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Abandoned Mansions Of Ireland

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    #32
    Fratton Fred
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,567 ✭✭✭✭Fratton Fred


    When you do the nature walk at Glenroe Farm in Kilcoole, there is what looks like an abandoned house, or at least a walled garden, to the north.

    Any idea what this is?

    http://maps.google.ie/maps?q=kilcoole&hl=en-IE&ll=53.11716,-6.04497&spn=0.005139,0.010589&gbv=2&hnear=Kilcoole,+County+Wicklow&gl=ie&t=h&z=17


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    #33
    telekon
    Registered Users Posts: 4,425 ✭✭✭telekon


    Fratton Fred wrote: »
    When you do the nature walk at Glenroe Farm in Kilcoole, there is what looks like an abandoned house, or at least a walled garden, to the north.

    Any idea what this is?

    http://maps.google.ie/maps?q=kilcoole&hl=en-IE&ll=53.11716,-6.04497&spn=0.005139,0.010589&gbv=2&hnear=Kilcoole,+County+Wicklow&gl=ie&t=h&z=17

    According to the first and second edition OSI maps, its the remains of the Ballygannon Estate. They also suggest that the walls are the remains of a walled garden.


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    #34
    Fratton Fred
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,567 ✭✭✭✭Fratton Fred


    telekon wrote: »
    According to the first and second edition OSI maps, its the remains of the Ballygannon Estate. They also suggest that the walls are the remains of a walled garden.

    And a quick google gives us some photos on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/sam2cents/3672445075/in/set-72157620737309274/

    http://www.gardenofireland.com/ballygannon_estate.php
    Ballygannon House and Estate


    Ballygannon House from the beachAbout one mile (1.6km) to the south of Greystones the enormous ruins are visible among trees on the saltmarsh. The ruins are on private land, but support a tremendous amount of wildlife, including birds of prey.

    Ballygannon belonged the the O'Byrne clan, and was built in 1605. It was inhabited until the 1930s by the Scotts. Sea captain, Hopton Scott, came to the house in 1689, during the Williamite War. His ship ran aground on a sandbank off Kilcoole and he was given shelter by Thaddeus O'Byrne. He married O'Byrne's eldest daughter, Randelia, and inherited the house on Thaddeus's death.

    mystery solved I believe, thanks.


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    #35
    Missent
    Registered Users Posts: 157 ✭✭Missent


    Just got my copy of the second volume of Abandoned Mansions and must say I'm very impressed. The photography seems to be better and has resulted in a brighter book than the first volume.

    As far as the selection of houses is concerned, the coverage still covers most counties and there are some surprises. I would know Wexford best and, after the inclusion of the awesome Castleboro in Vol. 1, Kilgibbon and Orristown are included in Vol. 2. I must live only within 7-8 miles of Orristown but couldn't tell you where it is.

    My favourite in the book is the amazing pictures of the Trench family estate at Woodlawn, Co. Galway.

    Finally, my biggest surprise is after an education a long time ago which included incessant singing of the Percy French song, "Long Long Ago in the Woods of Gortnamona", I now know where Gortnamona is.

    Overall, very highly recommended.


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    #36
    AI
    Registered Users Posts: 167 ✭✭AI


    Glad you like the book :)
    This was me on RTE1 Pat Kenny on Friday:
    http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2012/pc/pod-v-21091216m00stodaywithpatkenny-pid0-960552_audio.mp3

    The Culture Night event was packed all night - was a great evening and I sold all the books I had with me :)


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    #37
    gobnaitolunacy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,073 ✭✭✭gobnaitolunacy


    Wonder will the abandoned Celtic Tiger era ghost estates ever become photogenic?


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    #38
    Tess Walsh
    Registered Users Posts: 13 ✭Tess Walsh


    What about a book on the smaller and quirkier buildings? Old hunting lodges and something like Rathuard Castle which is a tower rather than a castle? There are some fascinating buildings around the countryside hiding behind high stone walls and ivy clad rusting gates ...


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    #39
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    Tess Walsh wrote: »
    What about a book on the smaller and quirkier buildings? Old hunting lodges and something like Rathuard Castle which is a tower rather than a castle? There are some fascinating buildings around the countryside hiding behind high stone walls and ivy clad rusting gates ...

