Ruined Houses of the Republic of Ireland

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List of historic and extant ruined or abandoned country houses and mansions in the Irish Republic.

Introduction

Known universally throughout Ireland as the "Big House", they were for the most part the mansions, country houses, estate houses and associated buildings of the former ruling Anglo-Irish aristocracy. Since the last century they have been in decline, many were destroyed during the turbulent years of 'The Troubles' and never rebuilt, others were simply abandoned by their owners after the Irish State's 1923 Land Act, and many more since have fallen, through neglect and disrepair. In modern times the odd one has been restored, although this has become increasingly rare. This is a pictorial listing by county of just some of them, that mostly now lie in ruins.

Carlow

| Carlow | Castlemore House | S8295 7281 | The remains of a detached eight-bay two-storey country house of c. 1874. Burnt c.1975.

| Carlow | Clogrenan House | S6924 7337 | The remains of a detached five-bay three-storey over part-basement country house of c.1815. Dismantled c.1950.

| Carlow | Kilcoltrim House | S7435 5004 | The remains of a detached seven-bay three-storey country house of c.1750, on a U-shaped plan.

| Carlow | Mountpleasant House | S7774 6178 | A detached five-bay three-storey house of c.1740 on a U-shaped plan. Partly derelict with roof removed.

Cavan

| Cavan | Castle Saunderson | H4192 1990 | A detached Tudor Gothic irregular-plan multiple-bay two- and three-storey country house, built c.1835, and incorporating the fabric of an earlier house of c.1780.

| Cavan | Slieve Russell House | H2774 1993 | A detached Victorian four-bay two-storey house built c.1880.

Clare

| Clare | Clooney House | R4190 7870 | Originally a 17th century house, the home of the Bindon family, it was burnt in the 19th century.

| Clare | Cullane House | R4737 7472 | A detached three-bay two-storey over basement house, dated 1782.

| Clare | Doonass House | R6496 6181 | A detached three-bay two-storey house, built c.1780 and destroyed by fire in 2009.

| Clare | Finavarra House | M2659 1159 | The remains of a detached L-plan three-bay two-storey over basement house with dormer attic, built c.1825.

| Clare | Newhall House | R3180 7354 | A detached seven-bay two-storey red brick house, built c.1765, and possibly incorporating the fabric of an earlier building of c.1650.

| Clare | Paradise House | R2776 6244 | Originally a 17th century house situated almost on the shore of the Shannon, and much altered in the 19th century to become the seat of the Henn family. It was destroyed by fire in 1970.

Cork

| Cork | Ballygiblin House | R4567 0341 |A detached irregular-plan country house, built c.1750, and extensively modified in c.1836.

| Cork | Bellevue House | W8373 9832 | A detached house, possibly of c.1770 that was remodelled in c.1860. Now disused.

| Cork | Caherduggan House | W8469 8461 | A detached L-plan, five bay two storey country house, built in c.1800

| Cork | Carrigmore House | W3198 5374 | Built in 1842 by James Lysaght on the site of an earlier house called Connorville. It was burnt in October 1920.

| Cork | Castle Bernard | W4740 5438 | A detached nine-bay two-storey over basement country house, built 1798, and attached to a medieval tower house. Gothicised and extended c.1870.

| Cork | Castlefreke aka Castle Freke | W4740 5438 | A detached multiple-bay two-storey castle, built c.1780, and associated with the Evans-Freke family. Dismantled in 1952.

| Cork | Coolmore House | W7644 6225 | A detached six-bay three-storey over basement country house, built in 1788.

| Cork | Dromadda House | W9616 7121 | A detached three-bay two-storey over basement country house, built c.1810, and having a carved limestone Doric portico to the front (north) elevation. Now disused.

| Cork | Dromdihy House | X0072 7726 | A detached five-bay two-storey over basement country house, built 1833, now in ruins.

| Cork | Fort Robert House | W3214 5416 | A ruined 8-bay two-storey over basement rectangular house, built by R. L. Connor in 1788.

| Cork | Garranes House | W4758 6409 | A detached three-bay two-storey country house, built c.1830.

| Cork | Garretstown House | W5885 4464 A former detached five-bay, two storey country house built by the Kearney family between 1702 and 1720.

| Cork | Glebe House | W2296 6647 | Glebe House was built in 1859 for the parish of Inchigeela to replace an earlier house of c.1750.

| Cork | Heathfield Towers | X0851 7934 | A detached seven-bay two-storey country house, built c.1790, with later additions and alterations of c.1840.

| Cork | Kilcrea House | W5048 6787 | The remains of the late C18 Kilcrea House, now ruinous.

| Cork | Lissa House | R6252 0878 | A detached three-bay two storey country house of c.1820

| Cork | Mount Leader House | W2704 8915 | A detached six-bay two-storey over half-basement country house, built in 1833.

| Cork | Mount Massy House | W3349 7409 | The 19th century home of the Massy family that was extant in the 1770s when it was occupied by a Mr Hutchinson.

| Cork | Nettleville House | W4232 7216 | A detached five-bay two-storey country house, built in c.1800.

| Cork | Quartertown House| W5423 9786 | A detached five-bay two-storey over basement house, built c.1770.

| Cork | Sanders Park House| R5324 2358 | A late 18th century house, the seat of the Sanders family that was once derelict, but converted into flats at the beginning of the 21st century.

| Cork | Spring Hill House| W7436 5695 | A detached former T-plan five-bay two-storey house with dormer attic, dated 1771.

| Cork | Velvetstown House| R5484 1256 | The remains of an imposing Italianate style detached L-plan two-storey house, built 1875, and burnt in 1895.

