Drumlargan, 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. 113. “(Bomford/IFR) A two storey double gable-ended house, probably early C18 but with C19 windows and a C19 two storey gabled projecting porch. Owned by the Bomford family until ca 1850.
Not in National Inventory
Drumlargan House was previously known as Bloom Field House and is located outside Summerhill, just off the Kilcock Road.
Drumlargan is a two storey double gable-ended house, probably early eighteenth century according to Bence-Jones but with nineteenth century widows and a nineteenth century projecting porch. One of the reception rooms is octagonal. The original house at Drumlargan was called Bloom Field and consisted of a central block with wings each side. In the early 1700s the wings were removed and the central block enlarged to form the present house. This reconstruction took place about 1724 as there is a plaque bearing this date over the front door. Drumlargan is the site of the battle of Dungan’s Hill which was fought in 1647.
The Bomfords were settled at Rahinstown. Stephen Bomford’s eldest son, Robert George, succeeded him at Rahinstown. His second son, George, married Arabella Winter of Agher in 1809. George Bomford leased Drumlargan parish from Dixie Coddington in 1787, purchasing the property in 1795. As in all articles relating to Bomford houses much of the information on this house is obtained from Peter Bamford’s excellent website.
Lynch’s Wood in Drumlargan was obtained by Lynch from Baron Hussey of Galtrim by a trick. Lynch asked Hussey to rent it to him for the rotation of three crops. Hussey thought these would be oats or wheat but Lynch chose oak, beech and elm. It is said that the lease has not run out yet and that the Forestry Department has only just set the third crop. George Bomford probably set the second crop.
George’s son also George succeeded to his father’s estates at Oakley Park. George married Arabella Pratt Winter of Agher in 1832. Their eldest son, George Winter Bomford, succeeded to Oakley Park.
In the 1830s Bloomfield was described as a tolerably good house but becoming ruinous. In the early 1830s it was occupied by a Mr. Purdon and later in the decade by a herd. About 1860 the house was improved by George Bomford for his younger son, John Francis. John was the only Bomford to live at Drumlargan House as it was then called. The porch was added at this time. John married Eleanor Bolton and they had ten children. John Stephen served with the Indian Police and died in Burma in 1891 aged 21. Samuel Richard Bomford fought in the Boer War gaining the rank of Captain in the service of the Cape Mounted Rifles. Trevor Broughton Bomford gained the rank of officer in the service of the Surma Valley Light Horse Mounted Infantry Regiment, Indian Army and emigrated to Canada in 1908. Their youngest son, William Harold, became a surgeon and served as District Medical Officer in the Fiji Colonial Service. In 1900 John Francis and his family moved to Oakley Park. Drumlargan was sold to George Wilson of Tara for a little over £3000. John Francis died in 1911 aged 73. In 1901 and 1911 William R. Orme, a retired army Captain, and his sister lived at Drumlargan. In 1876 William R. Orme held 1521 acres in County Mayo.
In the 1920s the Bomford lands at Drumlargan was acquired by the Land Commission.
Irish Historic Houses 