It is a tale of tapestries at Sherwood Park House in Ballon, Co Carlow, described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage as a “classical-style house” with “detached Palladian-style flanking wings”.
In The Carlow Gentry, author Jimmy O’Toole tells the story of how Robert Baillie, the first occupant of Sherwood Park, had an “all-consuming passion for acceptance as a country squire”. It didn’t end well, though; his grand plan went awry and the poor fellow’s son, Arthur, ended up funding the construction of Sherwood Park House for him.
But despite his desire to be recognised by the gentry, and his unfortunate fall from financial grace, Baillie is immortalised in the Bank of Ireland on College Green. There, two of his tapestries that were created along with Dutch painter Willem van der Hagen and weaver John van Beaver hang for all to see. They were destined for England post the Act of Union in 1801, but legend has it that agents for architect Francis Johnson pleaded for them to stay.
The three-storey-over-basement Georgian pile, which is Ber exempt, has been home to the Owens family for the past couple of decades. “It was a lovely place to grow up — we played outside all day long, swinging from trees. It was a properly country upbringing,” says Justin Owens, now the owner of Mountarmstrong Stud.
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When the three older Owens children went to college, their late mother Maureen opened the doors of the 511sq m (5,500sq ft) house to paying guests. “I don’t know if she actually made any money from it,” says Owens, “but dad would entertain the guests and regale them with stories, while they ate mum’s dinners — which sometimes stretched to 10 courses.” Maureen was highly regarded, and entertained guests so well that she made the front page of the New York Times travel section, with a big smiling photograph.
It is a whole lot of house, sitting at the end of a meandering tree-lined driveway from a significant gated entrance, with lovely views of rolling parkland towards Altamont Gardens.
Dating from 1750, inside the front hallway a Scarlett O’Hara staircase takes centre stage, flanked by fine reception rooms. With tall ceilings, sash windows and period fireplaces, the house retains lovely original details. There are five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, with another five rooms at basement level. Some rooms on the upper floors have remarkable views to the surrounding landscape.
Located 23km from Carlow town, new owners will probably give the kitchen an overhaul as it has commercial units. This is where Maureen Owens cooked for her guests.
The estate is scheduled for auction on Thursday, 20th October, at the Mount Wolseley Hotel in Tullow, and will be offered in the following lots through estate agent Coonan Property: the house and all 90 acres AMV €1.95 million; house and yard on 16 acres AMV €800,000; and derelict cottage on 74 acres €1.15 million.