Donegal

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Dublin

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Galway

| Galway | Ardfry House| M34831 21182 | The remains of a detached two-storey over basement double-pile country house, built c.1780, renovated c.1820.

| Galway | Belleville House | M4913 3358 | A two-bay, three storey square plan tower, having corner pilasters, battlemented parapets, and battlemented corner turrets. Built c.1830.

| Galway | Brooklodge House| M4670 4212 | A detached five-bay two-storey country house, built c.1770.

| Galway | Bunowen Castle | L5972 4278 | A ruined detached multi-bay three storey castle, that was built in c.1740 by the Geoghan family.

| Galway | Castle Daly | M5202 0904 | A three-storey garden front of a detached and ruined country house, built c.1780, remodelled c.1830.

| Galway | Castle Moyle House | M4966 5090 | A detached roofless country house, comprising of two blocks, east-west block built c.1780, and an apparent pre-dating north-south irregular-plan block of c.1830.

| Galway | Castle Taylor | M4663 1416 | Originally a simple four storey C16 tower house altered in 1802 to incorporate a three-storey house with a belfry.

| Galway | Clifden Castle | L6353 5102 | A ruined Gothic Revival castle, built in 1815-18 by John D'Arcy, the founder of the town of Clifden.

| Galway | Clonbrock House | M7455 3944 | A detached eight-bay three-storey over basement country house, built c.1790, having an added Doric entrance porch of c.1824, and further additions of c.1855.

| Galway | Clonfert House | M9615 2130 | A detached two-storey former Church of Ireland bishop's palace with dormer attic, largely built in c.1635, and extended in the late eighteenth century. Also incorporating a late sixteenth or early seventeenth-century house.

| Galway | Daly's Grove House | M8276 4011 | A detached three-bay, three storey country house, built in c.1780.

| Galway | Dartfield House | M6819 1916 | A detached U-plan five-bay two-storey country house, built c.1820.

| Galway | Dunmore House | M5076 6309 | | A detached three-bay three-storey over half-basement house with bowed ends, built c.1790, but incorporating an earlier house.

| Galway | Dunsandle House | M5791 2168 | A detached five-bay three-storey country house of c.1780.

| Galway | Gallagh House | M4734 5567 | Built in 1844 by Cornelius Kelly, Gallagh House was accidentally burnt on Guy Fawkes night in 1932, then abandoned.

| Galway | Gortnamona House | M8381 2189 | A detached three-bay three-storey country house of c.1720, and with a later two-bay two-storey Gothic Revival addition of c.1860, when it was also completely refenestrated.

| Galway | Hampstead House | M6585 3811 | A detached five-bay three-storey house with basement to rear, built c.1780, with the remains of a three-storey half-hexagonal bow to the central three bays of the front elevation.

| Galway | Kiltullagh House | M5705 2539 | A detached five-bay two-storey over half-basement square-plan house of c.1725.

| Galway | Limepark House | M4973 0933 | In 1855 Limepark House was in the possession of George Persse, and earlier in the C19 was occupied by Thomas Wilton.

| Galway | Marble Hill House | M6795 0390 | The ruined remains of a detached three-bay, three storey country house, that was built in c.1775, and enlarged c.1813

| Galway | Moat House | M7165 6202 | A detached three-bay two storey house, built in c.1820.

| Galway | Monksfield House | M5050 1499 | A date of 1788 has been suggested for the house, when it was the seat of the Reverend Henry Morgan.

| Galway | Tyrone House | M3909 1769 | A detached seven-bay three-storey over basement country house, built in 1779. Its design is attributed to John Roberts (1712-96) of Waterford.

| Galway | Woodlawn House | M6788 3122 | A detached Palladian-style country house comprising a three-bay three-storey central block of c.1760, with slightly advanced end bays. It was remodelled in c.1860.

Kerry

| Kerry | Ardtully House | V9863 7289 | A detached square-plan five-bay two-storey Baronial style house of 1847, built on the site of a medieval abbey, castle and towers.

| Kerry | Chaytors | V3982 6678 | All that's known is anecdotal, that it was an English landlord's summer residence called 'Chaytors', built in the 1850s.

| Kerry | Flesk Castle | V9871 8979 | A detached ten-bay two, three and four storey Georgian Gothic style country house, built 1809-1815 on an irregular T-shaped plan, and designed by amateur architect and owner John Colts.

| Kerry | Glenbeigh Towers | V6672 9064 | The remains of a detached two-bay three-storey stone-built Medieval Revival style Victorian tower house with attic, built 1867-1871.

| Kerry | Sillahertane House | W0941 7308 | Built in c.1830 as a hunting lodge, it was repeatedly looted in 1921 during the War of Independence. This alone accounts for its appearance.

Kildare

| Kildare | Battlemount House | S7779 9884 | An early C18 ruin on the Narraghmore demesne, T-plan, of five bays, with a central advanced bay, and a Gibbs doorway.

Kilkenny

| Kilkenny | Chapelizod House | S4873 4027 | A detached five-bay two-storey over basement country house with a half-dormer attic, built in 1748. It was unoccupied and derelict in 1969, and in ruins by 1993.

| Kilkenny | Newtown House | S4696 4378 | A detached five-bay (two-bay deep) two-storey over basement country house, extant in 1839.

| Kilkenny | Paulstown Castle | S6626 5710 | A detached three-bay (single-bay deep) three-storey over raised basement country house, built in 1828, and incorporating at least the footings of a tower house of c.1440.

| Kilkenny | Woodstock House | S6394 3647 | A detached seven-bay three-storey over part-raised basement Classical-style country house, built 1745-7. Extended in 1804-06, it was burnt in 1922.

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