Castletown House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Castletown House |
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Teach Bhaile an Chaisleáin
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| General information | |
| Status | Museum |
| Type | House |
| Architectural style | Palladian |
| Address | Celbridge, County Kildare |
| Town or city | Celbridge |
| Country | Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°20′57″N 6°31′50″W / 53.349079°N 6.530444°W |
| Elevation | 61 m (200 ft) |
| Groundbreaking | 1722 |
| Owner | Office of Public Works |
| Height | 21 m (69 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Material | limestone, marble, brick, Portland stone, brass, oak |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Floor area | 4,880 m2 (52,500 sq ft) |
| Lifts/elevators | 1 |
| Grounds | 220 ha (540 acres) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Alessandro Galilei, Edward Lovett Pearce (wings) |
| Other information | |
| Parking | On-site |
Castletown House is a huge country house in Celbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. It was built in 1722 for William Conolly, who was a very important person in the Irish government. He was the "Speaker" of the Irish House of Commons, which means he led the main discussions in parliament.
The house was the main building on a massive 800-acre (320 ha) estate. In 1965, the estate was sold and later split up. A group of people who wanted to save old buildings, called the Irish Georgian Society, bought the house and about 120 acres of land. This was their first big project! Later, the house was given to a special charity and then to the Irish government. Most of the rest of the land was used for forests or building new homes. In September 2023, there were some disagreements and protests about how people could get to the house by car.
Contents
Exploring Castletown House: Inside the Rooms
When you step inside Castletown House, you'll find many impressive rooms. These rooms are on the "piano nobile," which is the main floor where important guests were welcomed. This style was very popular in the 1720s.
The Grand Entrance and Staircase
To enter the house, you first walk up an outdoor staircase. Inside, there's a huge entrance hall. This hall is decorated with fancy plasterwork, called stucco, and pictures of the family. To the left, you'll find the dining room, which was originally two smaller rooms. To the right of the hall is the amazing main staircase. It's made of Portland stone and seems to float without visible support!
Reception Rooms and the Print Room
Straight ahead from the entrance, on the left, is the Green Drawing Room. This room is also known as the Saloon because of its central spot in the house. The family used this room to greet their guests. After that, they would move into the Red Drawing Room, still on the left side of the house.
Beyond the Red Drawing Room is a special place called the Print Room. This room is decorated with cut-out pictures, which was a popular trend in the 1760s. It's on the right side of the house and is believed to be the only room of its kind from that time left in Ireland. Further on, you'll find the State Bedroom. This room wasn't for kings or queens, but for important officials who represented the king, called viceroys, who lived in Dublin. It even has chairs from Venice!
The Long Gallery
Another amazing part of Castletown House is the Long Gallery. This room is 80-foot (24 m) long! It was decorated in the 1770s by an artist named O'Reilly. He used bright blue, red, and gold colours in a style inspired by ancient Roman art found in Pompeii.
The Story of Castletown House
Early Owners and Lady Louisa
After William Conolly passed away in 1729, his wife, Katherine Conolly, continued to live in the house. She hosted many grand parties there until she died in 1752. The Castletown estate then went to William Conolly's nephew, William James Conolly.
When William James died in 1754, his son, Tom Conolly, inherited the estate. Tom's wife, Lady Louisa, was a very important person. She was the great-granddaughter of King Charles II of England! Lady Louisa finished decorating the inside of the house in the 1760s and 1770s. Much of this work was done with designs by the famous architect William Chambers.
Lady Louisa also made many changes to the grounds around the house. She created clever drainage systems through the woods so that paths would stay dry, even in wet areas. The walking paths she designed through the forest are still there today.
Later Family and the Sale
When Tom Conolly died in 1803, he left the estate to his wife, Lady Louisa. When she passed away in 1821, she left it to her great-nephew, Edward Michael Conolly. He had to change his last name to Conolly to inherit the house. His eldest son, another Tom Conolly, then inherited Castletown.
The Conolly family, later known as the Conolly-Carews, lived in the house until 1965. That year, William Conolly-Carew, 6th Baron Carew, sold the house, its collections, and the land for £133,000. Some of the land was later used for new buildings, but some of the old features of the estate were kept.
Saving Castletown: The Foundation
In 1967, Mariga and Desmond Guinness bought Castletown House for £93,000. They wanted to save it from being damaged. The house became the most important project for the Irish Georgian Society, a group dedicated to preserving historic buildings. Eventually, the house was given to a new charity called the Castletown Foundation.
The estate was sold off in parts. About 120 acres around the house were kept. Some smaller parts were kept by Desmond Guinness. The forested part, called Crodaun Woods, was sold to a company that manages forests. The local council also bought about 25 acres (100,000 m2) over time. Most of the main estate is still woods or green space. However, a large part in the southwest was developed for housing, which came very close to the main house. The old walled garden and orchard were lost in this development. But some other features, like a small decorative building called a Gazebo, the Steward's House, and a fake temple, were saved.
Castletown Today
The Castletown Foundation found it hard to pay for all the repairs and upkeep of the house. So, in 1994, after many talks, Castletown House and its 120 acres of land were given to the Office of Public Works (OPW). The OPW is a government agency that looks after public buildings and lands.
The OPW has continued the work of restoring both the house and its grounds. Sadly, one of the smaller buildings on the wider estate, The Gazebo, was partly knocked down without permission in 2007.
In 2012, work started to restore the lake in front of the house, between Castletown House and the River Liffey. In 2016, they also began working on the pleasure grounds behind the house.
Visiting Castletown House
Getting There
You can walk to Castletown House from one end of Celbridge's main street. There's a path that used to be the main driveway, lined with lime trees. If you're coming by car, since 2007, you can access it from the north, near junction 6 of the N4 / M4 motorway. There's car parking close to the house. In September 2023, there were some local protests because the car entrance and parking areas were planned to close due to a disagreement.
There's also a walking path along the River Liffey. Another path goes from the house towards Leixlip, passing a small gate lodge designed by Batty Langley.
Activities and Research
Castletown House is now used by different groups for learning and art. Since 2007, a theatre company called The Performance Corporation has had an office there. They also practice their plays and host a yearly international arts program.
In 2008, a special research centre was opened on the second floor of Castletown House. It's a partnership between the OPW and Maynooth University. This centre helps to look after and study old records about Irish estates, their houses, and the people who lived in them. It's also a place to research decorative arts.
Since 2018, a weekly parkrun event takes place in the parklands of Castletown House on Saturdays. It's a fun way to get active!
See also
