A Future for Irish Historic Houses - Irish Heritage Trust

Bellinter, Navan, Co. Meath
Bellinter is located approximately six miles from the town of Navan, County Meath.
Originally the home of the Preston family, it is now owned by the Sisters of Our Lady
of Sion, a Roman Catholic order of nuns dedicated to the improvement of relations
between the Jewish and Christian communities:
- Bellinter is a Palladian house built c.1750 by John Preston to the design of
Richard Castle. Part of its significance lies in the fact that it is one of the
very last country houses designed by him.
- The house is noted for its fine interior plasterwork, particularly in the main
reception rooms.
- There is a single entrance hall (rather unusual for a house of this size),
which is dominated by an impressive fireplace carved from stone quarried
at nearby Ardbraccan.
- The spiral wooden servants’ staircase is a most unique and impressive
feature.
- Because the house passed from the original owners, there are no original
contents left.
Bellinter is now situated on a very small estate of just fourteen acres. The Sisters of
Sion operate it as a centre to facilitate conferences, retreats, workshops and seminars.
Accommodation facilities now include forty-five bedrooms, a large conference hall,
two lecture rooms, a games-room and two lounges. The whole house is, therefore,
functional.
When the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion bought the house in the early 1960s, large parts
of it were in poor condition. In particular the roof was in a serious state of disrepair,
part of it having been blown off in a storm, and most of what was left leaking badly.
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