of seven bays was plain; while the wings had balustraded parapets.

The three-bay side of the left wing served as the entrance front.

The house is now demolished and the demesne serves as a public park.

First published in January, 2012.