Irish Georgian Society Cork Chapter

2012-02-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

2012-02-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

2012-02-02T12:11:00.000-08:00

One of the highlights of the Cork Chapter's 2011 calendar took place in June. Although 'Houses of the Blackwater' started with Ballynatray House, a mere 40 minute drive from Cork, one certainly felt transported to an enchanted world on this day out.

The morning started with refreshments and a tour of Ballynatray House which is now a luxury guest house. Our host was Neil Porteous, head gardener. (It was Neil's last day at Ballynatray. He is now head gardener at Mount Stewart.) This magnificent Georgian mansion was built on the former estates of Molana Priory, by Grice Smyth in 1795-97. The landscape was laid out in the early nineteenth century. To the east, the original walled garden contained the kitchen garden and a series of terraced formal gardens leading down to the river. Neil showed us the recent redevelopments here and explained the further ambitious plans which were, unfortunately, shelved. It was difficult to leave this piece of heaven, although it only set the scene for more splendid things to come.

Richmond House provided a wonderful interlude for lunch where the food was excellent. This 18th century Georgian house, in a mature parkland setting, was built by the Earl of Cork in 1704. Today it is a family business run by Paul and Clare Deevy. We were well set up for our drive up river to Strancally Castle.

About 10 kilometers from Cappoquin, Strancally is a romantic castle designed by George Richard Pain in the 1820s for John Kiely. The impressive Turner gates were an apt welcome for what lay beyond. We were greeted by Gianni Forte who, with her husband Michael Allen-Buckley, refurbished this castle to an astonishing standard. For example, the cantilevered stone staircase is a breathtaking architectural fete in itself. Two sections, with approximately five steps in each, are suspended without wall support. Gianni was most hospitable and generous with her time as she elaborated on the procedures of the restoration. Fine details, such as the door knobs, which were cast from moulds of the family hands, elucidate the attention to detail here. Having perused the house we enjoyed afternoon refreshments in the garden room and on the terrace, including sparkling wine and chocolate brownies. Today, in every way, Strancally is a model for creating a modern family home, of the highest design standards, within the fabric of a seventeenth century castle. It was difficult to leave this spectacular setting on the banks of the Blackwater. But not so far away our final treat was in store.

Headborough House is a splendid Georgian residence that was remodelled circa 1830. The entrance has exceptionally tall gate piers. We were warmly welcomed by the owners Brian and Linda Scane. In contrast to Strancally Castle, Headborough's interior is of the old world style with, for example, a marvelous collection of mahogany furniture and gilt mirrors. The hand blocked French wallpaper in the hall was a delight as it is quite old and rare. Another remarkable surprise were the taxidermied animals, especially the fur bearing trout! The out-offices were outstanding, set around a well preserved cobbled yard with stables boasting of details such as fine plastered arches, cornices and centre roses. One could only imagine the original light fittings that hung from these. Linda walked us through the garden where we admired her unusual fowl and peacocks. Brian gave us a history of the house and finally we were entertained to champagne in the dining room.

Many thanks to all our hosts for their kind hospitality and for opening their homes to our enthusiastic members. Special thanks to our chairman Kevin Hurley who once again organised a spectacular day out and to the committee for their help.

Cork Chapter visit to Limerick on 20th May, 2011

2011-07-09T14:52:00.000-07:00

On 20th May, 2011, the Cork Chapter of the Irish Georgian Society made an outing to County Limerick. Our first stop was at Ash Hill Stud in Kilmallock where we were welcomed by Simon Johnson. Having been treated to morning coffee with delicious cakes and bracks, we were given a summary by Simon of the rich history of his family and its associations with the house. Ash Hill was originally built for Eyre Evans (the entrance carries the Evans family motto) and is an interesting mix of Georgian and neo-gothic styles. The present Georgian house was built by Chidley Coote in 1781. Here the important stucco ceilings are similar to those found in the salon at Castletown, County Kildare. In the 1830s Eyre Evans employed Charles Anderson to build the front of the house in a Gothic style that included two large towers. Due to excessive rates in the 1960s these were removed. Simon elaborated on the changes made by his mother which included removing the original staircase and replacing it with a timber paneled family room, the timber having been salvaged from Castle Cor, Kanturk. This resulted in the front door being relocated to the courtyard side of the house. Having viewed the exterior and outbuildings our convoy repaired to the Mustard Seed at Ballingarry for lunch.

A former Presentation convent, the Mustard Seed Restaurant and Hotel represents a tasteful restoration and change of use of a historical house. Our lunch, hosted by proprietor Dan Mullane, was the highlight of our outing. We were treated to salads from the garden and delights such as jellied ham hock, duck confit and goats cheese fritters followed by fresh berries and meringue. The Mustard Seed is highly recommended for a special treat and IGS members may avail of discounted rates. Luckily our lunch prepared us for the cross country zig-zag to Ballinvirick House near Askeaton!

Ballinvirick is an early Georgian house originally the home of the Royce family in the mid eighteenth century. Presently it is in the final stages of restoration by its new owners, the Fleming family who purchased the property in 2004. Our afternoon was delightful and as the sun shone we wandered through the formal and informal gardens. Our hosts, Mark and Kate Fleming, provided home made lemonade and biscuits and were most informative on their restoration project and anecdotes on the house. Relaxed and refreshed we gathered ourselves for our final pursuit.

When we arrived at Curragh Chase House it was late afternoon. From the steps our chairman Kevin Hurley read a synopsis on its history from The Abiding Enchantment of Curragh Chase - A Big House Remembered, by Joan Wynne Jones (neé De Vere), published in 1983. One could only imagine the fantastic interior with, for example, plaster work by John Flaxman. The house was the home of the de Vere family where the famous poet Aubrey De Vere was born in 1814. Sadly the mansion was destroyed by fire in 1941 and only the outer walls remain today. The estate now forms part of a forest park administered by Coillte. Our final treat was tea and homemade chocolate biscuits served on the steps of Curragh Chase. Many thanks to committee members Catherine Fitzmaurice and Dr. Alicia St. Leger for putting the finishing touches to a marvelous day!

Cork Chapter Visit to Crosshaven on 17th April 2011

2011-07-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

Members of the Cork Chapter gathered at Holy Trinity (Templebreedy) Church of Ireland in Crosshaven (courtesy of the Rev. Isobel Jackson) on a cloudy, cool Sunday morning on 17th April 2011. The poor weather was soon forgotten as members heard of the fascinating history of the church from Chapter Head, Kevin Hurley. He revealed some of the interesting stories and design features of the building which was the creation of architect William Burges in 1864-1866. Burges also designed St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral in nearby Cork city. Members enjoyed looking around the church and the children’s choir was starting practice as the group left the building to travel the short distance to Fort Camden.

Improved weather and a warm welcome greeted the group at the entrance to the fort. Situated on either side of the entrance to Cork Harbour, Camden and Carlisle Forts were substantially developed in the 1790s to guard the area from attack by the French. They are fine examples of classical Coastal Artillery Forts. Camden remained in use until the mid-twentieth century and was acquired by Cork County Council in 1989 as a tourism project. It was later abandoned and vandalised, but has recently begun a new lease of life thanks to the hard work of a local group ‘Rescue Camden’ in conjunction with Crosshaven Tourism. The enthusiasm of the guides was infectious as they led the group through some of the many buildings, gun emplacements and tunnels on the site. The guides brought the fort back to life with their explanations of its history and the many stories associated with the site. The group saw evidence of recent work in clearing back overgrown vegetation and the start of careful building restoration. It was clear to see the excellent strategic siting of the fort in the magnificent setting of the harbour entrance. Thanks to Deirdre and Noel Condon for helping to organise our visit.

All that walking around the fort meant that members of the group had worked up a good appetite for lunch at the nearby Royal Cork Yacht Club. The club, now situated in the attractive setting of Crosshaven, was originally founded in 1720 on Haulbowline Island in the harbour. It is the oldest yacht club in the world and a brief talk on its history was given after the meal by club archivist Dermot Burns and by Dr. Alicia St. Leger who has published a history of the club. They pointed out some of the important historical paintings and other artefacts on display in the clubhouse.

The final visit of the day was to Crosshaven House. The Cork Chapter originally saw this building in 2004 when it was undergoing restoration, so it was very interesting to return to the house now that it is complete. It was built in 1769 by William Hayes and is prominently sited in the centre of Crosshaven village. The main five bay house is flanked by free-standing wings or pavilions. Members of the group admired the fine cantilevered staircase, the attractive plasterwork in the principal rooms and the lovely sense of space and light in the building. Ted Emery kindly facilitated this visit.

Thanks are due to all of those who kindly provided access to the church, fort, yacht club and Crosshaven House. Thanks also to Kevin Hurley for his work in organising a most enjoyable day.

Cork Chapter Visit to Fota House on 20th March, 2011

2011-07-09T14:18:00.001-07:00

On Sunday 20th March Cork Chapter members enjoyed an afternoon at Fota House on Fota Island about ten kilometres east of Cork city. The visit began with the large group being divided into two and guided around the house by committee members Geraldine O’Riordan and Dr. Alicia St. Leger.

The building started life as an 18th century hunting lodge for the Smith Barry family. It was substantially enlarged in the 1820s for John Smith Barry to the design of renowned architects Richard Morrison and his son William. Further additions followed in the late 19th century when a billiard room and conservatory (later converted into a gallery) were added. It remained in the Smith Barry family until 1975 and is now under the care of the Irish Heritage Trust.

Members of the Cork Chapter explored the house, admiring the skilled craftsmanship, fine decoration and the many attractive features of the building. Set in the beautiful surroundings of an arboretum and gardens, the views from the main rooms are particularly striking. Of equal interest were the extensive staff quarters, including the kitchen and the wet or game larder with its carousel for hanging game.

Following refreshments in the hall, the group then gathered in the beautiful drawing room to hear a presentation by Dr. Edward McParland of the Department of the History of Art and Architecture, Trinity College, Dublin. Dr. McParland centred his talk on St. Mary’s Church, Pope’s Quay, Cork - a striking classical building designed by Cork architect Kearns Deane for the Dominican Order. Built in the 1830s and dedicated in 1839, the church had later additions. Dr. McParland’s engaging talk described not only the architecture of St. Mary’s, but also the fascinating story behind its construction. Local politics, church rivalry and interesting fund-raising activities were all part of the colourful origins of this attractive building set on the banks of the River Lee.

Dr. McParland’s excellent talk was followed by a draw for three copies of Tarquin Blake’s publication ‘Abandoned Mansions of Ireland’. The book features remarkable photographs of ‘abandoned mansions’ all over Ireland. For three lucky recipients, it was a welcome bonus at the end of a very pleasant and enlightening afternoon at Fota House. Thanks to Kevin Hurley who organised the event and to the staff at Fota House for all their help.

FORTHCOMING IGS CORK CHAPTER EVENT AT FOTA HOUSE CORK SUNDAY 20TH MARCH 2011

2011-03-10T15:22:00.000-08:00

Irish Georgian Society
Conserving Ireland’s Architectural Heritage

Blog: igscork.blogspot.com

CORK CHAPTER

Patron: Mrs. Myrtle Allen

PRESENTS

A VISIT TO

FOTA HOUSE, CARRIGTWOHILL, CO. CORK.

Sunday, 20th March 2011 @ 2.30pm

2.30pm Meet at Fota House for registration etc.

2.45pm Guided Tour of House by Geraldine O’Riordan and Dr. Alicia St. Leger

3.45pm Illustrated lecture on St. Mary’s Church, Pope’s Quay by Dr. Edward McParland of the Department of the History of Art and Architecture, Trinity College, Dublin, author of ‘James Gandon’ and ‘Public Architecture in Ireland’.

4.15pm Refreshments followed by draw for copies of ‘Abandoned Mansions of Ireland’ by Tarquin Blake

5.00pm Event concludes

Fota House: Historically important country house and demesne, seat of the Barry-Smith family until 1975 and altered and enlarged to the design of one of the most influential architects in Ireland during the nineteenth century, Sir Richard Morrison. Originally a hunting lodge, Fota was enlarged into a "Regency mansion of stucco" in the early nineteenth century by John Barry-Smith. The original seven-bay house remained the centrepiece of Morrison's classical composition, enlivened by the finely crafted Grecian limestone portico and tripartite opening above. The addition of flanking wings is a classical Palladian-style feature, this style further referenced in the suggestion of pediments on the gable-fronts. The Fota House demesne once comprised the whole island, the survival of its notable demesne structures, distinguished gardens and formal layout adds significantly to Ireland's national heritage. [NIAH 20907572] The house is now operated by the Irish Heritage Trust and is surrounded by the world famous arboretum. The restaurant will be open during the day serving lunches and snacks.

Dr. Edward McParland will lecture on St. Mary’s Pope’s Quay was built in the first half of the nineteenth century and was designed by Cork architect Kearns Deane, while the portico was added by Deane and Woodward. The ashlar and carved limestone façade was clearly executed by skilled craftsmen, while the fine interior is attributed to John Pyne Hurley, the baldacchino is attributed to Scannell of Cork, while the pulpit and high altar were designed by George Goldie and added in the 1880s. [NIAH Cork City 20512203]

Dr. Edward McParland is lecturer in the department of the history of art and fellow of Trinity College Dublin and author of “Public Architecture in Ireland, 1680-1760” This innovative book examines the public architecture of Ireland from 1680 to 1760, a crucial period during which the country undertook the combined tasks of recovering from war and constructing a new and stable society. New buildings, and new types of buildings, were needed to express and sustain this society. Architectural historian Edward McParland explores the role of public architecture in this enterprise, focusing on public buildings as works of architecture and art, while also discussing the political, social, and economic contexts in which they were built. More than one hundred specially commissioned photographs by David Davison beautifully document this cultural process. By drawing on extensive research in archives throughout Britain and Ireland, Edward McParland documents in vivid detail the architectural and social importance of these remarkable public buildings.

Accessing Fota: by car via the Cobh road or by train via the Cork to Cobh line (15 minute walk from Fota station to Fota House). Parking: parking is available with a fee of €3 to be paid when exiting the facility.

Advance booking is essential. Tickets cost €15 (members) €20 (non-members) including refreshments and must be purchased in advance by completing the application form below. N.B. Full details: name, address, contact details & membership no. etc., of all persons attending the tour must be provided.

Terms & Conditions: Participation at the discretion of the committee. No bookings accepted without payment. Attendees must provide own transport.

Details upon request via email to Kevin Hurley: corkigs@gmail.com or 087-9266826

A Visit to Some Cork City Churches and Former Churches

2011-03-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

There was a strong sense of ecumenism at the Cork Chapter's final event for 2010. The event, organised by Edmund Corrigan, was a Saturday morning visit on the 20th. November to two Roman Catholic churches and two former Church of Ireland churches. Our group began our tour at the Catholic Church of St Peter's and Paul's.

St. Peter's and Paul's Church was designed by E.W. Pugin and George Ashlin. The church is much loved by Corkonians of every persuasion including children who love to visit the church in order to count its numerous angel motifs that adorn the building. Its Gothic revival architecture sets it apart from other Cork churches. Building work was initiated by the then Parish Priest, Fr. Murphy, of the Murphy Brewery family in 1859. Public subscription contributed to the completion of the church in 1866. The lavish interior was and continues to be a joy to visitors and worshippers alike.

The former Church of Ireland, St. Paul's Church was next on our itinerary. The church, latterly a factory, was built in 1723. Today, it proudly displays its first floor elegant tall round-headed windows. Its entrance is graced by tall ashlar pillars dating from 1785. But what really delighted our group was the building's incredible ornate plaster ceiling. A rare sight indeed.

