Castle Martin, Co Kildare 

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. 72. “(Shaen Carter/IFR; Blacker, sub Blacker Douglass/LGI 1912; Pollock?LGI1958; Ruthven, Gowrie, E/PB) An early C18 U shaped house, built ca 1720 by a Dublin banker named Harrison using materials from an old Eustace castle here. Of two storeys over basement; dormered attic in roof; 9 bay breakfront front and side elevations. Doorcase in entrance front of exceptional beauty, with a scrolled pediment on console brackets, and a bolection moulding. Triangular pediment over central window in side elevation. Hall with large plaster panels, pilasters and some carvings in wood.  Sold 1730 to Capt Henry Boyle-Carter.  Used by Lt-Gen Sir Ralph Dundas as headquarters during 1798 rebellion. Sold to T.S. Blacker 1854. At some period the house was re-roofed, and lost its dormers; the interior was much altered in the 1^st half of the 19C, having suffered damage 1798. The house faces along a straight lime avenue at the end of which are magnificent C18 wrought iron gates. On the death of Mrs Blacker (nee Pollok), widow of Lt-Col Frederick Blacker, of Castlemartin,  1967, Castlemartin was inherited by Mrs Blacker’s great-nephew, 2^nd and present Earl of Gowrie, the politician, who sings of teh house in his poem, Easter 1969, published in A Postcard from Don Giovanni. He sold Castlemartin, which is now the home of rugby player and businessman A.J. F. O’Reilly.” 

See chapter on Thomas Carter (1694-1763), who lived in 9 Henrietta Street in Dublin as well as in Castlemartin, in The Best Address in Town, Henrietta Street, Dublin and its first Residents 1720-80 by Melanie Hayes. 

Only gate lodge in national inventory. 

Sold October 2022 

Castlemartin Stud Farm, Kilcullen, Kildare  

10 beds  

10 baths  

2428m 2 

One of Ireland’s greatest estates… Situated less than thirty-five miles from Dublin, Castlemartin Stud Farm is a rare and fine example of Georgian architectural excellence with a stunning back-drop of the River Liffey and surrounding parkland. Located in County Kildare, known as the thoroughbred county, the landscape is dominated and characterised by the quality of its agricultural land, which is made up of carboniferous limestone, sand and gravel. This not only provides good drainage but the limestone helps to grow strong bone in young thoroughbreds. Castlemartin House, built in c.1720, is an early Georgian mansion.  

Consisting of some wonderful reception and entertaining rooms on the ground floor, as well as a library and several family rooms. Upstairs, there is the wonderfully appointed master suite consisting of his and hers bathrooms and a large dressing room. In addition to the master suite, there are a further 9 principal bedrooms in the main house. There is ample guest and staff accommodation on-site, with the large pool house, two cottages in the courtyard, three further staff apartments, a caretaker’s house, Brownstown Cottage and the front lodge. With two large stable yards and two farm yards; there are some 89 loose boxes, a horse walker, a lunge ring, numerous haysheds, barns and outbuildings, wintering facilities for 400 cattle, and many additional facilities that are to be expected of a stud farm of this calibre. The stud has bred and raced classic, group and listed including: Chinese White Gr.1 Pretty Polly Stakes; Gr.2 Blanford Stakes. Ectot. Gr.1 Criterium Int. Stakes. (in partnership) Helissio. Gr.1 Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe Joshua Tree. Gr1. Canadian International (twice) Lawman. Gr.1 Prix du Jockey Club; Gr.1 Prix Jean Prat Latice Gr.1 Prix de Diane; Gr.3 Prix de Conde. Lightning Pearl Gr.1 Chevely Park Stakes. Gr.3 Go & Go Round Tower Stakes Most Improved Gr.1 St. James palace Stakes. Chiquita Gr.1 Irish Oaks Silver Frost Gr.1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains.   Location information Kilcullen – Walking Distance Curragh Racecourse – 4 miles Punchestown Racecourse – 7 miles Goffs Bloodstock – 12 miles Weston Airport – 27 miles Dublin City Centre – 34 miles Dublin Airport – 38 miles Tattersalls Ireland – 40 miles 

BER Details 

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