List of country houses in County Carlow

This is a list of the historic "Big Houses" () of County Carlow, Ireland. The term is a direct translation from Irish and refers to the country houses, mansions or estate houses of the historical landed class in Ireland.Elizabeth Bowen, 'The Big House' in Hermione Lee (Ed.), The Mulberry Tree (1986), p. 26.

This page lists 88 of the most prominent historic big houses in Carlow, which have adequate records associated with them. While many of these houses are currently in private ownership, they are still afforded varying degrees of protection by the Irish government based on whether their architecture or history is considered nationally, regionally or locally important.

At the height of the estates period in the 1800s, Carlow had a greater number of country houses and demesnes per hectare than any other rural county in Ireland. These "big houses" and their occupants dominated the economic and political landscape until the turn of the 20th century. Historian Jimmy O'Toole likens the prevalence of estates within the county to Gloucestershire, England, stating that Carlow was "the most gentrified county in Ireland".O'Toole, pp. 1–3

The majority of these houses are listed within the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) and most of the remainder are registered as historic buildings by Carlow County Council. A small number of these houses are not currently listed on any register. This is usually due to significant alteration or demolition prior to the foundation of the NIAH in 1990.

Gallery

Big Houses of County Carlow

Color keyDesignation NIAH-listed, Nationally Important Building NIAH-listed, Regionally Important Building Protected by Carlow County CouncilNot currently on any local or national register

Register No.Big HouseHistoric FamilyBaronyDate BuiltStatus Aghade LodgeRocheRathvillyPrivately ownedAltamont HouseSt. GeorgeRathvillyPublicly owned Reverted to State ownership in 1999. Ardristan HouseUnknownRathvillyPrivately ownedBagenalstown HouseBagenalIdrone EastPrivately ownedBallinabrannagh HouseHughesIdrone WestPrivately owned Ballintemple HouseButlerForthBurnt in 1917, demolished in 1975 Greek-style granite portico still standsBallinvalley HouseKealyForthAbandoned, ruinBallybar HouseButlerCarlowPrivately owned Ballycormick HouseRothwellForthPrivately owned Ballydarton HouseWatsonIdrone EastPrivately ownedBallyellin HouseBlackneyIdrone EastPrivately owned Ballykealy HouseLeckyForthIn use as a hotelBallynoe HouseRickyForthPrivately owned Beauchampville HouseBeauchampIdrone EastPrivately owned Beechy ParkD'IsraeliRathvillyPrivately ownedBella VistaUnknownCarlowPrivately owned Bennekerry HouseNewtonCarlow Privately owned Borris HouseMacMurrough-KavanaghIdrone East Privately owned Broomville HouseButlerForth Privately ownedBrowne's Hill HouseBrowneCarlow Privately ownedBurgage HouseVigorsIdrone West Privately ownedBurton Hall HouseBurtonCarlow Privately owned Existing house is the west wing of the original house, which fell into decay and was demolished around 1900. Busherstown HouseUnknownCarlow Privately ownedCastlemore HouseEustaceRathvilly Abandoned, ruin Destroyed by fire in 1975Castletown HouseKavanaghCarlow Privately ownedClogrennan HouseRochfordIdrone West Ruin Abandoned in 1923Corries HouseRudkinIdrone East Privately ownedDuckett's GroveDuckettCarlow Publicly owned, ruin Destroyed by fire in 1933Dunleckney ManorBagenalIdrone East Privately ownedEastwood HouseHenleyIdrone East Privately owned Ellen Grove HouseUnknownRathvilly Privately ownedErindaleWellingtonCarlow Privately ownedEvington HouseDeane-TannerCarlow Privately ownedFennagh HousePack-BeresfordIdrone East Privately ownedGarrison HouseTyndallIdrone East Privately ownedGarryhundon HouseButlerCarlow Privately ownedGreenbank HouseHaughtonCarlow In use as a hotel (Seven Oaks Hotel)Hardymount HouseEustaceRathvilly Privately ownedHolloden HouseVigorsIdrone West Owned by the Royal Oak DistilleryHollybrook HouseFeltus-BurkeForth Privately ownedHuntington CastleEsmondeSt. Mullin's UpperPrivately ownedJaneville HouseGarrettIdrone EastPrivately ownedJohnstown HouseBunburyCarlowPrivately ownedKilbride HouseK'EoghForthRuin Destroyed by fire in 1927Kilcoltrim HouseBruenIdrone EastAbandoned, ruin Kilconner HouseWatsonIdrone EastPrivately owned Kilcumney HouseMurphyIdrone EastPrivately ownedKilknock HouseLeckyForthDemolished in 1940, Gatehouse remains KilledmondKavanaghIdrone EastOwned by Blackstairs Eco-TrailsKilgraney HouseUnknownIdrone EastIn use as a hotel Killinane HouseMercerIdrone WestPrivately owned Kilmeany HouseLoftus-TownshendCarlowPrivately owned Knockduff HouseKingSt. Mullin's LowerPrivately owned Kyleballyhue HouseWhelanCarlowPrivately owned Lenham LodgeButlerCarlowPrivately owned Lisnavagh HouseMcClintock-BunburyRathvillyPrivately owned Littlemoyle HouseBunburyCarlowPrivately owned Lumcloone HouseWatsonIdrone EastPrivately owned Milford HouseAlexanderIdrone WestPrivately owned Mill HouseLambertSt. Mullin's LowerIn use as a restaurantMillpark HouseEchlinForthPrivately ownedMinvaud HouseUnknownRathvillyPrivately ownedMount Leinster LodgeKavanaghIdrone EastPrivately ownedMount Pleasant HouseHarveyIdrone EastDerelictMount Wolseley HouseWolseleyRathvillyIn use as a golf clubhouseMyshall LodgeCornwall-BradyForthDemolished Abandoned 1915, burnt down 1922Newstown HouseCobdenForthPrivately ownedOak Park HouseBruenCarlowPublicly owned Headquarters of TeagascPaulville HousePaulRathvillyDemolishedPhilipstown ManorDuckettRathvillyPrivately ownedPollerton HouseBurtonCarlowDemolished 1970 Gatehouse, historic fencing remainsRathcrogue HouseUnknownCarlowPrivately ownedRathduff HouseBerginIdrone EastPrivately ownedRathmore HousePaul-BunburyRathvillyPrivately ownedRathvinden HouseMcClintockIdrone WestIn use as a hotelRathwade LodgeBeauchamp-BartholomewIdrone EastPrivately ownedRavenswood HouseUnknownForthPrivately ownedRocklyn HouseUnknownCarlowPrivately ownedRusselltown Park HouseUnknownCarlowDemolished in 1950 Gatehouse remainsSandbrook HouseEchlinForthPrivately ownedSherwood ParkBaillieForthPrivately ownedSpringfield HouseUnknownCarlowPrivately ownedSt. Austin's AbbeyDoyneRathvillyRuin Burnt in 1921Staplestown HouseFishbourneCarlowPrivately ownedStraw Hall HouseHeronCarlowIn use as an officeThornville HouseFennellCarlowPrivately ownedUpton HouseLaToucheIdrone EastPrivately ownedWykenham HouseBaylissIdrone EastPrivately owned

See also Destruction of Irish country houses (1919–1923) Irish National Land League List of historic houses in the Republic of Ireland Plantations of Ireland Protestant Ascendancy

References

Bibliography O'Toole, Jimmy: The landed gentry in decline – A County Carlow perspective.