A Future for Irish Historic Houses - Irish Heritage Trust

King House, Boyle, Co. Roscommon
King House is located in the town of Boyle, County Roscommon. Originally built for
the Sir Henry King in 1730, it is now owned by Roscommon County Council:
- King House is a very large and impressive historic house. It is unusual in
the sense that it was originally a country house but is now located within
the boundaries of a town. It is a Palladian mansion that at various times
has been attributed to such architects as Richard Castle or Edward Lovett
Pearce, although it was probably designed by William Halfpenny, an
assistant of Pearce’s.
- This rather austere four-storey eighteenth-century house has a very grand
reception gallery. The tripartite windows and the high vaulted ceilings are
of note. All four storeys are actually vaulted over, which is quite unusual.
- Just over fifty years after its building, King House was sold by the King
family and it became a barracks to the Connaught Rangers who were
stationed there from 1788 to 1922. When it ceased to function as a house,
its contents were dispersed.
For most of the post-independence period, King House was allowed to fall into decay.
In 1987, it was acquired by Roscommon County Council whose original intention it
was to demolish the house in order to provide a car park for the town. However, the
council instead began a major restoration programme in 1989:
- According to literature on the house’s restoration, the main aim of the
project was to retain the essential architectural and structural qualities of
the house and protect all the original fabric.
- The work included the complete reinstatement of the roof; the
reinstatement of structural arches; the provision of new floors where
necessary; and the re-plastering of the entire house both internally and
externally.
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