A Future for Irish Historic Houses - Irish Heritage Trust

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Kylemore Abbey, Letterfrack, Co. Galway Kylemore Abbey is located between Letterfrack and Recess in Connemara, County Galway. Originally built in the 1860s by Mitchell Henry MP, a wealthy Liverpool merchant, it is presently owned by the Benedictine nuns: - The location of Kylemore Abbey in a remote and scenic part of Connemara, along with its neo-Gothic architectural design mark it as one of the most dramatic and romantic Irish country houses. It is probably one of the most photographed buildings in the west of Ireland if not in the whole country. - Historically, Kylemore is rather unique in that it was one of only a few Irish country houses built in the post-Famine period. - The house was designed by James Franklin Fuller and Ussher Roberts. Besides its dramatic setting, the house is characterised by its neo-Gothic battlemented and machicolated towers and turrets. - The Gothic church, built between 1877 and 1881 also to the design of Fuller, is a building of international importance. It has been described as a ‘cathedral in miniature’ as it incorporates elements adapted from some of the great English cathedrals of the Decorated Era, 1180-1215. Since the 1920s, Kylemore has been owned by the Benedictine nuns who came to Ireland during the Great War when their abbey at Ypres was destroyed. It has since become an internationally-renowned girls’ boarding school. Architecturally, the house has suffered from some unfortunate changes down through the years. For example: - In the early twentieth century, the second owner of the castle, the duke of Manchester, transformed the magnificent ballroom into an enormous kitchen. It has since been converted into a chapel. 111
In the last number of years major restoration and conservation work has been carried out on the castle. Much of this has been funded by the opening of the house as a tourist attraction in the early 1990s. Kylemore Abbey contributes greatly to the local economy providing over 100 jobs to people in the area: - A section of the castle, the Gothic church and the six-acre Victorian walled gardens have all been restored and opened to the public. The glasshouses in the garden are still under restoration. - A number of the main reception rooms have been restored and opened to the public. - The gardens were restored under the Great Gardens of Ireland Restoration Scheme. According to the present owners much work remains to be done: - The servants’ wing needs to be re-roofed and the windows need to be replaced. The nuns’ accommodation wing is in advanced state of disrepair and in urgent need of attention. - Areas of the house are infested with dry rot which needs to be eradicated immediately. Already huge damage has been done by damp which has caused the loss of some of the once-beautiful ceilings. 112
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Table of Contents Page Foreword by
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Acknowledgements The author would l
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family owners of historic houses du
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Section 1. Compiling the Study 1.1
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Section 2. Historical Background At
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a distance from their houses. In 19
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Section 3. Survey Findings 3.1 Pres
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- Russborough, Co. Wicklow, is owne
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all the known examples of houses of
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It is not just the houses themselve
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The present condition of these also
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- Repair estate walls and garden wa
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- which needs to be eradicated imme
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o Killruddery can no longer be main
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Attracting significant numbers of p
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Some difficulties arise which relat
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and heritage at Birr is in imminent
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Ireland the Local Government (Plann
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able to accompany these finances wi
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There remain a number of owners, mo
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donors to gift their properties to
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asset, offering a unique insight to
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APPENDIX I Schedule of Houses in Su
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LOCATION MAP 47
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Abbey Leix, Abbeyleix, Co. Laois Ab
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Aldborough House, Dublin Aldborough
Page 56 and 57:
Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan, Co. D
Page 58 and 59:
Avondale, Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow Avo
Page 60 and 61:
Ballinlough Castle, Clonmellon, Co.
Page 62 and 63: Ballyfin Co. Laois Ballyfin is loca
Page 64 and 65: Ballyhaise House, Ballyhaise, Co. C
Page 66 and 67: Bantry House, Co. Cork Bantry House
Page 68 and 69: Barmeath Castle, Dunleer, Co. Louth
Page 70 and 71: Beaulieu, Drogheda, Co. Louth Beaul
Page 72 and 73: Bellamont Forest, Cootehill, Co. Ca
Page 74 and 75: Bellinter, Navan, Co. Meath Bellint
Page 76 and 77: Belvedere, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
Page 78 and 79: Birr Castle, Birr, Co. Offaly Birr
Page 80 and 81: Borris House, Borris, County Carlow
Page 82 and 83: Castle Leslie, Glaslough, Co. Monag
Page 84: Charlemont House, Dublin Charlemont
Page 87 and 88: - Clonalis House places in context
Page 89 and 90: - The demesne is one of the most ex
Page 91 and 92: - Dunsany has historical associatio
Page 93 and 94: that a large volume of people trave
Page 95 and 96: - The plasterwork has been restored
Page 97 and 98: o The neo-Classical plasterwork of
Page 100 and 101: Headfort, Kells, County Meath. Head
Page 102 and 103: Hilton Park, Clones, Co. Monaghan H
Page 104 and 105: Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford Johns
Page 106 and 107: Killadoon, Co. Kildare. Killadoon i
Page 108 and 109: Killruddery, Bray, Co. Wicklow Kill
Page 110 and 111: King House, Boyle, Co. Roscommon Ki
Page 114 and 115: Lambay Castle Lambay Castle is situ
Page 116 and 117: Ledwithstown, Ballymahon, Co. Longf
Page 118 and 119: Lismore Castle, Co. Waterford. Lism
Page 120 and 121: Lissadell House, Co. Sligo Lissadel
Page 122 and 123: Luggala, Roundwood, Co. Wicklow Lug
Page 124 and 125: Malahide Castle, Malahide, Co. Dubl
Page 126 and 127: Mount Ievers, Co. Clare. Mount Ieve
Page 128 and 129: Newbridge House, Donabate, Co. Dubl
Page 130 and 131: Rathfarnham Castle, Co. Dublin Rath
Page 132 and 133: Russborough, Co. Wicklow Russboroug
Page 134 and 135: Shelton Abbey, Arklow, Co. Wicklow
Page 136 and 137: Slane Castle, Slane, County Meath.
Page 138 and 139: Stradbally Hall, Stradbally, Co. La
Page 140 and 141: Strokestown Park, Strokestown, Co.
Page 142 and 143: Temple House, Ballymote, County Sli
Page 144 and 145: Townley Hall, Drogheda, Co. Louth T
Page 146 and 147: Tullynally Castle, Castlepollard, C
Page 148 and 149: Tyrone House, Dublin Tyrone House i
Page 150 and 151: Westport House, County Mayo Westpor
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A Future for Irish Historic Houses - Irish Heritage Trust

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