Sharon Ní Chonchúirhad never been to a former home of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy. When she visited a trio of them she was smitten
AS A WEEKEND day tripper you may well have explored Ireland's ancient monastic settlements, forts and burial grounds. But have you ever uncovered the history behind the elegant country houses of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy?
The houses used to provoke hostility, as unwanted reminders of our colonised past. At one stage we even burned them down, never pausing to consider their historical significance.
Nowadays perspectives may have changed. Mine certainly did as I travelled around the country, visiting Lissadell House, in Co Sligo, Mount Stewart House, in Co Down, and Castletown House, in Co Kildare, along the way.
They brought me face to face with an often-neglected aspect of Irish history and led me to realise that they are an important legacy of our rich, if fraught, past.
Lissadell House and its 160-hectare estate had fallen into near-total disrepair by the time they were purchased by Eddie Walsh and his wife, Constance Cassidy, in 2003. Five years later they have brought them, and their illustrious history, back to life.
"We see ourselves as custodians," says Isobel Cassidy, Constance's sister and manager of the estate. "We're ensuring that this building, which has had such a glorious past, will also have a future."
Built in 1833, Lissadell was once home to the Gore Booths, a family of poets, patriots and philanthropists, the best known of whom was Constance Gore Booth, later to become Countess Markievicz.
Gore Booth was passionate about politics. In the coach house, an exhibition documents her extraordinary life as a leader of the 1916 Rising, a founder of Fianna Fáil and the world's first female government minister.
"People remember Constance to this day," says Cassidy. "Indeed, my sister was named in her honour. That was a deciding factor in her decision to buy Lissadell."
Gore Booth's siblings have not been forgotten, either. Eva, a poet, was a well-known suffragette; Josslyn, the heir, was an entrepreneur. He transformed the gardens at Lissadell into one of the most successful horticultural businesses in Europe.
The Gore Booths were friends with the great and the good of Ireland. WB Yeats, his brother, Jack, and Maud Gonne regularly dined at the house.
The house retains echoes of this time. There's graffiti that Gore Booth scribbled on a windowpane in a moment of boredom. There are murals painted on the walls by her husband, Casimir Dunin-Markievicz, which capture the men of Lissadell: Gore Booth's father, Sir Henry, his woodsman, gamesman and even his favourite hunting dog, Flip.
This golden age eventually ended, and from the 1940s Lissadell went into decline. The gardens became choked with weeds, and the three remaining Gore Booths, Josslyn's children,could afford to occupy only four cramped rooms in the 70-room mansion.
Lissadell seemed doomed. But that was until Walsh and the Cassidys came along, transforming the house into a home, restoring the gardens and reintroducing Lissadell and its history to the public.
Nestled on the banks of Strangford Lough, Mount Stewart House never suffered such decline. In fact, although it is owned by the UK's National Trust, a descendant of the original Londonderry family still lives in the house.
Now in her 80s, Mairi Elizabeth Vane-Tempest-Stewart is happy to open her home to the public.
"She's a fabulous lady," says Vanessa Elder, Mount Stewart's visitor services manager. "We're delighted to have the family still with us today. Lady Mairi is often kind enough to tell me wonderful anecdotes about family life here."
And what stories. Starting in the 1770s, when Mount Stewart was but a collection of stone cabins, they bring us up to the opulent house of the present day.
The Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, whose head is the marquess of Londonderry, were important political figures. Consequently, some of Europe's most prestigious people spent time at Mount Stewart. King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra were its most lauded guests.
The house trills to these past glories. On display are the coronets the family wore to coronations and the ornamental chairs they sat on at the crownings.
Even more impressive are the Congress of Vienna chairs. These were presented to the family in recognition of their contribution to the congress, which was called to redefine European borders after the fall of Napoleon. "To think we've got such treasure," exclaims Elder.
There are signs of ordinary life, too. There's the doorframe on which Edith, Lady Londonderry and mother of Lady Mairi, marked her children's heights. And there's the apron she used when creating the renowned gardens.