The former Church of Ireland, St. Peter's and the Catholic Church of St. Augustine's were the subjects of the second half this pleasant morning's tour. St. Peter's is reputedly the oldest church standing in Cork. Today, it serves our city as The Vision Centre. We were given a most interesting talk by Tarquin Blake who introduced us to his exhibition, "Abandoned Mansions of Ireland." Finally, our group, having made our way on foot to the last of four churches, the Catholic Church of St. Augustine. After welcome festive treats such as coffee and mince pies, enjoyed at the priory, we rounded off our morning with a tour of this beautiful 1940's church. Our appreciation was conveyed to our hosts and to Edmund Corrigan for a most seasonal and enjoyable Four Churches Event.

Cork Chapter Visit to Cobh County Cork

2011-02-28T13:00:00.000-08:00

The last Saturday of October 2010, turned out to be one of those cherished mellow autumn days that set the scene for the Cork Chapter's Cobh autumn outing. The town of Cobh is spoilt for choice when it comes to assembling an itinerary for a visit. But Dr. Alicia St. Leger selected wisely when she chose three places of interest for the Chapter's trip. As our group was gathering to register on that autumn morning, one could not but be impressed by the magnificence of the location occupied by our first building, Cobh Museum. Sitting, as it does on a hill, overlooking the harbour, it is the perfect place to get a sense of the importance of the town of Cobh as an outstanding place to visit.

Alicia St. Leger gave a most interesting short talk on Cobh Museum. It was built in 1854 as a Presbyterian Church in the Gothic style of architecture. It was known locally then, as the Scots Church. Today, it houses articles of interest reflecting the cultural, social and maritime history of Cobh and the Great Island.

The second part of our visit led our group downhill to the town proper and to the Sirius Arts Centre. This Victorian structure was given life in 1854 as a clubhouse for the Royal Cork Yacht Club. A status occupied until 1966 when the yacht club moved across the harbour to Crosshaven. In 1988, the vacant clubhouse in Cobh was given another lease of life to serve as an arts centre. Today, the building continues to provide unparalled views of the harbour.

Having realised two elements of our itinerary, our party was ready to enjoy a fine lunch in Pearse Square. Fortified, we then made our way to get to the third and final part of our itinerary, the monumental St. Colman's Cathedral. Here we had plenty of time to relax and take full advantage of a fascinating tour led by Ms. Ann Wilson who generously plied us with local stories. Ann Wilson was passionate in her outline of detail as she pointed out the highly elaborate intricate detail of both the interior and exterior of this internationally renowned masterpiece. St. Colman's was designed by E.W. Pugin and G.C. Ashlin in 1868. Our appreciation was conveyed to our hosts for the day and to Dr. Alicia St. Leger for planning and oganising a splendidly varied Cobh visit for the Cork Chapter.

Cork Chapter visit to Fermoy

2010-11-11T03:49:00.001-08:00

18th September, 2010
The visit to the Fermoy area by the Cork Chapter attracted one of the largest attendances of any event when over fifty members gathered at Christ Church on the morning of Saturday, 18th September. The rector, the Rev. Eileen Cremin, gave a warm welcome to the group and Bill Power outlined some of the fascinating history of this church which was completed in 1809. Built to the design of Abraham Hargrave, the church originally accommodated not only the parishioners but also the large number of military personnel at the nearby barracks.

Leaving Fermoy, the group travelled the short distance to Careysville House which has been used as a fishing lodge for many years. Owned by the Dukes of Devonshire since the 1930s, the house was built in 1812 on the site of Ballypatrick Castle. It is an attractive building located on a height overlooking the Blackwater River and is well equipped and comfortable for the fishing parties who use it. The group were greeted by Peter Bielski and several friendly dogs!

Having enjoyed their visit to Careysville, members of the group travelled back to Fermoy for lunch at La Bigoudenne restaurant. This is a piece of France in the centre of Fermoy and the delicious food was enjoyed by all present.

Suitably refreshed, the group set off for Ileclash House just three kilometres from Fermoy. The current owner, Michael Frazer, welcomed members and gave an overview of the history of the charming mid-eighteenth century house. the property has been occupied by many different owners, most notably by British political activist Sir Oswald Mosley who lived at Ileclash with his wife Diana Mitford. The house is in excellent condition and sumptuously furnished, with wonderful views over the surrounding countryside. Like Careysville, it stands on a height beside the River Blackwater. Members enjoyed viewing the house and walking in the pleasant grounds surrounding it.

The final visit of the day was to Ballinterry House near Rathcormac. Built in the early eighteenth century, like the other two houses it has had a succession of owners. Perhaps the most colourful was American actor Hurd Hatfield who lived at Ballinterry from 1974 until his death in 1998. The current owners have undertaken a sensitive restoration of the property and have created a home that is full of character. Michael Garvey and Ann O'Sullivan were most welcoming to the group and kindly provided refreshments at the end of the visit.

Each of the three houses had it own unique character and charm but were alike in the warm welcome provided to the Cork Chapter members. Grateful thanks to our hosts on the day and also to Kevin Hurley who organised the event.

A mid-Summer visit to North Cork Saturday 17th July 2010

2010-08-02T05:58:00.000-07:00

A mid-Summer visit to North Cork - Saturday, 17th July, 2010

On a somewhat dull Saturday morning in July members began to arrive at the entrance to St. Colman’s Church of Ireland, Farahy for a day of visits to a church, a site and two country houses.

St. Colman’s Farahy once threatened with demolition has been saved for posterity and is preserved as a sort of shrine to the memory of Elizabeth Bowen and who is buried in the churchyard. St. Colman’s is described ‘The church was built in 1721 and is a fine example of a very rare early 18th century Church of Ireland church. Attached to it is an early 18th century schoolhouse that is now used as the vestry’. Dean Robert McCarthy who is a trustee of the church gave us a short talk on the history of the building and its association with Elizabeth Bowen and he also gave a short reading from ‘Bowen’s Court’ published in 1942. On leaving the church we noted the memorial to Elizabeth Bowen carved by Ken Thompson and in the graveyard the tombstone which commemorates Elizabeth and her husband Alan Cameron who died in 1952. The ‘Cole-Bowen’ vault was pointed out and it would not have been noticed but for the knowledge of Dean Robert McCarthy. Of note in a corner of the graveyard was a memorial to those that perished in the ‘Great Famine’.

We now made our way to the site of the demolished ‘Bowen’s Court’ was a classic example of the tall and square 18th century Irish house and was built by Henry Bowen to the designs of Isaac Rothery in 1776. The house was three storeys over a basement and had a seven bay entrance façade with a three bay breakfront and a pedimented door case. The house was the home of Elizabeth Bowen (1899 – 1973) the novelist and it has been immortalised in her book ‘Bowen’s Court’ with its “rows of dark windows set in the light façade against dark trees has the startling, meaning and abstract clearness of a house in a print, a house in which something important occurred once, and seems from all evidence, to be occurring still”.

We strolled to the site in the ever increasing heat as the clouds peeled away to reveal a clear blue sky. Such optimism was soon repressed as we came upon mounds of broken cut stone a testament to the quality of the craftsmanship that had made such a fine house. The group stood and stared silently for a few moments reflection. It was sad to think that the house had only been demolished in 1961 having been sold by Elizabeth Bowen in 1959 due to the rising cost of upkeep. Elizabeth’s hope that the house ‘could be filled with the sound of children’ went unrealised as the ‘rates’ condemned the house to its fate shared by many other ‘big houses’ in the neighbourhood. At least ‘Bowen’s Court’ has been luckier than most other houses that have gone as the house is memorialised in the book of the same name. There is one surviving out-building that could be rescued with a little imagination and used as a museum to Elizabeth Bowen and the site itself and the remaining stone should be given special protection by the County Council.

A book well worth having is ‘Elizabeth Bowen Remembered - The Farahy Addresses’ Eibhear Walshe, Editor © 1998

Our thanks to Brenda Hennessy for giving us access to the Church and bringing us to the site of the house and looking after some members in need.

We departed the vanished house and followed in convoy led by Don McAuliffe to ‘Ballymacmoy House’ a Regency house built in 1818. It is the original home of the Wild Geese family - the Hennessys of Cognac. The compact estate is located at the edge of the village of Killavullen. It has three and a half miles of exclusive fishing rights along the river Blackwater and has a one acre walled garden. There is also a unique prehistoric private cave on the estate. Parking in the designated area the house was just visible through the trees. Walking the short distance it was immediately obvious that much work had been undertaken to restore the house and certainly the exterior had the feeling of newness. Our host Frederic Hennessy welcomed the group to his home and gave a short history of the evolution of the house and estate and its connection with the famous ‘Hennessy Cognac’ family. The house has been restored to its ‘Georgian’ elegance with its rows of ‘Wyatt’ windows and the newly lined faux ashlar. The interior was a revelation and the intimate scale of the rooms made the house elegant and comfortable. Memories came flooding back for some of those on the tour as it had been run as county house accommodation in the early 1970s by Eileen and Dan McAuliffe and tow of their children Jocelyn and Don both relived their memories of the house at the time which contributed to the enjoyment of all. The bowed former ball-room was now a dining room and having strolled about the house we were ready for lunch and we were not disappointed as there was plenty of food and seconds if needed, dessert, tea and coffee followed. All too soon it was time to depart and as we thanked Frederic for his hospitality we wished his enterprise well.

Once again the convoy made its way to the next house ‘Annes Grove’ which was built in the early eighteenth century. In 1900 Richard Grove Annesley (1879-1966) inherited the property and developed the renowned Robinsonian gardens. After his death in 1966, the task of maintaining the gardens fell upon his son, the late E. P. Grove Annesley, and they are now being conserved by his grandson, Patrick Grove Annesley. The ‘Woodward’ gate lodge has been restored by the Irish Landmark Trust. With such a big group we were divided into two with one group led by Jane Annesley and the other by her husband Patrick Annesley. The interior of the house is quite intimate and not what one would expect but at least it makes it more manageable. The house has been re-roofed recently and so hopefully preserves it for future generations to come. The porch a later addition to the house was erected sometime in the late nineteenth century and the steps were brought from Ballywalter House having been burnt in the troubles. Of course the ‘piece de resistance’ is the garden developed in the early twentieth century. ‘There are few gardens anywhere in Ireland where rare trees and shrubs are grown so successfully and in such a harmonious setting as the beautiful Robinsonian gardens of Annes Grove. Set on a sloping site around an elegant early eighteenth-century house overlooking the River Awbeg, the thirty acre garden is filled with thousands of thriving plants in a layout that merges unobtrusively into the landscape. In front of the house stretches a parkland with some fine trees; nearby is a walled garden with herbaceous borders, yew walk, rock garden and water garden; beyond is an extensive woodland garden noted for its rhododendrons; and down below in a wooded limestone gorge is a lovely river garden with an island, stony rapids, rustic bridges and a lush tapestry of green foliage’. (Terence Reeves-Smith Irish Gardens © 1994). Having enjoyed the house and garden we converged on a converted barn to enjoy some refreshments, the storm clouds were gathering and despite a few drops of rain the tour successfully concluded before the deluge began.

We extend our thanks to Geraldine O’Riordan for organising this enjoyable event and to our speakers and photographers.

Cork Chapter visit to Clonmel - Further thoughts

2010-07-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

Cork Chapter visit to Clonmel

2010-07-01T06:29:00.000-07:00

Cork Chapter visit to Marlfield House, Newtown Anner and Gurteen Castle

Members gathered on 19^th June at Marlfield House where we were given a tour of the house and grounds and were welcomed by Denis English. The house was built in the late 18^th century. It was burnt in the troubles and was subsequently rebuilt. The house has a superb Turner Conservatory.

Our next visit was to Newtown Anner. Nigel and Tessa Cathcart were so welcoming and enthusiastic about their estate. They gave us a tour of the house and grounds and introduced us to Michael, the gardener. The house is currently under restoration and is wonderfully atmospheric. The ‘Lady Osborne’ temple has been restored and the Cathcart’s hope to clear the lake in front of it. We admired the vast stable block with its recently renovated sash windows as well as the train tracks running through the yard which were used to transport wood to the house. The walled garden is extensive and a section of wall that had collapsed has also been wonderfully restored as has one of the old greenhouses and a lodge.

Following lunch at Befani’s in Clonmel, the group headed to Gurteen Le Poer Castle where we were warmly welcomed by Gottfried Helnwein and his family. It is incredible how light the castle is inside and absolutely perfect for Gottfriend’s stunning artworks which adorn many of the walls.

A combination of fascinating houses and stunning weather was a recipe for a wonderful trip.

Thanks to Kevin Hurley for organising this event.

Cork Chapter Visit to Castletownsend

2010-07-01T05:16:00.001-07:00

The weather was stunning - warm sunshine and blue skies - yet it was only one aspect of a day that was perfect in so many ways! Cork Chapter members gathered at Shana Court, formerly the Custom House, in Castletownshend on Saturday 22nd May. There a warm welcome was received from the Orfeurs, who also provided refreshments. Tours of this fine 1745 house revealed many interesting features, particularly the Armada chairs.

A short stroll down the sunlit street was followed by a more strenuous climb up the 52 steps to St. Barrahane’s Church. It was well worth it! Not only was the view over the bay beautiful, but the church itself is a gem - and a well kept one at that. Inside are many historic memorials and items of interest, but our group paid particular attention to the Harry Clarke windows. Geraldine O’Riordan gave an excellent talk about Clarke and his artistic skills, helping us to appreciate the aesthetic and historical background to the St. Barrahane’s windows. Having viewed the graves of Edith Somerville and Violet Ross, members of the group strolled through the graveyard and down to sea level to visit Castle Townshend.

Rosemary Cochrane-Townshend welcomed the group and showed members around this historic house, the oldest part dating from about 1650. The long association with the Townshends was seen in the portraits and many other items which were linked to previous generations of the family. Although the temptation was to linger at the castle with its wonderful views over the bay, lunch beckoned at Mary Ann’s Restaurant. So it was back up the hill to the shaded outdoor eating area where a tasty lunch was enjoyed by all.

Our final destination was not too far away, just up the road to Drishane House. This attractive weather-slated house was built in the late eighteenth century by Thomas Somerville and our members were welcomed by the current owners, Tom Somerville and his family. A tour of the house, with its many beautiful features, was followed by a visit to the nearby little museum which contains images and artefacts relating to author Edith Somerville who lived at Drishane. Even her little dog was preserved! Then it was time to explore the grounds surrounding the house with their mix of lawns, orchard and shady woods, all set on the hillside overlooking the sea. It was heaven! Refreshments kindly provided by the Somervilles were the perfect ending to the perfect day!

Thanks to Maura Currivan who organised the visit and to the welcoming hosts who made the Cork Chapter visit to Castletownshend such a success.

A MIDSUMMER VISIT TO NORTH CORK

2010-06-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

Irish Georgian Society
Conserving Ireland’s Architectural Heritage

Blog: igscork.blogspot.com

CORK CHAPTER

Patron: Mrs. Myrtle Allen

A MIDSUMMER VISIT TO

ST. COLMAN’S Church of Ireland, FARAHY
The site of the demolished BOWEN’S COURT
BALLYMACMOY HOUSE &
ANNES GROVE HOUSE & GARDEN

Saturday, 17th July, 2010 @ 10.45am

10.45am Meet at St. Colman’s Church of Ireland Church, Farahy for registration etc.
11.15am Tour of St. Colman’s followed by visit to site of the demolished Bowen’s Court
1.00pm Lunch at Ballymacmoy House followed by a tour of the house, courtesy of Mr. Frederic Hennessy
3.00pm Tour of Annes Grove House & Garden, followed by refreshments, courtesy of Mrs. Jane Annesley

St. Colman's Church, Farahy is noteworthy for its association with the author Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973), who lived at Bowen's Court and is buried in the churchyard. The church was built in 1721 and is a fine example of a very rare early 18th century Church of Ireland church. Attached to it is an early 18th century schoolhouse that is now used as the vestry.

