Ballygarth Castle, Julianstown, 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.

p. 22. “(Pepper/LGI1912) A tall tower-house with a two storey three bay castellated wing added to it. The old tower has C18 or early C19 battlements and a tripartite Gothic doorway.” 

Not in National Inventory 

Record of Protected Structures 

Ballygarth Castle, townland: Ballygarth, town: Julianstown 

Medieval Tower House of three storeys, adjoining an early 

19thC entrance tower and three-bay Georgian block of 1782 

http://www.patrickcomerford.com/search/label/castles?updated-max=2017-03-10T11:30:00Z&max-results=20&start=79&by-date=false

Outside, in the late afternoon, the bare branches of the winter trees gave us clear views of the ruins of Ballygarth Castle on the eastern edges of Julianstown. The ruins stand on the banks of the River Nanny and the castle is first mentioned in 1372. 
 
Ballygarth Castle was built over a number of separate building phases. The original three-storey tower house has been enlarged over the years, with a line of crenellations and Gothic details added to the windows. 
 
The castle was part of the Netterville family estate until the 1641 Rebellion, when it was forfeited to the Crown and the Netterville family moved to Dowth. One of the earliest mentions of Julianstown is at the Battle of Julianstown in 1641, which took place near the bridge. 
 
On the eve of Oliver Cromwell’s attack on Drogheda in 1649, his Parliamentarian army camped on the lawns of Ballygarth Castle. 
 
With the restoration of Charles II in 1660, Ballygarth Castle and the surrounding estate became the property of the Pepper family from Ardee, Co Louth. 
 
The Pepper family supported James II during the Williamite rebellion, and Ballygarth Castle and estate was confiscated once again after the Battle of the Boyne. But this was a temporary setback and the Pepper family managed regained ownership. 
 
The legend of ‘the White Horse of the Peppers’ has been perpetuated in story and later in a play by Samuel Lover, which tells how the confiscated castle and lands were recovered largely through the saga of a white horse belonging to Ballygarth Castle. A white horse was always kept on the estate as a symbol of the family’s gratitude. 
 
For generations, Julianstown was the seat of the Moore family who lived in Julianstown House. The land on which the present village sits was leased to Francis and Mary Thornburgh (née Moore) in 1763 by William Moore. 
 
The land was further subleased to Colonel Charles Pepper of Ballygarth Castle in 1801. In 1856, the Pepper family made this lease perpetual under the legislation of the day and around 1889 the Pepper family built the cottages that can be seen in the village today. 
 
These Swiss Cottages on Main Street form a series of six attractive cottages said to be based on a design that Major Charles Pepper saw in Switzerland. Major Pepper also built cottages in neighbouring Stamullen. 
 
Ballygarth estate is reputed to be the last place in Ireland where oxen were used for ploughing up to 1907. An ox-collar or harness, made by Thomas Oonan of Julianstown, is preserved in the National Museum of Ireland. 
 
Ballygarth Castle remained in the hands of the Pepper family until Colonel Charles Pepper died in 1927. 

https://meathhistoryhub.ie/houses-a-d/

Ballygarth Castle is located on the south bank of the Nanny River near Julianstown. Ballygarth castle first appears in records in 1372. This tower house was added to with a Georgian block in 1782. It was further enlarged in the nineteenth century. Part of the castle was damaged on the night of the Big Wind in 1839.  In 1867 architect William Louch drew up plans for alterations and additions to Ballygarth for Thomas Pepper. In 1889 architect Robert John Stirling drew up plans for alterations and additions including a new billiard room with neo-classical decoration for Major Charles Pepper. The grounds slope down to the river. Nearby is a limekiln and a dovecote. 

In medieval times Ballygarth was the property of the Netterville family. The lands were granted to Captain George Pepper after the Cromwellian confiscation. The Peppers were confirmed in their estates by Charles II. 

The Peppers sided with James II at the Battle of the Boyne and their lands were confiscated. George Pepper’s lands at Ballygarth were confiscated after the battle of the Boyne and an English officer arrived in Ireland to take over the estate.  George’s foster brother Rory came up with a plan to secure the lands. Acting as a guide for the English officer he took him on a long circuitous route. Rory made the officer’s horse throw a shoe and then took him five miles to Duleek to the blacksmith. The shoeing took a long time and the officer took a room in the inn for the night. The following morning his guide had disappeared. The blacksmith’s son took on the role and he too took the officer all over the country. As night was beginning to fall they saw a light in the distance and decided to take shelter for the night. As the officer stabled his horse he saw a fine white horse in the stable. He was welcomed to the castle by George Pepper, the officer had arrived at Ballygarth without knowing it. He was well entertained but got no more information on the whereabouts of Ballygarth Castle. In the morning the officer decided to give up his quest and told his host that he would trade the title deeds for Ballygarth for the fine horse in the stable. The deal was done  and ever after a white horse was maintained at Ballygarth. This story is also sometimes set in Cromwellian times. The poet, Thomas Moore, immortalised the story in “The White Horse of the Peppers.” This drama was a mid-nineteenth century success which was witnessed by Queen Victoria herself. A headless white horse is said to canter in the fields of Ballygarth at the stroke of midnight. 

George was succeeded by his eldest son, Simon who married Rose Lambert. Their son, George, may be the character in the story.  George was High Sheriff of Meath in 1724 and he married Anne Taylour, daughter of the first baron of Headfort. Their son, Thomas Pepper of Ballygarth was MP for Kells for 1761-76. His cousin, Lord Bective, provided him with the seat.  

In 1772 Thomas Pepper married his cousin, Henrietta Long, and they had four daughters and eight sons, many of whom pursued careers in the military and in the East India Company. In 1885 a grandson of Thomas Pepper, Lieutenant William Lowry was killed in action in Canada during the Riel rebellion. 

Thomas Pepper’s son, also Thomas, represented Kells and voted in favour of the act of Union in 1800.  His brother George succeeded. 

Their brother, Lieutenant Col. Charles Hampden Pepper, commanded the 27^th regiment for sixteen years and served in Italy under Sir John Stuart. In the Peninsula War he served under Wellington of whom he was a great admirer. He assembled a fine collection of Wellingtonia which was kept in one room of the castle. 

In the 1830s Ballygarth Castle, the seat of Lieut.-Col. T. Pepper, was picturesquely situated on the banks of the Nanny water; the demesne, which was well wooded, comprised 486 statute acres, and contains the ruins of the ancient parish church. 

George was succeeded by his nephew, Thomas St. George Pepper, son of Charles Hampden Pepper. In 1876 Thomas St. George Pepper of Ballygarth Castle held 1,884 acres in County Meath. He died unmarried in 1884 and was succeeded by his brother, Charles. 

Charles Pepper of Ballygarth Castle was Colonel of the Royal Meath Regiment and Provincial Grand Master of the Freemasons of Meath from 1895 to 1927. Colonel Pepper supported the church at Julianstown including providing funds for a steeple. Charles Pepper was responsible for the charming estate houses at Julianstown which were erected around 1897. Ballygarth was one of the last places where oxen were used to pull a plough, they were used at Ballygarth up until 1907.  Colonel Charles Peppard died in 1927. In later years he lived at Laytown. Miss Wintle-Pepper lived at Ballygarth until her death in 1979. The castle was purchased by the Delaney’s who had farmed the home-farm attached to the castle for years.