The gardens reflect Lady Edith's many interests and preoccupations. The shamrock-shaped garden is political, with its sculpted hedging depicting a harp for Ireland and a crown for England. The Lady Mairi garden is more personal, with its statue of Mairi as a child, surrounded by bells and cockleshells, as in the nursery rhyme.
All is whimsy in the Peace Gardens. Here there are plaques to the family's dogs, cats and birds, including one for Thumbelina, a miniature dachshund.
From high-ranking politicians to sentimental animal lovers: you can explore the many sides of the Londonderry family at Mount Stewart House.
Another family of extraordinary eminence lived in Castletown House, in Co Kildare. Built in the 1720s, it was the residence of William Connolly, at the time the wealthiest commoner in Ireland.
"William was of humble origins," explains Clare Hickey, the head guide at this Palladian mansion. "He was the son of innkeepers, but he made clever financial decisions that led to him becoming the speaker of the Irish House of Commons, and made his family rich for generations."
The house stands as testimony to their wealth. From the moment you enter its imposing entrance hall, all chequered flooring and Ionic columns, you can't but be impressed.
Every item in the house has a story to tell. There's the writing bureau belonging to Lady Louisa, one of the third generation of the family to live in the house. She would write standing up, because it was too uncomfortable to sit down while wearing a corset.
"She wrote letters to her sisters from here," says Hickey. "They have been compiled into a book called Aristocrats, which depicts Castletown during her time."
Then there's the print room, the only intact example of its kind in Ireland. A scrapbook on a grand scale, the room is decorated from top to bottom with Lady Louisa's favourite prints and borders. Featuring actors and paintings, it represents her life and cultural tastes.
Another telling detail is a pole screen by the fireplace. Placed in front of the face when sitting by the fire, these would prevent the wax make-up worn at the time from melting.
This life was not to last. The Connolly family went into decline, and Castletown came close to destruction: once at the hands of republicans intent on burning it down and again in 1965, when a property developer suggested knocking it down.
It eventually passed into the ownership of the State, and today Castletown offers us an insight into lives we could otherwise only imagine. Like Lissadell and Mount Stewart, it brings our Anglo-Irish past back to life, so that we can meet it, perhaps, like me, for the first time.
Where they were and where to stay
LISSADELL HOUSE
Ballinfull, Co Sligo, 071-9163150, www.lissadell house.com
Take the N15 from Sligo towards Bundoran. At Drumcliffe take a left for Carney. Continue for seven kilometres, until you arrive at Lissadell.
Where to stay and eat
Markree Castle, Collooney Co Sligo, 071-9167800, www.markreecastle.ie. This 370-year-old castle is one of Ireland's finest country-house hotels. Set in a 200-hectare estate, it offers good food, fine wine and old-world charm.
The Waterfront. Rosses Point, Co Sligo, 071-9177122. With its stunning views overlooking Sligo Bay, this restaurant is a perfect place to enjoy local seafood.
MOUNT STEWART
Portaferry Road, Newtownards, Co Down, 048-4278 8387, www.nationaltrust.org.uk From Belfast follow signs for the M3 to Lagan Bridge, then the A2 to Bangor. Turn right on to the A20 Peninsula Road and continue towards Portaferry. Mount Stewart is signposted off this coastal road.
Where to stay and eat
Culloden Estate and Spa. Bangor Road, Holywood, Belfast, 048-90421066, www.hastingshotels.com/culloden. Old-fashioned luxury combined with modern-day five-star facilities. The Portaferry Hotel. The Strand, Portaferry, 048-42728231, www.portaferry hotel.com. Enjoy the sea view over a plate of local oysters.
CASTLETOWN HOUSE
Celbridge, Co Kildare, 01-6288252, www.castletown house.ie
Take the Celbridge West/Leixlip exit off the M4. Take the first left and then right at the Castletown Gate.
Where to stay and eat
Setanta House Hotel. Celbridge, Co Kildare, 01-6303200, www.setanta househotel.com. Travel back to the splendour of the 1700s at this wonderfully restored hotel. Restaurant la Serre. The Village at Lyons, Celbridge, Co Kildare, 01-6303500, www.villageatlyons.com. Tuck into Irish cuisine in the open-air courtyard or take cover in the conservatory.