Bowen’s Court was a classic example of the tall and square 18th century Irish house and was built by Henry Bowen to the designs of Isaac Rothery in 1776. The house was three storeys over a basement and had a seven bay entrance façade with a three bay breakfront and a pedimented door case. The house was the home of Elizabeth Bowen (1899 – 1973) the novelist and it has been immortalised in her book ‘Bowen’s Court’ with its “rows of dark windows set in the light façade against dark trees has the startling, meaning and abstract clearness of a house in a print, a house in which something important occurred once, and seems. from all evidence, to be occurring still”. Due to rising costs the house had to be sold in 1959 and it was demolished in 1961 by its new owner.

Ballymacmoy House is a Regency house built in 1818. It is the original home of the Wild Geese family - the Hennessys of Cognac. The compact estate is located at the edge of the village of Killavullen. It has three and a half miles of exclusive fishing rights along the river Blackwater and has a one acre walled garden. There is also a unique prehistoric private cave on the estate.

Annes Grove House was built in the early eighteenth century. In 1900 Richard Grove Annesley (1879-1966) inherited the property and developed the renowned Robinsonian gardens. After his death in 1966, the task of maintaining the gardens fell upon his son, the late E. P. Grove Annesley, and they are now being conserved by his grandson, Patrick Grove Annesley. The ‘Woodward’ gate lodge has been restored by the Irish Landmark Trust.

Numbers are limited so advance booking is essential. Tickets cost €30 (members) €40 (non-members) including lunch and must be purchased in advance by completing the application form below. N.B. Full details: name, address, contact details & membership no. etc., of each person attending the tour must be provided.

Terms & Conditions: Participation at the discretion of the committee. No bookings accepted without payment. Attendees must provide own transport.

Enquiries to Geraldine O’Riordan. (Tel: 087-2755764 or email: geraldineoriordan@yahoo.ie)

AN EXCEPT FROM THE SPRING NEWSLETTER VOL. 2 2010

2010-05-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

The colonnade at Russborough House, Co. Wicklow features on the cover of the Newsletter Vol. 2 Spring 2010.

The newsletter contains a number of interesting articles with excerpts from some following:

President’s Letter: Desmond Fitzgerald, Knight of Glin

The effects of the global economic downturn and the effect on the society is addressed in the President’s Letter, Desmond Fitzgerald, Knight of Glin states ‘The coming year will be trying for the Society as the full effects of the crunch will be felt and many aspects of our organisation will be affected. Sadly we have had to let AOIFE KAVANAGH, our Projects Administrator, go which will be a great loss as she has been key to the Society in many areas but particularly in the development of our website and of our new newsletter. We will certainly find ourselves worse off with her absence and are endeavouring to secure funding to consolidate the Society’s other activities. Any help at all in this would be hugely welcome, so please get in touch with our office in Dublin if you can be off assistance'.

News from Russborough: William Laffan

WMF Watch List recognises threat to Co. Wicklow Demesne.
Often described as ‘the most beautiful house in Ireland’, Russborough, in the care of the Alfred Beit Foundation, is emerging as a model of how an Irish demesne can adapt to reinvent itself. Over the last few years a wide variety of events and activities has brought the estate to life. However, the fragile state of its parkland has been a concern to the Beit Foundation, which has successful campaigned to have Russborough listed on the World Monuments Fund (WMF) Watch List.

IGS Architectural Conservation Award: Robert O’Byrne

The Irish Georgian Society is delighted to announce the introduction of a significant new awards scheme for architects involved in the conservation of the country’s historic buildings. Intended to promote greater appreciation of Ireland’s built heritage, the awards, the award’s first winners will be announced at a ceremony in late September. There will be two award categories, one for a conservation project and one for a non-CAD (computer aided design) drawing relating to a historic building. Applications for the awards must be received by the Society on or before July 31st next.
Further details and information on applications can be found on the Society’s website.

The Importance of Maintenance: Emmeline Henderson

A Stitch in Time saves Nine: The Importance of Maintenance
As the adages go ‘a stitch in time saves nine’ and ‘prevention is better than cure’. The same holds true for our historic houses, where regular inspection, maintenance and repair can safeguard their condition. Failure to identify problems early can produce major faults which may not be only very costly to rectify but may potentially cause the irreplaceable loss of our buildings’ historic fabric. So what should one consider when conducting maintenance inspection works?

Architectural Moments in the History of Limerick City: Judith Hill

If you live in Limerick, the city is big enough, busy enough, complex enough to fill your horizon to the extents that it is a shock how quickly, rising above it in an airplane, it resolves into a definable shape, a finite settlement in the landscape. It is a small city, but it has the diversity and functions and, despite its size, the scale of a city.

Planning Issues: Donough Cahill

Donaghcomper, Celbridge, Co. Kildare

In Celbridge, permission has been granted by Kildare County Council for new roads and service works in Donaghcomper demesne; development proposals that are in addition to those currently being considered by An Bord Pleanála. These new infrastructural works are intended to facilitate the future development of Celbridge town to include new commercial and residential buildings. Whilst the society will be appealing the decision, should the large scale development works go ahead in the future, they would have a devastating impact on the character of Castletown, Celbridge town and on vistas from Kildrought House which has been restored to such an exemplary standard in recent years.

Events Round Up: Aoife Kavanagh

A review of events organised by Dublin and the various chapters including our own Cork Chapter featuring the West Cork trip, Collins Barracks and Ennismore House, and the Christmas Party.

LISMORE AND SALTERBRIDGE SATURDAY 24TH APRIL 2010 EVENT REPORT

2010-04-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

THE TOWERS, BALLYSAGGARTMORE; BALLYIN GARDENS;
ST. CARTHAGE’S Church of Ireland CATHEDRAL; O'BRIEN CHOP HOUSE LISMORE;
SALTERBRIDGE HOUSE & GARDEN

Saturday, 24th April, 2010

Ballysaggartmore was the beginning of a packed itinerary with a visit to ‘The Towers’ just outside Lismore. The dull and grey sky yielded to bright blue just as we reached the gate lodges on our circuit. We enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the forest peppered with snippets of information on the dry bridge, the castellated bridge and a pair of identical gate-lodges which have survived to this day to amaze us all. Mr. Kiely was reviled as a landlord but his creations have outlived his appalling treatment of his tenants and the local community is to be commended for revealing such treasures where the norm would have seen them demolished and the stone-work used for road building.

A sharp right turn on the road brought us into the secret world of ‘Ballyin Gardens’ and we were educated as to the origin of the gardens and the treasures within by the owner of the gardens Mr. Peter Raven. This was an extra attraction on our programme and it certainly did not disappoint. With wonderful views over the river Blackwater and planting to match the wonderful scenery our brief visit was brought to a conclusion by the needs of the clock and our timetable. Another visit beckons sometime in the future when time is not at a premium.

St. Carthage’s Cathedral was brought to life with a wonderful historical description by Dermot Edwards who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the cathedral from its founding to its present incarnation. We learned that many of Ireland’s famous architects worked here including Sir William Robinson (who designed the Royal Hospital Kilmainham); Sir Richard Morrison rebuilt the cathedral and James & George Richard Pain designed the tower and spire. We also visited the little known library with its fine collection of volumes amassed over the years. We are very grateful to the Very Revd. Paul Draper, Dean of Lismore for the warm welcome and the refreshments that were much appreciated.

We had to be torn away from the cathedral for our lunch appointment but it was well worth it. Having enjoyed a restorative lunch and dessert at O’Brien Chop House we set off for our final destination with the grey clouds beginning to appear.

We journeyed down to Salterbridge House past the newly restored gate-lodge that has been resurrected from dereliction by the Irish Landmark Trust and available to anyone who wishes to stay in such an unusual and attractive lodge. Venturing up the avenue we were welcomed by Philip and Susie Wingfield who gave us a short history of the house and its evolution over the years. We toured the out-buildings, the gardens before arriving indoors for a tour of the ground floor reception rooms and the bedroom corridor upstairs including ‘the coldest room in Ireland’ as Philip explained. Having toured the house and grounds we were treated to a welcome cup of tea accompanied by home made scones with jam. All too soon it was time to leave Salterbridge, thank our hosts and thus brought our very enjoyable and varied day to a close. Thanks to our committee for helping out on the day and to Kevin Hurley for organising the event.

A VISIT TO SOME HOUSES IN AND AROUND CLONMEL

2010-04-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

Irish Georgian Society
Conserving Ireland’s Architectural Heritage

Blog: igscork.blogspot.com

CORK CHAPTER

Patron: Mrs. Myrtle Allen

A VISIT TO SOME HOUSES IN AND AROUND CLONMEL

MARLFIELD HOUSE, NEWTOWN ANNER HOUSE
& GURTEEN LE POER CASTLE

Saturday, 19th June, 2010 @ 09.30am

09.30am Meet at Marlfield House, Clonmel for Registration etc.
10.00am Tour of Marlfield House kindness of Denis English
11.30am Tour of Newtown Anner House and Grounds, Clonmel kindness of Nigel N. Cathcart
1.00pm Lunch at Befani's restaurant & The Main Guard, Sarsfield Street, Clonmel
2.30pm Depart for Gurteen Castle, Kilsheelan, Co. Waterford
3.00pm Tour of Gurteen Le Poer Castle kindness of Gottfried & Renate Helnwein
4.30pm Knocklofty House Hotel, Clonmel for refreshments (at own expense)

Marlfield is located just south of the old Cork to Clonmel road (between Ardfinnan and Clonmel) and is a striking feature on the landscape. Designed to the classical layout of Palladianism this house exhibits many notable features which contribute to its architectural significance. Burnt in 1923 by rebel forces, the main house was rebuilt in 1925, creating an excellent reproduction of late-eighteenth century features such as the timber sash windows. The impressive conservatory is a fine example of the work of Turner, with its ornate curving arches and radiating fanlights. The blind niches to the quadrants and the façades of the pavilions, with their entablatures and urns, display direct influences from Classical architecture, enlivening the appearance of the building. The grandeur of the house is further enhanced by the related outbuildings, fernery, garden entrance and tunnel, all contributing to the setting of the house. (N.I.A.H. Buildings of Ireland – Tipperary SR rec. no. 22112003)

Newtown Anner House (beyond Bulmer’s Plant) was formerly the home of the Duke of St Albans and the Osborne family, this imposing substantially intact country house preserves a skilfully and delicately carved doorway which gives the house an ornate focus. The house is notable for its wings which, unusually, are taller than the central block. The vertical thrust of the wings is emphasised by the diminishing windows. The setting is enhanced by the shell grotto, the well-preserved walled garden and the ruined temple, all of which add context and are fine examples of the activities of this significant former demesne. Now it’s the home of Mr. Nigel N. Cathcart who is restoring the building as funds permit. (N.I.A.H. Buildings of Ireland – Tipperary SR rec. no. 22207718)

Befani’s Mediterranean & Tapas Rrestaurant is run by Business Partners & Friends Adrian Ryan & Fulvio Bonfiglio. Adrian is our Head Chef, while Fulvio manages the restaurant. With their combined years of experience and knowledge of food they constantly strive to provide you with a varied and interesting menu, which is prepared using fresh, seasonal vegetables and organic produce when available.

The Main Guard which was built in 1675 as the courthouse and was converted into shops circa 1810. It has been recently restored to its original form with a loggia of open arches and the sandstone columns are once again a feature of the streetscape. (This visitor attraction is run by the OPW and can be visited free of charge)

Gurteen Castle is a monumental Elizabethan Revival house of national importance, which retains its original form and massing together with important salient features and materials, both to the exterior and to the interior. Built to designs prepared by Samuel Ussher Roberts (1813 - 1892) for Edmond, first Count de la Poer (n. d.), the architectural quality of the house is enhanced by the complex arrangement of gables, towers and turrets, all of which enliven the skyline. The construction in limestone ashlar attests to high quality stone work, which is particularly evident in the fine detailing throughout. A group of gateways to the grounds enhances the artistic design quality of the site, while a garden turret contributes to ornamental quality of the battlemented enclosure, itself augmenting the medieval tone of the grounds. The house is of additional importance in the locality on account of its associations with the de la Poer family. The house is now the Irish home of Gottfried and Renate Helnwein. (N.I.A.H. Buildings of Ireland - Waterford rec. no. 22900208) (www.gottfriedhelnwein.ie)

Knocklfoty House (Hotel) is a former country house served as the seat of the Donoughmores until the mid-1980s. The architectural design draws on the influences of classical architecture in its detailing. This is exhibited in its ornate entrance front, which is adorned with features such as the broken pediments, Doric pilasters, wreathes and busts. The retention of features such as the timber sash windows enhance the buildings appearance, while the dome roof over the central door case is a striking feature which adds further to the architectural significance of the building. This former country house forms part of an interesting group of demesne related structures with the servants quarters, outbuildings, gate lodges, estate workers' houses and bridge. (N.I.A.H. Buildings of Ireland – Tipperary SR rec. no. 22208216) (www.knockloftyhousehotel.com)

Numbers are limited so advance booking is essential. Tickets cost €50 (members) €60 (non-members) including lunch and must be purchased in advance by completing the application form below.

N.B. Full details: name, address, contact details & membership no. etc., of all persons attending the tour must be provided.

Terms & Conditions: No attendance without pre-booking. Participation at the discretion of the committee. No bookings accepted without payment. Attendees must provide own transport.

Enquiries to corkigs@gmail.com or Mobile: 087-9266826

A VISIT TO CASTLETOWNSHEND - THE SOMERVILLE & ROSS TOUR

2010-04-16T15:48:00.000-07:00

Irish Georgian Society

Conserving Ireland’s Architectural Heritage

Blog: igscork.blogspot.com

CORK CHAPTER

Patron: Mrs. Myrtle Allen

A VISIT TO CASTLETOWNSHEND
(THE SOMERVILLE & ROSS TOUR)

THE CUSTOM HOUSE, ST. BARRAHANE’S Church of Ireland
CASTLE TOWNSHEND & DRISHANE HOUSE

Saturday, 22nd May, 2010 @ 10.00am

10.00am Meet at Shana Court formerly the Custom House for registration etc.
10.30am Tour of Shana Court, followed by refreshments courtesy of Mrs. Geraldine Orfeur
11.15am Tour of St. Barrahane’s Church, courtesy of the Churchwarden, Mr. Robert Salter-Townshend
12.15pm Tour of Castle Townshend and grounds, courtesy of Mrs. Anne Cochrane-Townshend
1.15pm Lunch at Mary Ann’s Bar & Restaurant
2.30pm Tour of Drishane House, followed by refreshments, courtesy of Mr. Tom Somerville

The Custom House is a fine Georgian building dating from 1745 retaining many original features. It is now known as ‘Shana Court’ and is available for short-term lettings.

St. Barrahane’s Church of Ireland dates from 1826 and was built with stone brought from Horse Island. It contains three ‘Harry Clarke’ windows and is intimately associated with Edith Somerville & Violet Martin of Somerville & Ross fame who are buried in the adjoining church yard.

Castle Townshend has been the seat of the Townshend family for generations with the oldest part dating from circa 1650. The towers of the present castle were constructed from the remains of the ruined castle. The Cochrane-Townshend descends from the original Townshend family.