    Something like this might be of interest. Quite hard to find these days but worth tracking down a copy as it has a lot of interesting buildings in it.

    513VH6CMXYL._SL500_.jpg

    Irish Countryside Buildings
    Everyday Architecture in the Rural Landscape
    by Patrick and Maura Shaffrey
    Irish Countryside Buildings is a companion volume to the highly acclaimed Buildings of Irish Towns. Much attention has been focused on the natural beauty of Ireland's countryside, but very little on its buildings. This book presents the richness and variety of buildings to be found throughout the country: large estates with their cottages, gate lodges and outbuildings; houses - thatched, slated and stone-built; schools, churches, mills, forges, railways, harbours, lighthouses. There are 'bird's eye' views of farm buildings, clearly showing their layout and historical development. The full-colour illustrations are a special feature.

    Out of print but can be found for €20+ on various internet sites.


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    #40
    spokesman
    Registered Users Posts: 165 ✭✭spokesman


    AI wrote: »
    Glad you like the book :)
    This was me on RTE1 Pat Kenny on Friday:
    http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2012/pc/pod-v-21091216m00stodaywithpatkenny-pid0-960552_audio.mp3

    The Culture Night event was packed all night - was a great evening and I sold all the books I had with me :)

    Hi there, i was looking at your website and it is very good, but the reference to Mayfield House,Portlaw,Co Waterford being left to fall in to disrepair is factually incorrect.

    When Irish Tanners Ltd finally closed down, the whole factory, including Mayfield House went very cheap on the market, the persons who bought the tannery, were in the same line of work, hide and skin.They gutted Mayfield House for every valuable furnishing it had, down to the brass door knobs on the interior doors and sold everything.They also sold anything of value in the tannery, In other words, they destroyed it, which was a crime to see it happening. They then abandoned the whole complex. It now has a new owner, who obtained the place under salvage rights.The whole area is an environmental issue now, with years and years of chemicals int the grounds around the tannery.

    You will find another big mansion in the village of Portlaw, Woodlock House falling away too now. It was a nursing home up to a few months ago until HIQUA closed it down due to the place not being able to refurbish to the standards requried.


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    #41
    AI
    Registered Users Posts: 167 ✭✭AI


    Tess Walsh wrote: »
    What about a book on the smaller and quirkier buildings? Old hunting lodges and something like Rathuard Castle which is a tower rather than a castle? There are some fascinating buildings around the countryside hiding behind high stone walls and ivy clad rusting gates ...

    Thanks Tess
    I am just finishing off the next book - it will be published October 2013. It features 160 locations from all of the 32 counties, all locations with maps and GPS co-ordinates. It has been way more work than both my books on Abandoned Mansions combined. Hopefully you won't be disappointed!


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    #42
    gobnaitolunacy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,073 ✭✭✭gobnaitolunacy


    Just curious, do you have any probs with access?
    If gps coords are given will the owners be more inclined to keep people out?


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    #43
    telekon
    Registered Users Posts: 4,425 ✭✭✭telekon


    AI wrote: »
    Thanks Tess
    I am just finishing off the next book - it will be published October 2013. It features 160 locations from all of the 32 counties, all locations with maps and GPS co-ordinates. It has been way more work than both my books on Abandoned Mansions combined. Hopefully you won't be disappointed!
    gobnaitolunacy wrote: »
    Just curious, do you have any probs with access?
    If gps coords are given will the owners be more inclined to keep people out?

    I'm also not sure that its a good idea to provide the exact locations of the buildings. There still appears to be plenty of salvageable features available in some of the houses you photograph.

    It would be tragic if further features went astray due to thieving scumbags...not to mention the idiots going around vandalising derelict buildings.

    No doubt they'd love to know where these places are, but I'd be pretty sure they're not as familiar with the 1st and 2nd edition OS maps as yourself...;)


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    #44
    AI
    Registered Users Posts: 167 ✭✭AI


    telekon wrote: »
    I'm also not sure that its a good idea to provide the exact locations of the buildings. There still appears to be plenty of salvageable features available in some of the houses you photograph.

    It would be tragic if further features went astray due to thieving scumbags...not to mention the idiots going around vandalising derelict buildings.

