Bailieborough Castle facts for kids

Bailieborough Castle was a large country house located in Bailieborough, County Cavan, Ireland. It was built a long time ago, around 1629, on a big piece of land called a 'demesne'. People also called it Castle House, Lisgar House, or simply 'The Castle'. It was near a lake called Castle Lough, on the edge of the town. Today, the castle is completely gone.

You can still visit the area! The Castle Lake loop is a 3-kilometer (about 1.8 miles) walking trail around part of the land where the castle used to be.

History of Bailieborough Castle

Building the Castle

The story of Bailieborough Castle began in 1610. A Scottish man named William Bailie was given land in East Breffnie by King James I. He was a "Planter," meaning he was part of a plan to settle Scottish and English families in Ireland.

King James I wanted William Bailie to build a strong house and bring families to live on the land. William did this, and the castle was finished by 1629. However, during a rebellion in 1641, Irish soldiers took over the house for about a month.

New Families Take Over

William Bailie passed away around 1648. His son, also named William, who was a bishop, inherited the estate. When the bishop died in 1664, his daughter Jane took over. She was married to James Hamilton.

The estate then passed through the Hamilton family. One of them, Henry Hamilton, was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Cavan. An MP is a person elected to represent their area in the government. Henry was sadly killed during a battle in 1690. His son, another James Hamilton, sold the property in 1724 and moved away.

The Stewart Family's Time

After the Hamiltons, Major Charles Stewart bought the castle in 1724. He was the nephew of a famous Scottish soldier, General William Steuart. When Charles Stewart died in 1740, his son William Stewart took over. William was the High Sheriff of Cavan in 1749, which was a very important local official role. He was also an MP for Cavan.

William's son, Charles Stewart, also became an MP for Cavan. He died in an accident in 1795. The estate then went to his nephew, Thomas Charles Stewart Corry. In 1814, he sold the castle to Colonel William Young.

The Young Family's Legacy

Colonel William Young was a very important owner. He designed the town of Bailieborough as we know it today. In 1821, he was given the special title of 1st Baronet Young of Bailieborough.

When he died in 1835, his son John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar inherited the estate. John Young had a very successful career. He was the Chief Secretary for Ireland, a top government job, and later became the Governor General of Canada. This is the Queen's representative in Canada. When he retired, he made many improvements to the castle.

The Castle's Final Years

After Lady Lisgar died in 1895, the estate faced legal problems. Some of the land was sold to the people who were renting it, thanks to a law called the Ashbourne Act.

The castle itself was sold to Sir Stanley Cochrane, 1st Baronet. He later sold it to his nephew, Mr. W.L.B. Cochrane. In 1910, most of the land was sold to the government's Forestry Division.

In 1915, a religious group called the Marist Brothers bought the house and the remaining land. They were a group of men who lived and worked together for religious reasons. Sadly, in 1918, the castle burned down. The brothers continued to live in a rebuilt part of the house until 1936. Then, they decided to sell the house to the Department of Lands and leave. The castle was completely torn down soon after.

Images for kids

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  The Castle, Bailieborough (from an old drawing)

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  Jetty on Castle Lake