Mary Ann’s Bar & Restaurant is a quaint old fashioned Irish Pub that is one of the finest gourmet restaurants in Ireland. It has three Egon Ronay awards to show for it! Relatively unchanged in 150 years, retaining the old fashioned feel of the place. The bar is fully stocked with draught and bottled beers and spirits. Our large wine list encompasses wine regions throughout the World. Fergus and Trish O’Mahony have always believed in trading locally. The majority of suppliers are based within a five to ten mile radius of Mary Ann's, who only buy the best of Irish produce.

Drishane House is described as “A two storey house of 1849 built onto the front of an earlier house extending round three sides of a courtyard, enclosed on the fourth by a screen wall with an arch”. It was the family home of Edith Somerville. (Mark Bence-Jones, A Guide to Irish Country Houses © 1988)

Numbers are limited so advance booking is essential. Tickets cost €50 (members) €60 (non-members) including lunch and must be purchased in advance by completing the application form below. N.B. Full details: name, address, contact details & membership no. etc., of all persons attending the tour must be provided.

Terms & Conditions: No attendance without pre-booking. The committee reserve the right to refuse admission to any event. No bookings accepted without payment. Attendees must provide own transport

Enquiries to corkigs@gmail.com or Mobile: 087-9266826

VOLUME XII OF THE IRISH ARCHITECTURAL AND DECORATIVE STUDIES JOURNAL 2009

2010-03-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

Foreword by The Knight of Glin

This, the twelfth volume of the Irish Architectural and Decorative Studies, was launched at the No. 1 Pery Square hotel in Limerick, next door to the Georgian house preserved by the Limerick Civic Trust. In this context, it is sad to note the recent death of Denis Leonard who did so much to save this fine example of domestic architecture, and, indeed, so much else in the city of Limerick. His enthusiasm and commitment will be long remembered.

As usual, there is great variety to the contents of the Journal, which reflects its deliberately wide scope, from architecture, painting, sculpture and the decorative arts to patronage, travel and history of demesnes. As often, one of the themes running through the articles is, perhaps surprisingly, a fluid tale of migration – of individuals, styles and motifs. We have the sad story of a Mayo artist and an American poet on Capri, the monument in Florence to the Italian architect of Castletown; the French goldsmiths of Dublin, and the influence of the antiquities of Asia Minor and Iberia on Ireland. Highly appropriate, given our launch in the city, is the piece by Judith Hill on Plassey House just outside Limerick, which commemorates and Indian battle and is now owned by the University of Limerick.

This is the last of the issues to be edited by William Laffan, to whom I, and the Society, are very much indebted. I am very pleased to announce that Conor Lucey has agreed to take over as editor. Dr. Lucey, who lectures at University College Dublin and at National College of Art & Design, was awarded the Desmond Guinness scholarship in 2005, and has already served on the editorial board of the Journal. His study of Michael Stapleton, published by the Churchill House Press, was acclaimed by my old friend John Harris – praise indeed! Dr. Lucey is founding editor of the new journal Artefact, as is contributing to the new Art and Architecture of Ireland, Vol. IV (Royal Irish Academey) as well as other forthcoming publications. We are delighted that a young scholar of his calibre has agreed to take over the reins.

Several forthcoming publications and events might be flagged, in particular two collections of essays. One, The Eighteenth Century Dublin Town House, is edited by Christine Casey, who is organising a seminar on stuccowork in Trinity College Dublin in April 2010. In addition, Lynda Mulvin is editing a volume on neoclassicism, which will be of great interest to members of the society. In early summer, the remarkable photographs by Patrick Prendergast of Irish country house interiors will be on show at the Irish Architectural Archive in Merrion Square. Twenty years ago, at the behest of Lord Belmore, Prendergast travelled around Ireland photographing houses still in the possession of the families of the builders. This resulted in an archive of some 2,000 intimate ‘behind the scenes’ shots of the Irish Big House, a selection of which will be on show. Having seen these photographs, I know that they will be a revelation to all those interested in the topic.

In difficult economic times, which the Society feels acutely, it is pleasing to welcome the happy diversion that the erudite contents of this Journal offer. However, the scholarship that the Journal embodies also has a very serious purpose which goes to the heart of the Society. The understanding of Ireland’s past is manifested in her art, architecture and material culture must permeate our activities and inform our decision making processes. Despite its manifest importance, it is proving increasingly difficult to attract funding for this Journal, though I am extremely grateful to the Esmé Mitchell Trust and the late Sir Alfred Beit’s Apollo Foundation for very welcome grants. I ask that members and supporters to all that you can to help this invaluable publication by subscribing and encouraging others to do so.

Contents:

Frederick O’Dwyer:- Robert West, Christopher Myers and St. James’s church, Whitehaven

Philip McEvansoneya:- New Light on he artistic and personal aspects of the second version of ‘The Last Circuit of the Pilgrims at Clonmacnoise’ by George Petrie

Livia Hurley:- Wiliam Burton Conyngham’s antiquarian tour of the Iberian Peninsula, 1883-84

Terence Dooley:- Castle Hyde and the Great Famine, 1845-51

Brendan Rooney:- The painter and the poet: Michael George Brennan (1839-71) and Laura Catherine Redden (1839-1923)

Judith Hill:- The several incarnations of Plassey: Plassey House, University of Limerick

Lynda Mulvin:- Charles Robert Cockrell’s encounter with Ireland: drawings, observations and buildings

Jessica Cunningham:- Dublin’s Hugenot goldsmiths, 1690-1750: assimilation and divergence

Tom Dunne:- Sensibility and the sublime in the storm paintings of Thomas Roberts (1748-77)

Michael McCarthy:- The monument to Alessandro Galilei in S. Croce in Florence, 1737

WINNER OF THE IRISH GEORGIAN SOCIETY RAFFLE 2009

2010-03-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

Old Connaught House

Old Connaught House, Shankill, Co. Dublin is a plain eighteenth century house that was embellished during Victorian times with the addition of a single storey portico consisting of four pairs of Ionic columns and a conservatory at one end of the house since removed. It was a property of the Gore family and subsequently the Plunket family. Sir Walter Scott visited the house in 1825 and stayed there for a time. Some eighteenth century interior features remain and the building has of late been converted into several apartments. Some of the estate features are currently being restored.

More information on Old Connaught House can be had from the Peter Pearson's book "Between the Mountains and the Sea" a revised edition of which was published in 2007 and that has attracted wide praise.

The painting is a wonderful representation of the house and was done by Geraldine O'Riordan for the winner of the Irish Georgian Society Reffle 2009. I am sure that the winner is delighted with his painting and the Cork Chapter of the society is very grateful to Geraldine for her imagination in coming up with the concept, designing the raffle tickets and promoting the idea as a fundraiser for the society.

Geraldine's online portfolio can be viewed on geraldineoriordan.blogs.com

EVENTS REPORT END OF YEAR 2010

2010-03-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

West Cork Saturday 12th September 2009

The Cork Chapter organised a memorable trip to West Cork on Saturday, 12th September 2009. St Fachtna's Church of Ireland Cathedral, Rosscarbery, was first on our itinerary. We were welcomed by the Dean of St Fachtna's, The Very Revd. Christopher Peters. The walls of the cathedral are adorned by important family memorials as well as an early 18th century Royal Coat of Arms of George II. Dean Peters traced the cathedral's illustrious origins in a lively and compelling fashion, from the arrival of St Fachtna to the building's recent restoration. We then headed for Bantry Bay and to the outer hall of Bantry House, where we were welcomed by Brigitte, wife of the owner of the house, Egerton Shelswell-White. We admired the furniture and family portraits that grace the fine suite of rooms in the house. Members enjoyed lunch in the Loggia and savoured the superb views of the bay. Finally, we arrived on the peninsula of Castletownbere, to Dunboy Castle, with its "skyline of steep roofs, tall chimneys and a sensational hall". We then repaired to the Mill Cove Gallery for some refreshments before the long journey home. Our grateful thanks are extended to Kevin Hurley who organised this event.

Ennismore & Collins Barracks Friday 30th October 2009

Early on a very wet Friday morning (30th October), a group of members met at Ennismore in the north eastern suburbs of Cork City. Dr. Alicia St. Leger our Hon. Secretary provided a brief history of the house. It was associated with the Leycester family and is now St. Dominic’s Retreat Centre. Following refreshments, the group moved on to Collins Barracks, where we were greeted by the curators, Mr. Jim Horgan and Mr. Paddy Cremin who led us to the nearby garrison church with stained glass windows by Evie Hone. Thanks to Geraldine O’Riordan who organised the outing.

Christmas Party at the Customs House Saturday 28th November 2009

The Christmas Party was held in the Port of Cork (formerly Cork Harbour Commissioners) offices at the Customs House. Dr. Alicia St. Leger outlined the history of customs houses in Cork, particularly the present attractive building which opened in 1818. The group admired the wonderful elegance of the Boardroom with its stunning plasterwork, designed in 1906 which compliments perfectly the original part of the building which was designed by Abraham Hargraves. Following a short tour, Catherine Fitzmaurice and Kevin Hurley presented an illustrated review of some of the Cork Chapter’s successful activities in 2009. John Holohan gave a talk on current developments and future plans and the morning concluded with refreshments, co-ordinated by Maura Currivan and including delicious mince pies brought by Myrtle Allen. Thanks are due to Geraldine O’Riordan who organised the event.

BOOKS ON IRISH ARCHITECTURE

2010-03-09T13:35:00.000-08:00

Collecting books on Irish Architecture – A work in progress: Kevin Hurley

‘Ireland Observed’ © 1970, 1980 was the first book on Irish buildings that I ever bought and this book sent me on my journey of discovery of Irish Architecture. It was a joint publication by Maurice Craig and the Knight of Glin both of whom are well know in the field of architecture and art respectively.

A book shop that did well from my early purchases was Wm. Egan & Sons (now Jack n’Jones/Vero Moda) of St. Patrick Street, Cork and was source of many of my purchases in my early days of collecting. The first book purchase in Egan’s was ‘The Houses of Ireland’ © 1975 by Brian DeBreffny & George Mott which is a very good overview of the development of the Irish house from earliest times to the early twentieth century.

I soon followed this up with ‘Irish Houses & Castles’ © 1971, 1980 by Desmond Guinness & William Ryan a lavishly illustrated volume of houses and their collections many of which are now dispersed. Uniquely it also shows the floor plans of the buildings which is very useful indeed though has never been repeated in later similar books. This volume contains very good images of Powerscourt House, Co. Wicklow that was destroyed by fire in 1974. Egan’s was doing well with all my purchases and another acquisition was ‘Irish Art & Architecture’ © 1978 by Peter Harbison, Homan Potterton & Jeananne Sheehy which presents surveys on art, architecture and archaeological remains from earliest times right through to the present time. Subsequent publications included ‘Irish Castles’ and ‘Irish Churches & Abbeys’ and all these volumes were published by Thames & Hudson.

The subject of the Irish Country Houses is addressed specifically in one of the finest endeavours in the field of Irish Architecture especially ‘Country Houses’ with the first volume of a projected multi-volume series covering Ireland and the United Kingdom ‘Burke’s Guide to Country Houses – Volume I Ireland’ © 1978 by Mark Bence-Jones was the first volume and probably the best. My first meeting with this volume was seeing it in the window of Egan’s and it was open with the illustration of the long demolished baroque mansion house “Summerhill House”, Co. Meath. This was certainly a revelation as I had never heard of this house and soon I made my way upstairs to the bookshop on the first-floor, oh what excitement! This was a volume I certainly had to have no matter what the cost. It featured houses long demolished or others I had never heard of and was full of atmospheric photographs of people, cars and other forms of transport long vanished. This remains one of my favourite books and I still dip into it every now and then when researching country houses or planning visits. It has a wonderful introduction to the development of the country house architecture and an excellent bibliography. This led me to join the ‘Irish Georgian Society’ and discover articles about country house architecture in ‘Country Life’ magazine. Certainly it was one of those seminal books and spurred my further research into the field of the Irish Country House.

Another series covering Irish Architecture is the Pevsner series the ‘Buildings of Ireland’ which saw the first volume ‘North West Ulster’ © 1979 by Alaistair Rowan being followed by ‘North Leinster’ © 1995 and ‘Dublin’ © 2005 being the current volume. More volumes are in preparation and I hope that the projected nine volumes will be published before I am cold in my grave.

Country Houses also feature in the series by the Ballinakella Press and to date volumes covering County Clare, Kerry, North Cork and Wexford have been published with more planned in the future.

Maurice Craig has a wonderful writing style and he could make any subject interesting, when it comes to architecture it is hard to beat ‘Classic Irish Houses of The Middle Size’ that was recently reprinted in paperback. Another Craig book that has been reprinted many times is ‘Dublin 1660-1860’ and just as interesting as one would expect and for a chronological study of Irish architecture then there is no better than ‘The Architecture of Ireland from Earliest times to 1880’. Another book on Dublin buildings is ‘Georgian Dublin’ by Desmond Guinness. Victorian architecture which was often dismissed without a second thought is brought to life by Jeremy Williams through his research, writing and lively drawings in his book ‘Architecture in Ireland 1837-1921’ which was published in 1994 and it would be great to have an updated version at some stage.

The bulletin of the Irish Georgian Society also featured articles on Irish Art and Architecture and its successor ‘Irish Architectural and Decorative Studies’. Of course the ‘Irish Arts Review’ always has an interesting article on Irish architecture historical or contemporary.

The County Archaeological Series published by the OPW usually stops at the end of the seventeenth century and so doesn’t cover country houses. However, in the case of the County Cork volumes they include a representative sample of post 1700 buildings such as ‘country houses, market houses and churches.

Lately the NIAH (National Inventory of Architectural Heritage) guides that cover nearly all the country and these are attractive and inexpensive guides to the architecture of each county from about the seventeenth century to the present. It is a representative survey that has a very good online record of every building surveyed and this can be accessed by the unique record number of every building. The only problem is that if you don’t know the record number or the town-land you have to trawl through the entire listing of the county to find the building you are interested in.

If I was given a choice to take one book to a desert island I would find it very hard to decide between my two favourite books ‘A Guide to Irish Country Houses’ (Bence-Jones) and ‘Classic Irish Houses of the Middle Size’ (Craig).

That’s all folks, more thoughts later………….

CORK CHAPTER PAST EVENTS LISTING

2010-03-09T02:53:00.000-08:00

2003
Dunkettle House

2004
Kilcooley Abbey Co. Tipperary
Crosshaven House, Gortgrenane House (ruin) and Knocknamanagh House
Ardigeen Lawn Tennis Club Timoleague and Church of Ireland
Knight of Glin lecture 'Collecting Irish Paintings' Crawford Gallery

2005
Islanmore House, Kilpeacon House Co. Limerick
Traditional Building Skills Exhibition and Walking Tours
Capoquin House, Tourin House and Dromana Co. Waterford
Honan Chapel, The Glucksman and The Quad University College Cork

2006
Skiddy’s Almshouses, Cork Civic Trust House and 50 Pope’s Quay
Skibbereen Heritage Centre, Famine Pits and Hollybrook House
Carker, Laurentinum, Springfort Hall (Lunch), Doneraile Court and Creagh Castle

2007
Youghal and Ballynatray House
National AGM Cork Old Waterworks Lee Road
New CIT Naval College and Haulbowline Naval Base

2008
Bride Park Cottages
Riverstown House, Ballyvolane (Lunch), Castlelyons Mausoleum and Kilshannig House
Blarney House
The Irish Georgian Society A Celebration - Book Launch at Crawford Gallery
Ringmahon House and St. Michaels Church of Ireland Blackrock

2009
Borris House and the former Bishop’s Palace Kilkenny for Journal Launch
Screening of Elizabeth Bowen’s ‘Last September’ at Killinardrish House
Tarbert House, Glin Castle (Lunch) and Churchill House, Co. Kerry
St. Peters Church of Ireland, Castle Bernard (Ruin) and Castle Farm
Rosscarbery Church of Ireland, Bantry House (Lunch) and Dunboy Castle
Collins Barracks and Ennismore House
Christmas Party at the Customs House

2010
Screening of Barry Lyndon at Kilbrogan House Bandon

FILM SCREENING OF STANLEY KUBRICK'S 'BARRY LYNDON'

2010-03-06T15:44:00.000-08:00

On Sunday 28th February 2010 a film screening of Barry Lyndon was hosted at Kilbrogan House which is a fine early nineteenth century Georgian house circa 1818, situated in Bandon and owned by our committee member Catherine FitzMaurice to whom we are grateful for both organising and hosting the event. Cork Chapter member Kevin Hurley presented a short biography of W.M. Thackeray and an overview of the novel and how the film differs from it. Cork Chapter members brought cakes and sandwiches for those attending to enjoy during the intermission. Catherine and her brother David oversaw the transformation of their home to a cinema in order to accommodate the forty or so viewers and David kept the members supplied with tea and coffee ably assisted by members of the Cork Chapter committee.