    No doubt they'd love to know where these places are, but I'd be pretty sure they're not as familiar with the 1st and 2nd edition OS maps as yourself...;)

    Thanks but my third book which will be published in autumn 2013 is something a bit different - it features locations which you can (and should!!) go and visit.


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    #45
    telekon
    Registered Users Posts: 4,425 ✭✭✭telekon


    AI wrote: »

    Thanks but my third book which will be published in autumn 2013 is something a bit different - it features locations which you can (and should!!) go and visit.

    Hmmm, intriguing. Looking forward to it.:)


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    #46
    telekon
    Registered Users Posts: 4,425 ✭✭✭telekon


    AI wrote: »
    Thanks but my third book which will be published in autumn 2013 is something a bit different - it features locations which you can (and should!!) go and visit.

    While we have your attention Tarquin, what do you make of the ghostly like faces in the doorway of Stephenstown House, Louth? (the first Virtual Reality Pic on the page)

    http://www.abandonedireland.com/Stephenstown_2.html

    Seriously creeped me out when I saw it! I presume this has been pointed out to you before? :confused:


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    #47
    AI
    Registered Users Posts: 167 ✭✭AI


    telekon wrote: »
    While we have your attention Tarquin, what do you make of the ghostly like faces in the doorway of Stephenstown House, Louth? (the first Virtual Reality Pic on the page)

    http://www.abandonedireland.com/Stephenstown_2.html

    Seriously creeped me out when I saw it! I presume this has been pointed out to you before? :confused:

    :eek: Sorry but that was just one of the journalists from The Herald newspaper who was along with me for the day. He poked his head out of the doorway at the wrong time!


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    #48
    gobnaitolunacy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,073 ✭✭✭gobnaitolunacy


    You could have brought that to the attention of the Paranormal forum and had a field day with it!


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    #49
    telekon
    Registered Users Posts: 4,425 ✭✭✭telekon


    gobnaitolunacy wrote: »
    You could have brought that to the attention of the Paranormal forum and had a field day with it!

    You know, that actually did cross my mind when I was posting that! Thought I'd get the low down from AI first before giving that particular forum a very early Christmas present. :)


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    #50
    stefan idiot jones
    Registered Users Posts: 3,518 ✭✭✭stefan idiot jones


    losthorizon wrote: »
    Maybe its the wrong forum to put it in but I came across this really interesting site on abandoned houses and mansions in the Republic

    http://www.abandonedireland.com/start.html

    I don't know if this has been posted before, but a similar site is http://www.worldabandoned.com/ and also quite interesting.


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    #51
    Seanchai
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,401 ✭✭✭Seanchai


    I see Dangan Castle in Summerhill is for sale on Myhome.ie:

    Dangan Castle and Lands

    Curiously, there doesn't appear to be any preservation order attached to the sale. Even the lands are exceptional with the remains of what appears to be a manorial village still there.

    More importantly still Dangan would appear to be the site of the battle of Dangan Hill in 1798 (although not the site of the Battle of Dungan's Hill on the other side of Summerhill where over 3000 people died in August 1647).

    Unfortunately, the latter history is usually overshadowed by people interested in Dangan Castle's connection with the Colley/Wesley (latter Wellesley) families. One would think, though, that the latter group would be mobilising some campaign regarding the future of Dangan Castle (It's an enormous pile. I took numerous photos there in 2008, which I'll upload when I get the time)


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    #52
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    In need of some TLC. In any other country its connections with Wellington would be enough to see it preserved but I'm sure that it will eventually be let fall down.


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    #53
    Seanchai
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,401 ✭✭✭Seanchai


    Judgement Day wrote: »
    In need of some TLC. In any other country its connections with Wellington would be enough to see it preserved but I'm sure that it will eventually be let fall down.

    Here are some photos I took of Dangan Castle and Estate in July 2008. Among them you'll see the ruin of a church on the estate. It's not merely a bell tower to call the tenants. There was also a small footbridge on the estate and other things indicating a manorial settlement. For some reason I don't have photos of them here.

    Dangan Castle


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    #54
    pedroeibar1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    It is the ruin of an early to mid 18th century two storey house; inherited from a Wesley cousin in 1728 by Richard Colley who had to change his name to Wesley to get it. here He was the grandfather of the Duke of Wellington. While the Iatter did spend some of his childhood at Dangan, he was not born there - most accounts (including that of his mother) state he was born in Dublin.

