Destruction of Irish country houses (1919–1923) facts for kids

The destruction of country houses in Ireland was a sad event that happened during a time of big changes in Ireland (1919–1923). During this period, at least 275 large country homes were deliberately burned down or blown up. These homes, often called "Big Houses," mostly belonged to wealthy Anglo-Irish families. Some houses of Catholic people who supported the new Irish Free State government were also targeted.

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) started destroying these houses during the Irish War of Independence. However, most of the destruction happened later, during the Irish Civil War (1922–23). Today, many of these grand buildings are just ruins or have been taken down. A few were rebuilt by their owners, sometimes smaller, or were given new purposes.

Why Were Big Houses Targeted?

Ballynastragh House in 1826. Many "Big Houses" like this were targeted by the IRA.

By 1919, the "Big House" had become a symbol of the power held by the Anglo-Irish class in Ireland. These families were often Protestant settlers from Great Britain who had owned most of the land for a long time. Many Irish nationalists felt that this land had been unfairly taken from the native Catholic population.

The Anglo-Irish families usually did not support Irish republicanism, which wanted Ireland to be a fully independent republic. They also held important jobs in the British government in Ireland. Nationalists believed that these large estates were the heart of the Anglo-Irish families' control over the country.

Even though many Irish farmers had started to own their own land by 1916, the idea that the Anglo-Irish still had too much power remained strong. By 1915, the British government had paid these landowners a lot of money to transfer over 60% of Irish farmland to tenant farmers. So, burning these country houses was often a symbolic act, showing a desire to end the old system.

Attacks During the War of Independence

The IRA wanted to challenge the respect people had for the landowning class. They even trained their fighters on these large estates to help them lose their "respect for the owners."

During the Irish War of Independence, Big Houses were often attacked as a way to get back at British forces. British groups, like the Black and Tans, would sometimes destroy or damage homes of people thought to support the IRA. In return, the IRA would burn Big Houses, assuming their owners supported the British. For example, in April 1921, a leader named Liam Lynch said that "six big houses" would be burned for every house destroyed by the British.

At least 76 country houses were destroyed during this war. Most of these attacks happened in 1920 and the first half of 1921, especially in counties like Cork, Kerry, and Tipperary. Historians say that many houses were burned to stop British soldiers from using them as bases. It was also a way to get revenge for homes burned by British forces.

Attacks During the Civil War

The ruins of Woodstock House in County Kilkenny, attacked in July 1922 during the Civil War.

It is thought that 199 country houses were destroyed during the Irish Civil War. While some were damaged in early battles, the main campaign against them began in late 1922. The leaders of the Anti-Treaty forces (who opposed the new Irish Free State) ordered these attacks. They wanted to punish supporters of the Free State government after it started executing Anti-Treaty fighters.

On December 8, 1922, Liam Lynch, a top Anti-Treaty IRA leader, ordered that "all Free State supporters are traitors" and their houses "must be destroyed at once." Later, he ordered attacks on Free State Senators.

The main reason given for these attacks was that many owners of these Big Houses were Senators in the new Irish Free State government. However, others were targeted simply because the IRA saw them as "Imperialists" (supporters of the British Empire) or even "Freemasons." These isolated country houses were easy targets. Attacking them forced the Free State's army to spread out its forces to protect landowners. It also created fear among Anglo-Irish people and those who supported the old ways.

These attacks were carefully planned. They focused on Irish nobles, members of the Free State Senate, and former politicians who supported the British. This was part of a larger plan to get back at Free State supporters for the executions. For example, in Dublin, nine of the 28 homes burned by the IRA between December 1922 and April 1923 were Big Houses. Homes of newspaper owners, army officers, and judges were also targeted.

Some Free State politicians, like W. T. Cosgrave, had their homes burned down. Even Sir Horace Plunkett, known for helping farmers, had his home burned in 1923.

Coolbawn House, near Rathnure in County Wexford, was burned in February 1923 and never repaired.

Some houses, like Ballycarty House, were also attacked to stop Free State soldiers from using them as bases. The houses varied in size, from small to very grand. Most were set on fire after being soaked in petrol. Some were even blown up with explosives.

In most cases, no one was hurt during these attacks. It's even said that IRA members sometimes helped families remove their belongings before burning the house. When the home of Dermot Bourke, 7th Earl of Mayo, was attacked, he said the IRA fighters were "excessively polite." However, there were also times when people were hurt or killed during these attacks.

Many houses were also looted during or after being destroyed. Belongings were often completely lost. Even homes of Catholic nationalists who supported the Free State, like Oliver St John Gogarty, were targeted. His home was rebuilt, but others, like Moore Hall, County Mayo, were not. The library at Moore Hall, which held old Irish and world history books, was completely destroyed.

Not all Big Houses were targeted. Some, like Dunsany Castle, were spared because the owner was famous or because the house held important religious items that local people respected. Other families, like the Shackletons or Guinnesses, were not affected because they were popular in their local areas, even if they didn't support Irish independence.

What Happened Afterwards?

The ruins of Moore Hall, County Mayo, abandoned after being burned by the IRA in 1923.

Most of the targeted homes were left empty after the attacks. Because petrol was used, most buildings were completely burned inside and couldn't be lived in. The damage, and the fear of more attacks, meant that few houses were rebuilt. Many were torn down, while others remain as ruins today. Most owners asked the Irish Free State government for money to cover their losses. For example, one owner asked for £62,000 for his house, saying he lost "valuable furniture, paintings, and art treasures."

The destruction of the Big Houses became an important part of Irish culture and history. Writers like William Butler Yeats wrote poems about it, and Elizabeth Bowen wrote a novel. They often saw these houses as symbols of a past way of life that was now ending. The attacks were not always the same; some houses were saved for different reasons, like Dunsany Castle which held holy relics.

Later Attacks During the Troubles

During a later period of conflict in Northern Ireland called the Troubles, the practice of targeting Big Houses was brought back by the Provisional Irish Republican Army. However, there were fewer such houses in Northern Ireland.

One famous attack happened on January 21, 1981, at Tynan Abbey. The 86-year-old owner, Sir Norman Stronge, and his son, James, were killed by the Provisional IRA. The house was then burned to the ground.

Other attacks included a bomb at Cappoquin House in 1973, and an arson attack on Killeen Castle in 1981. Killeen Castle was owned by an Irish businessman, and one of the attackers later said he wouldn't have burned it if he knew it was owned by an Irishman.

In 1991, a Provisional IRA unit attacked Caledon House, saying they were targeting British soldiers guarding it. This house had also been bombed in 1972.

List of Houses Destroyed

Here is a list of some of the houses that were attacked:

See also

• Anglo-Irish big house