W.M. Thackeray (1811-1863) a novelist and journalist was born in Calcutta and in 1817he was sent to England to be educated as a gentleman. From Charterhouse school, he was sent to Cambridge in 1829. He married imprudently and tragically his wife went mad, leaving him to care for her and his two daughters. Barry Lyndon was first published in 1844. In later years he suffered from ill-health and he died suddenly in December 1863. His wife Isabella Shawe-Creagh of Doneraile survived him by thirty one years and died in 1894.

Although Barry Lyndon was released in 1975 it was only a modest commercial success at the time, and had a mixed critical reception, in recent years it has come to be regarded not only as one of Stanley Kubrick's finest films, but also as a classic of world cinema. Much of Barry Lyndon was filmed in Ireland at Huntingdon Castle, Kells Priory, Cahir Castle; Waterford Castle grounds, the hall and saloon of Powerscourt Co. Wicklow (now destroyed) and Dublin Castle. The second half of the film moved to England and locations include: Blenheim; Castle Howard; Dunrobin Castle; Wilton (Double cube room) Stourhead gardens; Corsham Court and Dodington Park.

THE NOVEL ‘Barry Lyndon’

The novel was first serialized as The Luck of Barry Lyndon in Frazer’s Magazine in 1844 and subsequently revised and reprinted in two volumes as The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon in 1852. It is set in the eighteenth century and presents itself as the autobiography of an Irish adventurer whose boastful accounts of his exploits serve only to reveal the extent of his villainy. Redmond Barry of Brady’s Town fights a duel and escapes to Dublin, where he changes his name to Barry Redmond, lives a fast life and falls into debt (as had happened Thackeray while at Cambridge).

He enlists as a soldier and fights on both sides in the Seven Years War, eventually meeting up with his lost uncle, Cornelius Barry, who as the Chevalier de Balibari joins with Barry in a career of card-sharpening. After various adventures abroad, he lays siege to a wealthy widow, the Countess of Lyndon. He changes his name to Barry Lyndon and embarks on a career of extravagance, ill-treating his wife, bullying his step-son and ruining a fine family fortune. When his son Bryan is killed in a riding accident, his luck changes, and the family regains control of the estate and Barry is forced to live abroad on a pension. With the death of Lady Lyndon (his pension is cancelled) and he becomes penniless, ends his life in the Fleet prison tended by his faithful mother.

BARRY LYNDON THE FILM (differs from the novel)

I. By What Means Redmond Barry Acquired the Style and Title of Barry Lyndon.

In the opening scene, set in 1750s Ireland, the father of Irishman Redmond Barry (Ryan O'Neal) is killed in a duel over the sale of some horses. This detail is related by the film's narrator, who comments ironically on the events that transpire. The widow, disdaining offers of marriage, devotes herself to the raising of her son.

Location: Huntingdon Castle & Waterford Castle
When Barry is a young man, he falls in love with his cousin, Nora Brady. She likes him well enough to seduce him, but when the well-off English Captain John Quin appears on the scene, the poverty-stricken Barry is quickly dropped. She and her whole family are set on relieving their financial difficulties with an advantageous marriage. Barry refuses to accept the situation and (seemingly) kills Quin in a duel.

Location: Kells Priory
Fleeing the law, Barry travels towards Dublin, but is robbed by a famous highwayman, Captain Feeney, and his son Seamus, leaving Barry little choice but to join the British army. Later, he is reunited with a family friend, Captain Grogan, who informs him that the duel was faked. Barry's pistol was not loaded with a real bullet, but one made with tow, and Quin had only fainted with fear.It was staged so as to get him out of the way, so the cowardly Quin could be coaxed into marrying Nora, thereby securing the family's financial situation.

Location: Cahir Castle & Powerscourt House, The Entrance Hall
Barry's regiment is sent to fight in the Seven Years' War in Europe. During one skirmish, Grogan is fatally wounded, and Barry deserts at the first opportunity, impersonating a courier. He spends a few pleasant days with Lischen, a lonely woman whose husband is away fighting. When he resumes his journey, he encounters a Prussian captain, Potzdorf, who sees through his disguise. Given the choice of joining the Prussian army or being taken for a deserter, Barry enlists in his second army. During one battle, he saves Potzdorf's life.

Location: Powerscourt House, The Saloon & Dublin Castle, Drawing Room;
Dodington Park (UK)
After the war ends in 1763, Barry is employed by the Prussian Minister of Police, Potzdorf's uncle. It is arranged for him to become the servant of the Chevalier de Balibari (Patrick Magee), a professional gambler. The Prussians suspect that he is a spy and Barry is assigned to try to determine if he is. However, when Barry finds out the chevalier is a fellow Irishman, he confesses all to him and they become confederates.

Location: Dublin Castle, Drawing Room
Barry assists the chevalier in cheating at card games, but when the Prince of Tübingen suspects the truth after losing a large sum, they are unceremoniously expelled from Prussia. They wander from place to place, cheating the nobles. Barry proves to be very useful; when a loser refuses to pay his debts, Barry's excellent swordsmanship convinces him otherwise.

Location: Powerscourt House, The Saloon
Hardened by his experiences, Barry decides to better himself by marrying well. During the course of his travels, he encounters the beautiful and wealthy Countess of Lyndon (Marisa Berenson). Barry has little difficulty seducing her, and she soon falls in love. Shortly thereafter, her sickly husband, Sir Charles Lyndon, dies.

II. Containing an Account of the Misfortunes and Disasters Which Befell Barry Lyndon.

The following year (1773), Lady Lyndon and Barry are married. Young Lord Bullingdon, Lyndon's son by Sir Charles, hates Barry from the beginning, knowing that Barry is not in love with his mother. The marriage is not a happy one, although they welcome a new son, Bryan Patrick. Barry enjoys himself and is unfaithful to his wife while keeping her in dull seclusion.

Barry brings his mother over from Ireland to live with him. She warns her son that his position is precarious. If Lady Lyndon were to die, all her wealth would go to her son Lord Bullingdon. Barry would be left penniless. Barry's mother advises him to obtain a noble title to protect himself. He cultivates the acquaintance of the influential Lord Wendover with this goal in mind, spending much money to grease his way. All this effort is wasted however.

One day, Lord Bullingdon announces his hatred of his stepfather and is beaten by Barry in front of many important guests. Bullingdon leaves the family estate after this, but Barry's public cruelty loses him all the powerful friends he has worked so hard to make and he is shunned socially.

As badly as he has treated his stepson, Barry proves to be a doting father to Bryan. However, when he is eight, the boy is thrown from a horse and soon dies. The grief-stricken Barry turns to drink, while Lady Lyndon seeks solace in religion, assisted by the Reverend Samuel Runt first to Lord Bullingdon and then to Bryan. Barry's mother dismisses Reverend Runt partly because they no longer need a tutor, partly for what she says is fear that his influence is making Lady Lyndon worse. Plunging even deeper into grief, she attempts suicide. Upon hearing of this, Lord Bullingdon returns and challenges Barry to a duel.

A coin flip gives Bullingdon the privilege of shooting first, but his pistol misfires. Barry magnanimously fires into the ground, but Bullingdon refuses to let the duel end there. He fires again, this time hitting Barry in the leg, which has to be amputated at the knee. While Barry is recovering, Bullingdon takes control of the estate. He offers his stepfather an annuity of 500 guineas if he leaves England; otherwise, with his credit exhausted his creditors will see to it that he is put in jail.

Wounded in spirit and body, Barry accepts. He goes first to Ireland with his mother, then to the European continent to resume his former profession of gambler, though without his former success. He never sees Lady Lyndon again. The final scene (set in 1789) shows the middle-aged Lady Lyndon signing Barry's annuity cheque.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS 2010

2010-03-06T13:11:00.000-08:00

Irish Georgian Society
Conserving Ireland’s Architectural Heritage

Blog: igscork.blogspot.com

CORK CHAPTER

Patron: Mrs. Myrtle Allen

PRESENTS

VISITS TO:
LISMORE AND SALTERBRIDGE HOUSE SATURDAY APRIL 24th 2010
CASTLETOWNSHEND SATURDAY MAY 22nd 2010
SOUTH TIPPERARY SATURDAY JUNE 19th 2010

Further details will be published in due course

Enquiries to corkigs@gmail.com or Mobile: 087-9266826

LISMORE AND SALTERBRIDGE HOUSE

2010-03-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

Irish Georgian Society
Conserving Ireland’s Architectural Heritage

Blog: igscork.blogspot.com

CORK CHAPTER

Patron: Mrs. Myrtle Allen

PRESENTS

A VISIT TO

THE TOWERS, BALLYSAGGARTMORE
ST. CARTHAGE’S Church of Ireland CATHEDRAL, LISMORE
SALTERBRIDGE HOUSE &GARDEN

Saturday, 24th April, 2010 @ 09.45am

09.45am Meet at the car park of The Towers, Ballysaggartmore, (between Ballyduff & Lismore).
10.00am Tour of The Towers, (weather permitting)
11.30am Tour of St. Carthage’s Cathedral, Lismore by The Very Revd. Paul Draper, Dean of Lismore
1.00pm Lunch at O’Brien Chop House, Lismore
2.30pm Depart for Salterbridge House, Cappoquin
3.00pm Tour of Salterbridge House & Garden. Refreshments will be served.

The Towers: “The most extraordinary example in Ireland of a prelude to a castle that was never built…consisting of a castellated bridge and a pair of identical crenellated lodges”. (Jeremy Williams, The Architecture of Ireland © 1994.) This tour is weather permitting, will involve some walking and a good pair of practical shoes is required for this event.

St. Carthage’s Church of Ireland Cathedral “is an elaborate, monumental cathedral. The present edifice is the result of numerous phases of building and reconstruction, involving the work of a number of Ireland's pre-eminent architects, including William Robinson, Sir Richard Morrison, and James & George Richard Pain. A number of fittings, including the stained glass panels (designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones) and executed by William Morris are of particular artistic design”. (N.I.A.H., An Introduction to the Architectural Heritage of Co. Waterford © 2004)

O’Brien Chop House: The O’Brien name stands out proudly in relief above the shop-front of this old bar in the charming heritage town of Lismore, and it is wonderful to see it back in commercial action again – this time in the caring hands of Justin and Jenny Green, of nearby Ballyvolane House. Homemade and local food is at the heart of this enterprise and it’s a fair bet that the legendary butcher Michael McGrath along the street (who also supplies meats to Ballyvolane) was a major source of inspiration for bringing to West Waterford the idea of London’s old chop houses - which sold various chops, cutlets and steaks on the bone.

Salterbridge House is described as “A two storey house of 1849 built onto the front of an earlier house extending round three sides of a courtyard, enclosed on the fourth by a screen wall with an arch. The 1849 front consists of a 3 bay projecting centre, with a parapet and plain pilasters between the bays; and two storey single bay wings with eaved roofs and single-storey three sided bows”. (Mark Bence-Jones, A Guide to Irish Country Houses © 1988)

The Gate Lodge is a classically proportioned pavilion gate-lodge, which was built c.1849 by the Chearnly family, who owned the estate from the mid 18th Century until the 1950s. The lodge, though obviously in habitation in the 1930s when the Glanville family lived there, was derelict by the 1950s. Its function, like all gate-lodges, was to indicate to the passer-by the good standing and taste of the original owner, and to display some of the features of the architect's work, re-interpreted from the big house. It has been restored by the Irish Landmark Trust. See irishlandmark.com

Numbers are limited so advance booking is essential. Tickets cost €40 (members) €50 (non-members) including lunch and must be purchased in advance by completing the application form below. N.B. Full details: name, address, contact details & membership no. etc., of all persons attending the tour must be provided.

Terms & Conditions: The committee reserve the right to refuse admission to any event. No bookings accepted without payment. Attendees must provide own transport

Organised by: Kevin Hurley

Enquiries to corkigs@gmail.com or Mobile: 087-9266826

Cork Chapter visit to Port of Cork Offices

2009-11-30T11:52:00.000-08:00

Given that Cork city was still recovering from the devastating floods of a week earlier, it was perhaps appropriate that the Cork Chapter’s Christmas Party on 28th November was held in the Port of Cork (formerly Cork Harbour Commissioners) offices at the Customs House. Water, trade and the harbour were themes in the talk by Dr. Alicia St. Leger as she outlined the history of customs houses in Cork, particularly the present attractive building which opened in 1818.

The group enjoyed the welcome warmth and wonderful elegance of the Boardroom with its stunning plasterwork, designed in 1906 by engineer James Price. It compliments perfectly the earlier part of the building which was designed by Abraham Hargraves (junior) and consists of officers, including a fine long room with Corinthian columns, over vaulted bonded warehouses. There are more warehouses to the rear, with attractive canopies surviving on one side, although these listed structures sadly are in poor condition.

Following a short tour, Catherine Fitzmaurice and Kevin Hurley presented an interesting review of some of the Cork Chapter’s varied activities in 2009, illustrated with photographs. John Holohan also gave a talk on the IGS and spoke of current developments and future plans. The morning concluded with refreshments, co-ordinated by Maura Currivan and including delicious mince pies brought by Myrtle Allen. All in all, it was a very pleasant day and thanks are due to Geraldine O’Riordan who organised the event.

Cork Chapter Visit to Ennismore and Collins Barracks

2009-11-03T13:41:00.000-08:00

Early on a very wet Friday morning (30th October), a group of members met at Ennismore in the north eastern suburbs of Cork City. The weather spoiled the magnificent views from the house down to Cork harbour and also made it impossible to venture outdoors to enjoy the beautiful and historic gardens and grounds. Nevertheless, the visit turned out to be very enjoyable.

Dr. Alicia St. Leger provided a brief history of the house which was built in the 1820s and is an attractive single storey villa over basement. It was associated with the Leycester family until the 1950s when it was purchased by the Dominican Order and is now St. Dominic’s Retreat Centre. Br. Tom Casey welcomed the group and was most informative about the history of Ennismore where he has lovingly tended the gardens for many years.