    Dangan was badly damaged by fire in the early 1790’s and it was sold by the Duke’s older brother Richard for about £25,000 in 1793 to an East Indian Company ‘Nabob’, a Colonel Burrowes, M.P., who extended it considerably. It was let by Burrowes to the United Irishman Roger O’Connor, (the brother of Arthur) who had been made an honorary General by Napoleon; he was said to have taken the house in order to be able to entertain Napoleon there. As Napoleon was unlikely to visit due to more pressing affairs, O’Connor felled and sold all the trees and gutted the house of anything of value. Another fire in 1809 completed its ruin.

    Roofless and derelict for more than 200 years, it is beyond redemption.


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    #55
    edwood
    Registered Users Posts: 65 ✭✭edwood


    AI wrote: »
    :eek: Sorry but that was just one of the journalists from The Herald newspaper who was along with me for the day. He poked his head out of the doorway at the wrong time!

    Hi I am living in Limerick and I just wondered if you could let me know how to find both of these places? http://www.abandonedireland.com/hjkl.html and http://www.abandonedireland.com/hah.html I would love to take a day trip to see both. Would really appreciate if you could help :)


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    #56
    crockholm
    Registered Users Posts: 2,448 ✭✭✭crockholm


    pedroeibar1 wrote: »
    It is the ruin of an early to mid 18th century two storey house; inherited from a Wesley cousin in 1728 by Richard Colley who had to change his name to Wesley to get it. here He was the grandfather of the Duke of Wellington. While the Iatter did spend some of his childhood at Dangan, he was not born there - most accounts (including that of his mother) state he was born in Dublin.

    Dangan was badly damaged by fire in the early 1790’s and it was sold by the Duke’s older brother Richard for about £25,000 in 1793 to an East Indian Company ‘Nabob’, a Colonel Burrowes, M.P., who extended it considerably. It was let by Burrowes to the United Irishman Roger O’Connor, (the brother of Arthur) who had been made an honorary General by Napoleon; he was said to have taken the house in order to be able to entertain Napoleon there. As Napoleon was unlikely to visit due to more pressing affairs, O’Connor felled and sold all the trees and gutted the house of anything of value. Another fire in 1809 completed its ruin.

    Roofless and derelict for more than 200 years, it is beyond redemption.
    Great research, I would argue about it being beyond redemption,I have worked with more than my fair share of old buildings to have so pessamistic an outlook.


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    #57
    pedroeibar1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    crockholm wrote: »
    Great research, I would argue about it being beyond redemption,I have worked with more than my fair share of old buildings to have so pessamistic an outlook.

    Point taken. I should have said 'economic redemption'. The work required to put that back to habitable condition would mean that it would end up a pastiche, not a restoration. The three remaining walls possibly are structurally doubtful and their integrity is questionable given that there is substantial detritus and mature growth inside the building that would need to be removed. Do not get me wrong, I am all in favour of saving & preserving buildings, but there is so little money and so much to be done and so little help that someone entitled to to play 'god' from time to time and make suggestions. It would be far better to see the money being put to better use on a building of greater character/importance.


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    #58
    crockholm
    Registered Users Posts: 2,448 ✭✭✭crockholm


    pedroeibar1 wrote: »
    Point taken. I should have said 'economic redemption'. The work required to put that back to habitable condition would mean that it would end up a pastiche, not a restoration. The three remaining walls possibly are structurally doubtful and their integrity is questionable given that there is substantial detritus and mature growth inside the building that would need to be removed. Do not get me wrong, I am all in favour of saving & preserving buildings, but there is so little money and so much to be done and so little help that someone entitled to to play 'god' from time to time and make suggestions. It would be far better to see the money being put to better use on a building of greater character/importance.
    We do agree on so much, If the house were to become a place of residence again,it would most likely be a UK national with a penchant for history and lots of money.
    Just for now,given the opportunity,I would like to see something like a CE scheme put in place,whereby out of work builders and those who would like a career in restoration a form of apprenticeship.
    Realistically,something to conserve the structures,to halt the decay would be accectable,every building of this era will never again be repeated and therefore lost,and that goes for the smaller vernacular houses and stables/barns too.
    Sometimes,in Ireland it feels like people veiw these buildings just as monuments to supression and therefore are ambivilant about their protection


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