A Future for Irish Historic Houses - Irish Heritage Trust

Russborough, Co. Wicklow
Russborough is located near Blessington in County Wicklow. It was built in the early
1740s for Joseph Leeson, the first earl of Milltown. It is now owned by the Alfred
Beit Foundation, a company limited by guarantee:
- Russborough was designed by Richard Castle who died shortly before the
house was completed. The interior decoration was completed by Francis
Bindon.
- Russborough has been described as ‘arguably the most beautiful house in
Ireland.’ It has been little changed from its original structure.
- It is built of local silver-grey granite and its entrance front, extending to
700 feet, is believed to be the longest in Ireland.
- The Francini brothers were responsible for much of the impressive
plasterwork, notably in the saloon, which is regarded as one of the finest
rooms in any country house in Ireland. Another striking feature of this
room is the sprung mahogany floor.
- It has been said of Russborough that ‘Irish country houses are generally
distinguished by their architecture rather than their contents, but
Russborough is a striking exception to this rule.’ It provides the setting for
a remarkable collection of paintings, furniture and objets d’art collected by
Sir Alfred Beit, his father and uncle, most particularly for an important
part of the famous Beit collection of paintings.
Russborough is managed by the Alfred Beit Foundation. The house is faced with a
number of problems:
- An endowment fund was established by Sir Alfred Beit for the Foundation.
This fund has gradually been diminished as a result of capital expenditure
on restoration and conservation work, as well as annual maintenance.
- The income accruing from opening the house to the public has been
declining in recent years as the number of visitors has declined.
Russborough does not attract the number of repeat visitors that are
attracted to houses such as Powerscourt or Avondale largely because of
their extensive gardens.
- With the support of the Heritage Council, a conservation plan for
Russborough was prepared in 2001.
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