After delicious refreshments, the group met up again at Collins Barracks museum where another warm welcome awaited from museum curator, Mr. Jim Horgan and Mr. Paddy Cremin. Mr. Cremin provided a most interesting tour of the museum and related fascinating anecdotes about the impressive buildings. The barracks was designed by John Gibson and was first opened in 1806. Although badly damaged in 1922, its buildings were restored and look very striking - even through the driving rain! A visit to the nearby garrison church with its beautiful stained glass windows by Evie Hone, concluded a successful, if damp, outing. Thanks to those at Ennismore and Collins Barracks who facilitated our visit and to Geraldine O’Riordan who organised the outing.

Additional Photos of Bantry House and Dunboy Castle

2009-09-19T13:35:00.001-07:00

A visit to West Cork

2009-09-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, 12th September last, after what was by any criteria, a woefully poor summer, Irish Georgian Society members woke to glorious autumn sunshine that put everyone in good spirits in anticipation of an interesting day ahead. As well as Cork members, a diverse number of other Georgians from differing parts of the country, together with friends, made their way to stunningly beautiful and tranquil West Cork.

St Fachtna's Church of Ireland Cathedral, Rosscarbery, was first on our itinerary. Our appreciation of this venerable building was honed by the majestic descent into Rosscarbery itself, foregrounded by the restful waters of Rosscarbery bay. It was easy to locate our target, as St Fachtna's spire was clearly visible pointing us in the right direction.

On first impression, the building appears secure and self confident surrounded by the headstones and graves of deceased members of its congregation. It is confined by well proportioned walls and two fine sets of gates. Our group was welcomed by the Dean of St Fachtna's, The Very Revd. Christopher Peters in the Narthex of the cathedral. The Narthex dates from the close of the 17th century. This space is principally lit by its west window which dates from a pre-Reformation cruciform cathedral on the same site. The walls of the Narthex are adorned by important family memorials as well as an early 18th century Royal Coat of Arms of George II. Among other points of interest here are the late 19th century five peal bells and stone head, - reputably a representation of St Fachtna. Having been led into the cathedral proper, Dean Peters traced the cathedral's illustrious origins in a lively and compelling fashion, from the arrival of St Fachtna in the late 6th century, right through to the building's most immediately recent restoration. This historic treasure trove was well worth a visit and merits a return trip for anyone who wishes to become better acquainted with this fascinating subject.

The second stage on our itinerary led us further west to the shores of Bantry Bay. A road trip of approximately 50 minutes brought us face to face with the 18th century Bantry House. The house was looking its best at midday, as its Regency windows glinted in the warm sunshine. Everyone was in fine spirits as we assembled in the outer hall of Bantry House. We were warmly welcomed by the chatelaine Brigitte Shelswell-White, wife of the owner of the house, Egerton Shelswell-White. Our gruop met the ancestors of this illustrious family through the many family portraits that graced the outer and inner hallways of the house. Having been built in the 18th century, the house was extended by Richard, the first Earl of Bantry after the failed Wolfe Tone led French Armada invasion off Bantry Bay. Brigitte suggested that we should become better acquainted with the house and its ecclectic furnishings by wandering into the two main reception rooms known as the Rose Room and the Gobelins Room with their wonderful tapestries, Angelica Kaufmann fireplace, Reubens, Waterford and Mison chandeliers. We wandered through the fine library, home to the Leipzig Boudoir grand piano, we learnt that the house was involved with the momentous vents of the 1840s famine relief works and the 1922 hospital works. Then after a brief visit to the first floor bedrooms and having found that these rooms were in very good condition, we then turned our attention to satisfying our own needs and to a well deserved lunch.

For me this was the highlight of our visit. Not so much that it satisfied my natural hunger pangs, but rather that it allowed us to experience a sense of belonging in this wonderful gentle, atmospheric house and desmesne. Members of our group found their way out on to the Loggia to enjoy their soup, sandwich, coffee and dessert and chat amongst friends with a mutual interest. For a brief while, it seemed as we too were part of history in the making. We really did belong, it was a rewarding experience.

The last part of our itinerary brought us further west still! - Yes Cork is a surprisingly extensive county to our visitors. Finally, we arrived on the peninsula of Castletownbere and to Dunboy Castle, in particular. It looked like a Disney castle etched out of rocks with its "Skyline of steep roofs and tall chimneys." The general consensus from our visitors was one of awe and amazement: Awe, at the sheer scale of the project and amazement, at the sheer folly of wasted resources. perhaps the "sensational hall" will never quite be erased from our memory as a spectacular sight of grandeur and fine proportion. At least one member of our group felt the considerable trip was worth it just to experience this building alone. But it left me cold and somehow uncomfortable. However, the warm late afternoon sunshine restored equilibrium and our group repaired to the Mill Cove Gallery to refresh themselves anew to address the business of getting home, well satisfied after a remarkable day with like-minded friends. Roll on the next trip. Many thanks to Kevin Hurley for organising this event.

Some Cork Chapter Visits 2009

2009-09-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

IRISH GEORGIAN SOCIETY

CORK CHAPTER NEWS 2009

Cork Chapter members headed to Carlow and Kilkenny on 28th March. After lunch at Graiguenamanagh, they travelled to Borris House where Andrew Kavanagh made everyone very welcome. The fine plasterwork, beautiful rooms, fascinating library and attractive church - all in a stunning setting - were much admired. The day ended with the launch of the IGS journal at former Church of Ireland Bishop’s Palace, Kilkenny and currently headquarters of the Heritage Council.

The next outing, on 26th April, took place in the charming setting of Killinardrish House, near Macroom. Members enjoyed viewing ‘The Last September’, a film based on the novel by Elizabeth Bowen. Refreshments were provided by Peter and Belinda Lehrell who kindly hosted the event.

On 6th June Cork Chapter members were welcomed by Mrs. Ursula Leslie to Tarbert House in Kerry, a fine building that has been in the Leslie family since it was built in 1690. Next was Glin Castle where Desmond Fitzgerald, Knight of Glin recounted remarkable history of the house. A splendid lunch was enjoyed in elegant surroundings. Then it was back to Kerry to Churchill House near Tralee. The mid-18th century house has belonged in recent years to American industrialist Fred Krehbeil and his Irish wife Kay who made members very welcome. Superlatives were quickly exhausted as members enthused over the wonderful art collection, the many beautifully designed architectural additions in the grounds, the imaginative development of the gardens and the overall sense of peace, gentility and culture set in beautiful surroundings.

The outing on 12th July was to Bandon, County Cork. At St. Peter’s Church, Clare McCutcheon provided a history of the building, Lady Frances Carter spoke about the memorials to the Earls of Bandon and Annabel Adams gave a short organ recital. It was then a short trip to Castle Bernard, now a large picturesque ruin, but originally the seat of the Earls of Bandon. Lady Frances Carter kindly invited members to view historic Bernard photographs and portraits. Nearby is The Farm, a Gothic villa built by Captain Bernard in the early 19th century. It is now home to Colman and Ann O’Sullivan who welcomed the members to the house with its stunning hallway and interesting architectural details.

Thanks are due to all Cork Chapter committee members who once again ensured a memorable calendar of events.

Bandon - A visit to St Peter's Church, Castle Bernard and The Farm

2009-09-03T00:21:00.000-07:00

Heavy rain on the day before the Cork Chapter outing to Bandon failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the over fifty people who gathered at St. Peter’s Church on 12th July. Fortunately, the outing took advantage of a break in the bad weather and the day turned out to be remarkably fine.

The group were welcomed to St. Peter’s Church by the rector, Canon Patrick Hewitt. Clare McCutcheon provided a fascinating history of the building which was constructed in 1847 but is on the site of an early 17th church. Lady Frances Carter drew attention to the fine memorials to members of her family, the Earls of Bandon, and IGS member Annabel Adams kindly provided a short recital on the organ. Members enjoyed admiring the building and were also able to view the Bandon Corporation Minute Book and some of the other interesting church items.

It was then a short trip to Castle Bernard, now a large picturesque ruin, but originally the seat of the Bernards, Earls of Bandon. The castle was acquired by the Bernards in the early 17th century and later extended, with a Gothic facade added in the early 19th century. Burnt in 1921, it forms a dramatic ruin beside a lake, fine trees and a golf course. Lady Frances Carter kindly invited members to her new house to view historic Bernard photographs and portraits.

A final short journey brought the group to The Farm, a Gothic villa built by Captain Bernard in the early 19th century. It is now home to Colman and Ann O’Sullivan who welcomed the members to the house with its stunning hallway and interesting architectural details. Refreshments, including strawberries and cream, were enjoyed before Catherine Fitzmaurice provided a short history of the property. Thanks are due to Catherine Fitzmaurice (Cork Chapter Treasurer), for all her work in organising such a successful visit to the Bandon area.

Visit to Tarbert House, Glin Castle and Churchill House

2009-07-14T10:34:00.001-07:00

Members of the Cork Chapter paid a highly successful visit to Kerry and Limerick on 6th June. The first stop was near Tarbert where Mrs. Ursula Leslie welcomed members to Tarbert House, a fine building dating to 1690. Unusually, it has remained in the same family since it was first built and has a fascinating history. Members were shown the gun and bayonet racks in the hall, a reminder of the need for defence during the French revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. The house also has associations with well known figures such as the American statesman Benjamin Franklin, Daniel O’Connell, Charlotte Bronte and Winston Churchill. Many of the paintings, furniture and other items in the house had interesting stories associated with them and members very much enjoyed learning more about the Leslie family and Tarbert House.

A short journey into County Limerick brought the group to Glin Castle where another warm welcome was offered by Desmond Fitzgerald, Knight of Glin. He recounted some of the remarkable history of the house and its associations with the Fitzgerald family. A splendid lunch was then enjoyed by members in elegant surroundings. The showers held off long enough for the group to enjoy the gardens, particularly the walled garden with its beautiful flowers.

Then it was back to County Kerry for the final visit of the day to Churchill House near Tralee. Built in the mid-18th century for the Denny family, Churchill has belonged in recent years to American industrialist Fred Krehbeil and his Irish wife Kay. They both made members of the group very welcome, offering refreshments before guiding them around the many pavilions and garden features at Churchill. Superlatives were quickly exhausted as members of the group enthused over the wonderful art collection, the many beautifully designed architectural additions in the grounds (including a cottage orné and library), the imaginative development of the gardens and the overall sense of peace, gentility and culture set in beautiful surroundings. A wine reception at Churchill ended a remarkable and very memorable day which was organised by Kevin Hurley.

A visit to Bandon, St Peters, Castle Bernard and The Farm

2009-05-18T14:54:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, 12th July, 2009 there will be an Irish Georgian Society Cork Chapter trip to Bandon. Registration will take place at 2pm at St Peter's Church of Ireland.

A church was built on the site of St Peters Church in 1614 with the help of Richard Boyle, Earl of Cork. Joseph Welland was the architect responsible for the present church consecrated in 1847. The Bernard family are closely linked to this church with several of the memorials dedicated to them. The clock in the tower was installed in memory of Lt Colonel the Honourable William Smyth Bernard of the Farm who was MP for the Borough of Bandon Bridge.

The tour will include Castle Bernard where we will be shown the ruins by Lady Frances. She will give us a brief talk about the history of the house and her family. The castle was acquired by the family in the early 17th Century. It was altered and enlarged in gothic style in the 19th century and was burnt in 1921. A substantial amount of the ruins still remain.

We will end up at The Farm, a gothic villa built by Captain Bernard in the early 1800s. The buildings in the yard date from the 1700s and the gothic extension was designed by Joseph Welland in the early 1800s.

re: Win a painting of your house

2009-04-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

Exhibiting artist and Irish Georgian Society member Geraldine O'Riordan will paint a picture of the house of the lucky winner of an Irish Georgian Society raffle taking place this year to raise funds for the society. The draw will be held at the IGS annual Christmas party in December. Be sure to take a look at Geraldine's blog for some examples of her artwork. Tickets are available at IGS outings and also by emailing igscork@gmail.com

The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen

2009-04-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

Members of the Cork Chapter of the Irish Georgian Society visited Killinardrish and enjoyed a showing of the film 'The Last September' based on the novel by Elizabeth Bowen.

The central character, Lois, is a lively 19 year old living in Danielstown, Co Cork, the Georgian home of her uncle, Sir Richard Naylor and his wife Lady Myra. The film is set in 1920s when Irish Nationalists and the British Army were at loggerheads and assasinations and disturbances were occuring within close proximity of the house. In spite of this, the family are more preoccupied with tennis parties and dances than worrying that the unrest might be about to dramatically change their lives.

An English Army Captain Gerald Colthurst falls for Lois yet he is frowned upon as a soldier from Surrey of seemingly limited means, the Naylors being more concerned that relationships should be for money rather than love. However, Lois is drawn to a childhood friend and nationalist rebel, Peter who is in hiding in a nearby ruin. Lois is caught between the Anglo Irish world of her relatives and the Irish world that she is growing up in.

The film itself doesn't pass judgment on either side in this conflict. Instead it presents the complicated world around Lois during the 1920s and leaves it up to the viewers to form an opinion.

Vernon Mount Douglas Cork (Press Release 2007)

2009-04-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

VERNON MOUNT

Historic Cork villa selected for World Monuments Fund’s 100 Most Endangered Sites
Watch List 2008
PRESS RELEASE

Date: 7th June, 2007
Contact: Donough Cahill, Director Irish Georgian Society
Te: 01 6767053/086 8372086

Vernon Mount, situated near Cork and one of Ireland’s finest Georgian villas, has been selected for inclusion in the 2008 World Monuments Watch® List of 100 Most Endangered Sites, a list prepared every two years by the New York based World Monuments Fund – www.wmf.org.

The inclusion of Vernon Mount in the Watch List brings international recognition from the World Monuments Fund which works with communities around the world in supporting the protection of endangered sites and also attracts technical and financial resources to assist in their rescue.

Vernon Mount was nominated to the Watch List by the Irish Georgian Society in January 2007 due to its “desperate state of neglect” and the reluctance of its owners to maintain effectively or repair the building. Desmond FitzGerald, Knight of Glin, President of the Irish Georgian Society, welcomed the selection:

“Inclusion in the list of 100 Most Endangered Sites will draw international attention to the plight of Vernon Mount. It is deplorable that a building of this calibre can be allowed to deteriorate when there has never been a more favourable environment for the protection of our built heritage.”

Though it is protected through the Cork County Development Plan and the Planning Act, Vernon Mount has slipped into a decayed state over the last ten years. At a recent protest demonstration held by the Irish Georgian Society at Vernon Mount to highlight its condition, Desmond FitzGerald said:

“Vernon Mount has largely been left to the elements since planning permission for a big hotel was refused for the site in the late 1990s. Water has been entering the building through holes in the roof since late 2005 and, in spite of pressure from Cork County Council, it is only recently that stop gap repairs have been made.”

The Irish Georgian Society has repeatedly called for action on the part of the owners of Vernon Mount and Cork County Council to take action for its conservation and restoration. Donough Cahill, Deputy Director of the Society, said:

“The international recognition given to Vernon Mount by its inclusion in the List of 100 Most Endangered Sites must mean that action will now be taken. If nothing happens, it is likely that Ireland will lose one of its finest surviving 18th century domestic buildings.”

About Vernon Mount

Vernon Mount is one of Cork’s most important heritage buildings.

It is arguably the finest example surviving in Ireland of a Georgian classical villa, standing in its own 'pocket demesne' on the outskirts of a major city.

While the architect of Vernon Mount is unknown, it is distinguished for the curvilinear elegance and subtlety of its façade design and for the sophistication of its planning and decorative interiors.

The significance of Vernon Mount is enhanced by the presence of exceptionally fine neo-Classical paintings of classical mythological subjects by Nathaniel Grogan, an accomplished late 18th-century Cork artist and contemporary of the internationally-famous Cork artist James Barry.

Grogan's paintings are in oil on canvas and are mounted on the ceiling of the ground floor drawing room and as trompe l'oeil paintings on doors and niches in the first-floor oval vestibule.

In the late 1990s, a re-development proposal for Vernon Mount was refused permission by the planning authorities due to the adverse impact it would have on the house. Since that time, the building has been used occasionally by the Munster Motorcycle Club.

Following several years in which Vernon Mount had little or no maintenance, some limited efforts have been made in recent months to prevent the ingress of water into the building, with temporary repairs to its roof and wooden panels fixed over its smashed windows.

The Irish Georgian Society has had an interest in the plight of Vernon Mount for many years and recently nominated the building for inclusion to the World Monuments Fund 2008 Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites – a decision on this nomination is due shortly.

About the World Monuments Fund
The World Monuments Fund (WMF) is the foremost private, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of endangered architectural and cultural sites around the world. Since 1965, WMF has worked tirelessly to stem the loss of historic structures at more than 450 sites in over 80 countries.

Every two years, WMF issues its World Monuments Watch list of 100 Most Endangered Sites, a global call to action on behalf of sites in need of immediate intervention.

WMF's work spans a wide range of sites, including the vast temple complexes at Angkor, Cambodia; the historic centre of Mexico City; Nicholas Hawksmoor's London masterpiece, St. George's, Bloomsbury; the iconic modernist A. Conger Goodyear house, Old Westbury, New York; and the extraordinary 18th-century Qianlong Garden complex in Beijing's Forbidden City. In Ireland, the WMF assisted in the restoration of the Browne Clayton Monument in Wexford and is currently involved with Headfort, Co. Meath and the Wonderful Barn, Co. Kildare.

From its headquarters in New York City—and offices and affiliates in Paris, London, Madrid, and Lisbon—WMF works with local partners and communities to identify and save important heritage through innovative programs of project planning, fieldwork, advocacy, grant-making, education, and on-site training.

Irish Georgian Society

The Irish Georgian Society aims to encourage an interest in and to promote the preservation of distinguished examples of architecture and the allied arts of all periods in Ireland.

These objectives are achieved through a number of programmes, including promoting historical research, publishing an annual Journal, providing grant assistance for the conservation of historic buildings, lobbying for buildings at risk, and running education & outreach projects. We also provide an extensive events programme for members.

The Irish Georgian Society was founded in 1958 by the Hon. Desmond Guinness and his late wife, Mariga. Through their enthusiasm and commitment, and the dedication of its members and supporters, many buildings of outstanding architectural merit have been saved throughout Ireland.

The Society has an international membership of 2,800 members, with its headquarters in Dublin. It has lively Chapters in regional centres in Ireland including CORK, Limerick and Birr, and an active Chapter in London. The Society is also a thriving concern in the USA, with its headquarters in New York and regional Chapters in Chicago, Boston, and Akron-Cleveland.

Vernon Mount 'A Neo-Classical Villa in Jeopardy'

2009-04-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

VERNON MOUNT, CO. CORK:

A NEO-CLASSICAL GEM IN JEOPARDY

By the Knight of Glin & Donough Cahill

Set on the shores of a great natural harbour, the city of Cork emerged as a prosperous manufacturing and trading centre in the latter part of the 18th century. It’s distilling, brewing, textile and milling industries thrived from the close availability of raw materials from the Munster agricultural sector whilst its butter market was so successful that it ranked as the largest exporter of butter in Europe. The city’s prosperity was also driven by a successful manufacturing sector involved in tanning, candle making and glass production. Cork’s role as a trading centre accelerated in the 1770s with the onset of the American War of Independence. This conflict brought fleets of warships and merchant-men into the city’s port for provisioning before their departure for England, the colonies or the West Indies.

Following the Treaty of Paris in 1783 and the ensuing peace in the Americas, the port’s prosperity continued for the duration of the Napoleonic Wars but went into sharp decline after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The bankers and merchants of Cork who prospered during this period built a series of magnificent villas and demesnes overlooking the River Lee and Cork harbour. Amongst these were Woodhill, Dunkettle and Lota Beg which were built by the English architect Abraham Hargrave I (1755-1808). Other houses included Fota, which was built to the designs of Sir Richard Morrison (1767-1849), and Lota and Tivoli, which were designed or were influenced by the Italian architect Davis Ducart (c. 1735 - c. 1785). A little further away to the south of the city on an elevated site with panoramic views of Cork and the Lee estuary, is an extraordinary suburban villa said by Bence-Jones to have been built c. 1784 by Sir Henry Browne Hayes (1762-1832) a scion of glass making and distilling businesses. Hayes called his new villa Vernon Mount, a name that derives from the enthusiasm for George Washington and the American War of Independence which was so much admired in Ireland. In the same vein as the American colonies, Ireland also desired its legislative independence and free trade with the rescinding of the Navigation Acts.

This American nomenclature can also be found at Belcamp in Dublin where Cork-man Sir Edward Newenham, an admirer and correspondent of Washington, built a monument to commemorate Washington and his victories at Lexington and Concord. Another example is at Roxborough, County Galway, where Colonel Persse built a bridge commemorating Washington and also named his seaside house at New Quay on Galway Bay Mount Vernon, after the president’s famous house on the Potomac. Hayes’ new villa was by any standard in Ireland extremely unusual. It stands two-storeys over basement level and is distinguished for the curvilinear elegance and subtlety of design of its façades and for the sophistication of its planning and decorative interiors. It has a two-storey curved entrance front with symmetrical convex bows on either side and is flanked by serpentine walls one of which incorporates cellars and a dovecot. The entrance door (badly damaged by burglars several years ago) is a fine tripartite Ionic composition in limestone, capped by a giant semicircular fanlight.

Inside the house, the staircase hall is heated by an elegant cast iron stove in the form of an urn set in a niche and the other rooms still retain their plain but elegant marble and wooden chimney pieces. The reception rooms are decorated by swagged friezes and one room has a shallow dome with garlands and classical plaques. The elegant cantilevered stone staircase retaining its original neo-Classical wrought-iron balustrade ornamented with alternating paterae and urns and is lighted by an arched window. Beneath the first flight is an oval lunette. This arrangement is also found in other Cork houses such as Newmarket Court and Doneraile. These sweeping cantilevered staircases in the Cork area are associated with the architect Abraham Hargrave I and are found at other Cork mansions designed by him such as Castle Hyde, Lota Beg and Hoddersfield.

Hargrave, however, did not arrive in the Cork area until 1791 when he superintended the erection of St. Patrick’s Bridge by the architect and engineer Michael Shanahan. This confusingly leads one to wonder whether Vernon Mount was built as early as 1784, as mentioned by Bence-Jones. A later date is supported by the fact that the house is advertised in the Cork Courier of December 10th, 1794, announcing ‘a new house Vernon Mount to be let, with from 160 acres of meadows, lawns, shruberries etc.’ The house is described as being ’finished in a superb style, with painted ceilings, elegant chimney pieces, grates’. If this is so, Abraham Hargrave could be its architect and it’s pared down interior detailing and shallow Soane-like ceilings would seem to us more likely to date from the early 1790s rather than the old suggestion of about seven years earlier. The staircase leads up to one of the most original features of the house, the oval landing or atrium with its series of eight marblised Corinthian columns which are interspersed with seven doors painted with tromp l’oeil niches with classical statues and urns painted by the Cork artist Nathaniel Grogan (c. 1740-1807). These niche doors lead to bedrooms and a service staircase. The coving below the atrium’s shallow dome is also delicately painted with acanthus and caryatids.

Nathaniel Grogan was a contemporary of the internationally famous artist James Barry and had served with the army in the Americas and the West Indies. While in Philadelphia in 1777, an advertisement in the Pennsylvania Ledger touted his services in ‘Sign and ornamental painting, with pencil work in general’. On his return to Cork at the end of the American War, he specialised in topographical views and the manners and customs of the Irish peasantry, very much in the manner of Dutch 17th century painters. His most important work at Vernon Mount includes one of the very few surviving ceiling paintings on canvas executed in Ireland in the late eighteenth century. This decoration in the drawing room ceiling is somewhat in the style of Angelica Kauffmann and depicts in the centre of an octagonal frame Minerva throwing away the spears of war, possibly commemorating the cessation of the American War of Independence. The elaborately coved scheme around this central picture is delicately handled and features lozenge shaped panels with mythological figures including angels, Ceres with acanthus, bell flowers and vine leaves surrounding roundels that enclose prancing centaurs. The corner pendentive panels are painted with further acanthus scrolls that have urn shaped finials. In all, a delicate, well-handled composition.

In the 1780s or ‘90s, Grogan produced a small oil of a scene in the grounds at Vernon Mount depicting a woodland glen with a romantic gothic ruin. This painting was one in a series of four small oils that featured the Entrance Gates to Tivoli with the Temple of Vesta in the background; The Gothic Temple at Tivoli; and a View of the Old Blackrock Castle which is in the collection of the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork. All in all, the plan, the curved elevations, the staircase, the oval atrium, the decoration and the original setting must make Vernon Mount unique in the history of the Irish villa and is a building of national importance. However, its current condition belies its significance as Vernon Mount is now an ‘At Risk’ building in very great danger of becoming another lost Irish house. Since the 1950s, when Vernon Mount was purchased by the Cork and Munster Motorcycle Club, it has been in decline. On acquiring the house, the motorcycle club built a motor-cross race track around it stripping much of the parkland’s character. However, the Club did find a use for the house which they kept in good condition before selling it in the 1990s to a consortium of developers led by the San Diego based IT entrepreneur Jonathon Moss and his colleague in Cork, Olaf Maxwell. An initial planning application by the consortium to re-develop the house and its grounds as a hotel was refused by Cork County Council. In its decision, the Council described the proposals as ‘a gross over-development of the site’ that would ‘be seriously detrimental to the setting, scale and character of a listed building’.

Since that time Vernon Mount has been in a state of limbo with a standoff existing between the developers and Cork County Council. On the one hand, the consortium aspires to re-develop the site whilst, on the other hand, the lands have been zoned for use as Active Open Space in which there is a ‘general presumption against development’. Prior to recent efforts to undertake holding-repairs, Vernon Mount had declined to the point where there were holes in its roof, its gutters and down-pipes were broken and the windows throughout the house were smashed. The Irish Georgian Society has been campaigning for a number of years for action to be taken to prevent further deterioration yet it took the selection of Vernon Mount for the World Monuments Fund List of 100 Most Endangered Sites 2008 before minimal repairs were undertaken.

It is not known what impact years of neglect have had on Nathaniel Grogan’s paintings or on the remainder of the house. Both the Irish Georgian Society and Cork County Council have failed to get access in spite of meeting on site with representatives of the owners – the key tends to get misplaced or lost! Given its condition, it is likely that there is a significant amount of water damage with wet rot throughout and that the upper floor has been particularly badly affected. This places the Grogan paintings in the first floor oval hall at particular risk whilst, in the face of such total neglect, the condition of Grogan’s ceiling painting of Minerva causes great concern. This article attempts to document Vernon Mount’s unique architectural importance and it is hoped that it will draw Cork County Council’s attention to the plight of the house and urge it to take firm action in implementing its powers to secure the future of this important Irish building.

Who was the builder Sir Henry Browne Hayes? Henry Browne Hayes was the son of a successful merchant and industrialist with interests in brewing, milling and glass works. In 1786, he married Elizabeth Smyth of Ballynatray on the Blackwater near Youghal - we have suggested that Vernon Mount was built in the early 1790s some time after their wedding. In 1790, Hayes rose to the position of Sheriff of Cork City and, in that same year, was knighted by the Lord Lieutenant. His wife, Elizabeth, died young in 1794 and it is after her death that the story heightens: In 1797, Hayes placed himself at the centre of the most notorious marital scandal of the period having abducted the wealthy Quaker heiress, Mary Pike with a fortune said by some to amount to £20,000 and by others to £80,000. Pike was staying at nearby Woodhill, the seat of Cooper Penrose, the Quaker, merchant and art connoisseur. Having brought her to Vernon Mount against her will, Hayes forced her into a sham marriage at gun point though was unable to consummate the marriage - Lord Chancellor Clare put it with typical bluntness ‘the cock would not fight’! Pike was rescued and subsequently put up an award of £500 for the capture of Henry Hayes. Having spent some years lying low, Hayes is said to have asked his barber to inform on him and gain the award. He was sent to trial for abduction where he was found guilty and sentenced to hang for his crime. This sentence was commuted to transportation for life to the penal colony at Botany Bay. His journey to Australia was not without adventure as he bribed Captain Richard Brooks of the Atlas to be allowed various privileges and to be accompanied by his servant.

Despite his ostensibly harsh sentence, Hayes contrived to live in considerable luxury overlooking Sydney harbour where he built Vaucluse House, later to become the home of the distinguished Irish-Australian politician W.C. Wentworth, who remodelled the house. Vaucluse would later become the first property of the Australian Historic Houses Trust. This Australian connection makes Vernon Mount of particular Irish-Australian interest, especially as so many Irish felons of the period were transported to the new colony from Cork. Hayes was later pardoned and returned to Ireland in 1812 in the same ship as ‘General’ Joseph Holt of the United Irishmen. When the two arrived back in Ireland, Cox's Irish Magazine commented: 'These two eminent gentlemen have arrived from Botany Bay. It is singular enough that the two were transported for the Pike business, Sir Henry for stealing a pike, and the General for bestowing pikes.’ Hayes died in May 1833 and is buried in a vault in Christchurch in South Main Street, Cork.

Book launch of Irish Georgian Society - A Celebration

2009-04-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

Speech
06/11/2008

Speech by Dr Martin Mansergh, TD, Minister of State with responsibility for OPW and the Arts at the launch of The Irish Georgian Society A Celebration by Robert O’Byrne at the Crawford Gallery, Cork, Thursday, 6 October 2008, at 6:30pm

I am very pleased and honoured to have been asked to perform the Cork launch of the 50th anniversary publication of The Irish Georgian Society, A Celebration. It all began with a letter by Desmond Guinness to the Irish Times on 22 July 1957 [sic], asking if anyone would object to the revival of a long defunct Georgian Society from the early years of the 20th century. So it is appropriate that its history should be written by an Irish Times, now freelance, journalist, Robert O’Byrne.

Its look, feel, quality and illustrations are reminiscent of Desmond Guinness’ and Jacqueline O’Brien’s even slightly larger Great Irish Houses and Castles, and I would have to say I have on my bookshelves in Tipperary for reference a good many of the books mentioned in the bibliography.

I would have known some of the characters mentioned in the book. I have fond memories of Mariga Guinness, through my mother, who in the 1960s and 1970s shared the enthusiasm for all things Irish Georgian. She had an Adam-style fireplace recovered, by an architect from a demolished house in Dublin installed in our drawing room in Tipperary. My own aesthetic tastes are 18th century, with an orientation towards the France of Louis XV, the Italy of Canaletto and Tiepolo, and the Germany of Schloss Bruhl, Dresden and Sanssouci. Of course, much of the architectural inspiration in both Britain and Ireland came from the continental grand tour, and artists who had either visited or were from the continent, like Angelika Kaufmann. If I have an historical prejudice, it is that I never really liked or admired any of the Georges, though George II was probably the most competent among them. His statue is in the National Gallery.

Robert O’Byrne’s book is very much an inside story, an engagé account of the Irish Georgian Society reflecting its view. It was a movement that engaged in a struggle to salvage and gain recognition for what could in large part be described as the more valuable parts of the Anglo-Irish artistic and architectural heritage. The difficulties it faced was its strong association with the ancien régime. The biggest achievement of the Irish Georgian Society over the past 50 years has been to overcome that, and give the people of Ireland a greater sense of ownership of this part of their heritage, a sense which barely existed at the beginning outside perhaps of the employees and social circle of the big house. To put it another way, Georgian buildings have been mainstreamed.

The context has to be understood, and it is a moot point as to whether poverty and lack of resources or burgeoning wealth was the more destructive of heritage. Up to the 1960s, there was no money to save heritage, unless property owners made shrewd and rewarding marriage alliances. My biggest regrets are not great houses burnt in revolutionary circumstances, but places like Coole Park, demolished in 1939, which would have been a mecca of the Literary Revival if it had survived, and Bowenscourt lost in 1960, which had classic aesthetic merit as well. My father always claimed he had taken me to tea at Bowenscourt when I was young, with his distant cousin Bitha, as Elizabeth Bowen was known, but I would have been very young, at an age when one is easily bored having to sit quietly through adult conversation over tea, so I do not remember it.

I have since been a member of the Farahy Trust, which looks after the adjacent small church, and attached 1720s schoolhouse, where an annual Elizabeth Bowen memorial service and an occasional chamber concert are held, and I have taken up the cudgels more than once in defence of Elizabeth Bowen against her detractors, who believe that because of her reporting back to London on Irish public attitudes during World War II, she forfeited any claim to be regarded as Irish.

The Irish Georgian Society were formed in circumstances, when the Irish State had hugely pressing economic and social priorities, and when its cultural policy was directed almost entirely to the rescue, maintenance and documentation of early Christian and Celtic cultural remains. In those days, everyone was poor in comparison to today, but in a classic post-colonial situation the residue of a former ruling minority still held a disproportionate amount of the wealth of the country. In public discourse and bureaucratic assumptions, little value was attached to what many people regarded or purported to regard as reminders of an alien and oppressive heritage.

The social and cultural minority, though of more than one religion, is often accused of having kept its head down. No more than Hubert Butler, the Irish Georgian Society did not keep the head down. They engaged in rearguard battles against commercial forces that were gaining the upper hand. They saved Castletown House and Tailors’ Hall. Even where battles were lost in Fitzwilliam Street and Frascati, public awareness was increased. The public sphere was gradually nudged in the direction of accepting greater responsibility for all of Ireland’s heritage.

I remember from the late 1950s the old dingy Deanery that was once the Cashel Palace, where I was taken after church to meet the Rev Dr. Robert Wyse-Jackson, later Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe, no mean historian. The Palace has long since been in a succession of good hands as a splendid hotel. Charlie Haughey used to like to slip off to stay in the Bishop’s bedroom with its magnificent view up to the Rock. The Palace, gardens and the Rock in the 18th century have been wonderfully documented by Anthony Malcomson in his vast magisterial volume on Archbishop Charles Agar, the bicentenary of whose death in 1809 will be commemorated next year.

Swiss Cottage, the Cahir Butlers’ answer to Marie-Antoinette’s hameau at Versailles, is a wonderfully restored gem. I helped put together materials for Charles Haughey’s speech for its opening 20 years ago. In March this year, I watched Minister of State for OPW, Noel Ahern, reopen it, after a year’s closure for refurbishment, thinking what a pleasant job he had, with no notion that I would shortly afterwards succeed him.

I fought myself as an advisor to Bertie Ahern a battle to acquire Farnham Castle near Cavan, which was initially offered to the State, with its interesting nine-county Ulster Unionist heritage, the UVF having paraded pre-1914 on the lawn. Lord Farnham’s nine-county Ulster might have shortened the life of partition, which is probably why the Ulster Unionist Council rejected it. I was defeated at the hands of OPW. As a Senator, I echoed calls for Lissadell to be acquired by the State, but in all fairness the Cassidys have done a wonderful job to brighten up what had been up to 20 years previously a depressing atmosphere of decay with family members disowning both 1916 and Countess Markievicz.

I would have to say that I take a much more sanguine view of past, present and future, than is suggested by some of the statements expressed in the book. The State is not actually the villain of the piece. What both amazes and encourages me is the vast quantity of our heritage that has survived, even if a lot has been lost. A substantial part of Georgian Dublin remains intact, but a capital city was never going to be as easy to preserve as Bath. Round the walls of the Dáil chamber are Malton prints from around 1800. Only one of the buildings depicted, the Tholsel, has been lost. Leinster House, Dublin Castle, the Royal Hospital have been wonderfully restored.

Whatever their history, they now belong to us. Castletown House, along with Farmleigh and Kilkenny Castle, are jewels in the crown, and I believe the OPW has done a fantastic job in preserving and restoring good examples of all parts of our heritage, including that part which the Irish Georgian Society has championed. Many private owners, many no longer from old country house families, as well as public institutions, have poured money into fine old properties, some of which have never looked better. What Ireland may need today is a Victorian Society to protect many of the mid-19th century villas threatened with gutting by property developers until recently enticed by high capital gains. The present cooling-off period will prevent many excesses.

Architectural ambition is in general laudable. It existed in the 18th century, as it does now. We are apt to forget that Georgian Dublin virtually obliterated all that had gone before, traffic, and the destruction of the old Waterford Cathedral in 1773 is a fine example of Georgian vandalism, even if the replacement, that now also serves as a concert venue, has its own merits. I am becoming a little allergic to too much talk of iconic buildings, as you pay a lot extra for the iconic bit, especially if you are the State. The splendid new Wexford Opera House cost the public purse €26m, with the total coming to €33m. It is state of the art, but does not attempt on the outside to be iconic.

Today, there are so many more supports in place for architectural heritage of all kinds. Scarcity of resources, especially now, may still be a problem in terms of preventing one doing everything that might be desirable, but the awareness is now there. The State has taken over more of the burden through bodies such as the National Heritage Council, with, for instance, its Buildings at Risk programme, and Section 482 relief.

This country does owe a debt of gratitude to people like Desmond and Mariga Guinness, the Knight of Glin, John Redmill, and many, many others. Only yesterday, I was sitting next to Martin Naughton, whose trust is sponsoring a new Dictionary of Irish Art and Architecture under the auspices of the Royal Irish Academy. He and others rescued Wellingtons birthplace or ‘stable’ in 24, Upper Merrion Street, and turned a whole neglected block into a fine hotel.

The Society may once have been a strong political irritant, when Kevin Boland was famously provoked into denouncing the ‘belted Earls’. He quit Fianna Fáil a few years later. Pride of place in that regard is probably now occupied by An Taisce.

The Irish Georgian Society, both by the efforts of its volunteers and by its example, has made a lasting difference to this country, and has exercised an influence of which will be felt for generations. It has also enlarged the sense of Irish identity, and ensured that there is an honoured place in this country for all its traditions, and contributed to greater peace and harmony between them. The degree to which the spirit of the Enlightenment, once so much distrusted, now permeates the State should not be underestimated. I congratulate both the members of the Irish Georgian Society on their achievement, and Robert O’Byrne on a book that celebrates and documents it.

Some Notes on Castle Bernard Bandon Co. Cork

2009-04-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

Castle Bernard, Bandon, Co. Cork

The old castle of the O’Mahonys’ formerly known as Castle Mahon, was acquired by the Bernards early in the 17th century and its name eventually changed to Castle Bernard. Francis Bernard, an English settler came to Ireland with the Plantation of Munster

During the first half of the 18th century two new fronts were added to the castle, by Francis Bernard, Solicitor-General of Ireland, Prime Sergeant and Judge of the Court of Common Pleas (‘Judge Bernard’), and by his son, Francis Bernard MP (‘Squire Bernard’). They were of brick, with Corinthian pilasters and other enrichments of Portland stone1. The house was surrounded by formal gardens, a beech avenue and with statues, fountains, cascades and jet d’eau2.

In 1798 Francis Bernard, 1st Viscount Bandon and afterwards 1st Earl of Bandon, pulled down the two early 18th century fronts and began building a new house alongside the old castle, to which it was joined by a corridor3. It was of two storeys, with a nine-bay entrance front overlooking the River Bandon and a garden front of three-bays either side of a deeply curved central bow. It had a prominent roof with a parapet, dentil cornice and bold quoins. Such construction often brought about direct social consequences through the provision of employment4.

In the early 19th century probably about 1815, the 1st Earl gave the house a Gothic coating that was only skin-deep and a façade of battlements and slender turrets on the entrance front which continued around the side and just stopped. The garden front was not interfered with except for the addition of hood mouldings and the insertion of Gothic tracery in the windows similar to that of the entrance front. The old castle and out-offices were also similarly addressed5.

The interior of the building was spacious with a regular plan6. It had a square entrance hall with Ionic pilasters and columns and opened into a wide central corridor running the entire length of the main block with a curving stone cantilevered staircase at one end. On the opposite side of this corridor to the hall was a large oval room, extending into the garden front bow.

Charles Wesley7 was a frequent traveller to Ireland in the eighteenth century and he held the Bernards in high esteem “Although one of the richest persons in these parts, keeps no race-horses, or hounds, but loves his wife and home, and spends his time and fortune in improving his estate and employing the poor. Gentlemen of this spirit are a blessing to their neighbourhood. May God increase their number”

The advent of the railways opened up the countryside for visits among the gentry. The Ladies Howard of Shelton Abbey, Co. Wicklow (now an open prison) travelled by train in 1879 to visit the Listowels at Convamore (now a ruin), the Bernards at Castle Bernard and Lord and Lady Drogheda at Moore Abbey (now a convalescent home) on their return journey.

During the troubles of 1921, the 4th Earl and his wife were woken one night, to be told that men had come to burn the castle. They dressed and went out into the park where they watched the castle and its contents, including a fine library, perish in the flames. The Earl was kidnapped and the Countess, a formidable woman, it’s said, stood erect, tearless and defiantly sang ‘God Save the King’.

It is now an ivy clad ruin smothered with climbing roses and forms the object of the garden of the modern house built nearby in the 1960s by Paddy Bernard, the 5th Earl of Bandon. Today, the estate is home to Lady Frances Carter and Lady Jennifer daughters of Elizabeth & Percy (Paddy) Bernard8.

Notes:
1 John Coltsman (designed North & South Gate bridges & Christ Church) circa 1715 may have been the architect - see IAA/DIA
2 William Fennell circa 1726 designed the gardens see - IAA/DIA
3 Michael Shanahan (Earl-Bishops architect; Frederick Hervey 4th Earl of Bristol & Bishop of Derry; Downhill, Co. Derry) circa 1794 architect of the works with some of the contracting undertaken by William Deane - see IAA/DIA
4 David Dickson ‘Old World Colony’ see p. 98 (the rich should demolish and rebuild – De Latocnaye)
5 George H. Buckley ‘recently erected in the pointed Gothic style for Hon. W.S. Bernard see – IAA/DIA
6 George Meares circa 1800 designed a screen of columns for the dining room for Lord Bandon see - IAA/DIA
7 The English hymn writer and preacher Charles Wesley (1707-1788) joined his brother John in starting Methodism & composed thousands of hymns to express its religious ideals.
8 Interview with Lady Frances Carter published in the Irish Examiner Sat. Nov. 22nd 2008

Bibliography:
De Breffny, Brian & Mott, George: The Castles of Ireland © 1977
Bence-Jones, Mark: Burke’s Guide to Country Houses Volume I – Ireland © 1978
Glin, Griffin & Robinson: Vanishing Country Houses of Ireland © 1988
Williams, Jeremy: Architecture in Ireland 1837-1921 © 1994
Somerville-Large, Peter: The Irish Country House – A Social History © 1995
Dickson, David: Old World Colony © 2005
Leland, Mary: ‘Imposing Ruin with History’ (article published in the Irish Examiner Sat. Nov. 22nd 2008)
Dictionary of Irish Architectures database (DIA) published online by the Irish Architectural Archive (IAA)

Notes prepared by Kevin Hurley on the occasion of the Cork Chapter visit 12th July 2009

Terms and Conditions for Visits and Events

2009-04-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

Terms & Conditions:

The committee reserve the right to refuse admission to any event.

No bookings accepted without payment.

Attendees must provide own transport.

2009-04-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

2009-04-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

2009-04-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

Borris House and The Heritage Council Headquarters Kilkenny

2009-04-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

Early on Saturday morning 28th March 2009 fourteen members of the Cork Chapter boarded a coach that would take us to Borris House in County Carlow and then to the former Church of Ireland’s Bishops Palace Kilkenny for the journal launch of the Irish Georgian Society.

It was a nice change to be driven rather than doing the driving especially given the long distances involved. We left Cork at 9am sharp and commenced our journey to Carlow stopping along the way at Thomastown Co. Kilkenny for some refreshments. We then proceeded apace to Boats Bistro Graiguenamanagh for a delightful lunch which prepared us for the next part of the journey to Borris House, Borris, Co. Carlow where we were met by Mr. Kavanagh who gave us a brief history of the building of the house and its stylistic attributions.

Borris House, situated in South County Carlow on the River Barrow, with views of the Blackstairs Mountains, is one of Ireland's most important country houses. Seat of the McMorrough Kavanagh family, whose ancestors have lived on the site since the fifteenth century, it is one of the very few houses in Ireland that is still occupied by the family for whom it was built and it still contains a great deal of its original furniture, paintings, documentary archives and other artefacts.

Originally an important castle guarding the River Barrow, Borris House was rebuilt in 1731 and later altered by the architectural dynastic family, The Morrisons, in the early 1800s. The Morrisons, chiefly Richard and William, are also responsible for the alterations and additions to Kilruddery in Co Wicklow, Carton House in Co Kildare, Fota House in Co Cork and Shelton Abbey, Co Wicklow to name but a few.

Externally, they clothed the 18th c house in a thin Tudor Gothic disguise, adding a crenellated arcaded porch on the entrance and decorating the windows with rectangular and ogival hood-moulds. Inside the house the Morrisons created an exuberant series of rooms beginning with the most florid room of the house, the entrance hall, where a circle is created within a square space with the clever use of pairs of scagliola columns and richly modelled plasterwork. The ceiling is like a great wheel with its shallowly coved circular centre from which eight beams radiate outwards. The plasterwork is profuse with festoons in the frieze, eagles with outspread wings in the spandrels and swirling acanthus in the cove of the ceiling.

The drawing room is double apsed with a trellis pattern similar to the one used in the library at Cangort Park while the dining room boasts a screen of Roman Ionic scagliola columns and pilasters and a frieze of swagged bucrania such as was used again in the dining rooms at Fota. The chapel, which is in the same Tudor Gothic mode as the stair hall in the main house, has a plaster rib-vaulted ceiling, a gallery at one end and an alter apse at the other, flanked by two canopied balconies containing the preaching desk and the organ pipes.

We visited the private chapel of Borris House which was once connected to the house by way of a corridor but this was removed when later works were carried out to the house. Having enjoyed the chapel we then visited the house where we viewed the magnificent suite of rooms and ascended the majestic staircase to view the library with its magnificent collection of volumes and estate management books.

All too soon our time had expired and we had to leave reluctantly and make our way to Kilkenny for the journal launch of the society. The launch was taking place in the former Church of Ireland Bishop’s Palace that has now been converted into the offices for the Heritage Council formerly house in Rothe House. We had a little detour and so arrived a little later than scheduled but still managed to enjoy the occasion and pick up a few books including ‘An Architect Earl’ by Ronald W Lighbown. Having enjoyed a nice glass of wine it was time to take our leave and head to a local hostelry for some food before the journey home. A long day for members but a rewarding trip and we must thank Kevin Hurley for organising the logistics and to Catherine FitzMaurice for bringing the group to Boats Bistro for a much enjoyed lunch.